Crime and punishment

Five Takeaways from Steubenville Rape Case

by Bill Brenner March 18, 2013 Crime and punishment

After taking in some of the outrage among friends over the seemingly sympathetic coverage CNN gave to two Steubenville, Ohio, teens convicted of raping a young girl, I decided to watch the specific report that generated all the fuss. Mood music: [spotify:track:4NOsHwVqjELCPWiY72bao5] People are often conflicted over stories like this because the convicted are two kids who did what a lot of kids are capable of doing when they had too much booze. Reporters seemed heartbroken…  [Read More]

A Little Souvenir From My Trip To Amityville

by Bill Brenner October 24, 2012 Crime and punishment

Last month, on the way to a security conference in NYC, I made a side trip to Amityville, Long Island, to take pictures of the so-called Amityville Horror house for a work-related slideshow. Today we launched it, and I wanted to share it with you here. Happy Halloween: The Amityville Horror house, then and now The real haunting of Amityville is by unwanted tourists. Here’s how the famous site has added security and privacy features…  [Read More]

Sex Change Outrage: Should We Pay for Convict’s Operation?

by Bill Brenner September 18, 2012 Crime and punishment

There are a lot of good people out there who deal with brutal medical situations that make them outcasts. There’s the depression I’ve covered extensively here. And there are things like being transgender. But if you’re behind bars for murder, should taxpayers be paying for your treatment? Mood music: [spotify:track:44XvCIXl5rqHGAWcAS2I2i] Depression is a simpler example. If antidepressants can make a convict well enough to better serve the prison community where he or she is doing time,…  [Read More]

Nikki Sixx, Michael Jackson and Pedophiles, Part 2

by Bill Brenner June 26, 2012 Crime and punishment

Last year, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx created a Twitter shitstorm when he opined about Michael Jackson being an alleged pedophile. At the time, I wrote a blog post about it being a fascinating case study in human nature. This week marks the third anniversary of Jackson’s death, and the case study has taken an interesting turn. Mood music: [spotify:track:1S3Bc6pVYOmzad7d1WiQO7] I knew something was up when my post from last year started getting a ton of…  [Read More]

When We Look in the Mirror, We See John Edwards

by Bill Brenner June 2, 2012 Crime and punishment

I admit feeling some glee over the fall of former U.S. senator and presidential hopeful John Edwards. I always thought the guy was full of himself, and cheating on his cancer-stricken wife was probably one of the shittiest examples of infidelity you could find. Yet I’m going to defend him — a little. Mood music: [spotify:track:5edNYGd8F7pEhfIQu6RenB] Edwards was back in the news this week when a jury found him not guilty on one count of accepting…  [Read More]

The JetBlue Captain Went Crazy

by Bill Brenner April 13, 2012 Communication Skills

I held off on writing about the JetBlue captain who suffered an emotional breakdown in flight because the case seemed too cut and dry for my added perspective. Mood music: That’s because I was thinking about this from the perspective of a frequent flyer. I prefer that the guys running the cockpit of my plane are sober and of sound mind. If someone is on the mental edge, they shouldn’t be flying a plane. And…  [Read More]

Do Pedophiles Deserve Civil Rights?

by Bill Brenner October 23, 2011 Crime and punishment

I’m flabbergasted by a report where pedophiles claim to deserve special rights, on par with gay rights. Sorry, folks. But there’s a mighty big difference between you and the rest of society. The article that has be pissed off is in the Greeley Gazette. It leads with this: Using the same tactics used by “gay” rights activists, pedophiles have begun to seek similar status arguing their desire for children is a sexual orientation no different…  [Read More]

Mentally Ill Behind Bars

by Bill Brenner October 4, 2011 Communication Skills

Came across a disturbing report by Steve Visser in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that clearly illustrates how far we have to go in getting the mentally ill the help they need. Mood music: The headline: Mentally ill inmates languish in local jails From the article: Detention Officer Terroyanne Harris considers the inmates she oversees on 3 North as much patient as prisoner. They suffer from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress and other mental illnesses. Some walk aimlessly around…  [Read More]

How Many Times Should a Man Say He’s Sorry? (Inspired By Kevin Mitnick)

by Bill Brenner August 23, 2011 Communication Skills

Yesterday I wrote a post over at my information security blog about famed hacker Kevin Mitnick and how he is conducting himself in the limelight. Is he redeeming himself after a life of crime? That’s the point a lot of people seem to be debating. Should a man or woman who has made mistakes in life apologize in every interview, at every conference, behind every closed door? I’m reminded of that scene in “Raiders of…  [Read More]

Back Story Of THE OCD DIARIES

by Bill Brenner May 14, 2011 Addiction

Since I’ve been adding new readers along the way, I always get questions about why I started this thing. I recently expanded the “about” section, and that’s a good starting point. But more of a back story is in order. Mood music: Before I started THE OCD DIARIES in December 2009 with a post about depression hitting me during the holidays, I had always toyed with the idea of doing this. The reason for wanting…  [Read More]

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