04/18/2006
Authorities investigating Easter bondage murder in Torino, Italy.
Pet Shop Boys new album Fundamental may not get a U.S. release.
A Google Earth comparison of Iran's nuclear sites using satellite imagery: "Both these sites will be military targets if diplomacy fails to steer Iran away from its nuclear weapons program — either for US missiles or, failing that, Israeli planes. The spectre raised by the Seymour Hersh article in last week's issue of the New Yorker is that the US may be thinking of using tactical nuclear weapons to get to the facilities."
Did Santiago Calatrava rip off Frank Lloyd Wright when designing his proposed condominium tower for New York's South Street Seaport? Some are saying that the building looks suspiciously like the Taliesin 2 Floor Lamp.
Two players on Duke's Lacrosse team were indicted for the rape of a stripper early today. One of them was Colin Finnerty, whom the NYT reported may hold a prior assault record as a gay basher. No respect for gays or women? Sounds like his parents raised him well.
Academic curriculum and gay rights headed for showdown in California Senate. "Supporters of the bill have said they hope including gay and lesbian issues in course curricula for public schools will replace the negative and stereotyped images of the LGBT community with more informed ones among California youths." Senator Sheila Kuehl: "Because there is no prescription in the law now about LGBT people, official educational materials can contain information that is adverse or discriminatory. We just want to make sure the official educational materials are bias-free."
Posted 12:50 PM EST by Andy Towle in Elsewhere | Permalink
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Let's not be too hasty in convicting those guys at Duke. As more information comes out, it's looking like the case against them is pretty flimsy at best. The DNA collected from the alleged victim didn't match any of the players, there's evidence showing that she was pretty banged up prior to arriving at the house, and the statement of the evening's events from the victim's friend certainly didn't support her claims. This guy might be a homophobic asshole, but that doesn't mean he's a rapist too. Let's wait until all the facts are known before making a decision.
Posted by: Brian | Apr 18, 2006 1:03:01 PM
Yeah, no DNA evidence and people are playing the race card pretty hard in Raleigh. People are calling out for blood to achieve their own agendas. There would be a riot if the DA didn't indict someone in this case.
Posted by: busytimmy | Apr 18, 2006 1:20:38 PM
Is it just me, or does Colin look like a 12-year old.
Posted by: Bill | Apr 18, 2006 1:24:13 PM
Our prisons are filled with rapists who were convicted without DNA evidence. It isn't the ONLY way to prove a rape. While these guys are most definitely innocent until proven guilty, the lack of DNA evidence does not exonerate them.
Posted by: jon | Apr 18, 2006 1:52:14 PM
Does anyone still care about the Pet Shop Boys? So over. Their new single is appalling.
Posted by: Peter Rivendell | Apr 18, 2006 3:15:44 PM
And, with regard to the Lloyd Wright lamp: can the architect's estate sue the makers of 'Jenga', too?
Posted by: Jacko | Apr 18, 2006 3:20:59 PM
Let's see. A white DA running for re-election in predominately black Durham. A black "exotic dancer" charges two (or maybe three) white Duke boys with rape. No DNA connection. The DA says "he knows a crime was committed". Of course there's NO possibility that the DA is concerned more with the November race.
I suspect that sans an upcoming election there would be no case.
Posted by: Don | Apr 18, 2006 5:38:47 PM
Is Finnerty the ball boy? A high school student? He sure does not look like a typical lacrosse player. And I have fucked a few in my time.
Posted by: Ozzie | Apr 18, 2006 6:00:57 PM
The indictment was handed down by a grand jury who reviewed the evidence on hand.
As for the "race card," what bullshit. Race became an issue when the lacrosse players called the dancer racist slurs. Moreover, when Rush Limbaugh called the alleged victim a "ho" things were definitely racial.
Innocent until proven guilty is my belief. But applying sexist guilt/morality to the victim because she is an exotic dancer is pretty sad coming from a gay person. After all, don't a lot of people assume that because someone is gay that he is of weak moral character?
Posted by: noah | Apr 18, 2006 6:52:27 PM
Whether the "exotic dancer" was black or white is of no consequence. The FACTS are she is black and 46/47ths of the Duke lacrosse team are white, so the "race card" is all in the press reporting. If a woman was raped, let the courts deal with it. My comment - which needs clarification (correction?) - is that the white DA is proceeding with this case. The clarification is that the DA is in a tight Deomcratic primary race which concludes in early May. So could it be possible that the DA is focused not on November, but the next couple of weeks?
As to "ball boy", my sources say he wasn't close to first or second string - in fact he didn't make the travelling team.
Posted by: Don | Apr 18, 2006 10:25:32 PM
Sure, innocent until proven guilty. But Finnerty has already shown himself to be spoiled, devoid of human values and, quite frankly, stupid: if you get busted for assault, and get a special deal not to be charged with the crime if you do some community service and don't get arrested again, then engage in behavior that gets you puts you under suspicion and arrested again -- well, you're pretty damn clueless and unappreciative of an arguably undeserved and unjustified second chance. Not very smart.
Posted by: Pitbull | Apr 18, 2006 11:17:31 PM
I thought the "race card" was being (allegedly) played because there were reported incidents including one on that night of black women being called niggers by the people on that team and at the house where the incident occured and by her attackers. It's not always a race issue when a black person is involved but when the word nigger is involved I'm not really sure how any reasonable person can suggest otherwise.
Oh butI'm sure this is all a hoax by the black community to fabricate racists incidents because there aren't enough occuring like the St Maartens attack was a hoax by gay activists trying to fabricate homophobia.
Personally, it sounds like there might not be enough evidence on the two charged so far and there might be evidence that provides an alibi beyond the testimony of friends.
I do want to know what happened. Hopfully we'll find out the truth either way.
Posted by: Chad Hanging | Apr 19, 2006 12:02:58 AM
Supposedly Reade Seligmann, the other student charged along with Finnerty, wasn't even at the party at the time of the alleged rape. A cabby has come forward with an alibi for Seligmann. There is supposedly an ATM receipt that also shows Seligmann was away from the party at the time of the alleged rape, and Seligmann swiped his card to enter his dorm at 12:41 (the rape allegedly occurred around 12:30).
So far the evidence does not seem to be stacking up in favor of the alleged victim. All that I am aware of so far from the media is that persons at the party used derogatory language towards her, which she left because of this, she was coerced back into the house, and she later had injuries consistent with that of a rape.
As for the DNA evidence: DNA evidence is often not found in rape cases, because either the attacker(s) does not ejaculate or the attacker(s) does so outside the body (DNA evidence was found on a towel in the bathroom… it was however that of two individuals who lived in that house).
At this point the case could really go either way.
Posted by: RP | Apr 20, 2006 10:24:38 AM