George Zimmerman Pulls a Disappearing Act

Zimmernan's Lawyers, Craig Sonner (l) and Hal Uhrig (r), Joe Raedle, Getty Images

In an unexpected turn of events, George Zimmerman's attorneys withdrew from the case Tuesday but left the door open to representing him again, if he communicates with them. The lawyers admitted that they had never met with Zimmerman in person and their only contact had been by phone, e-mails, and texts. Zimmerman has not responded to their messages since Sunday.


Against the advice of his attorneys, Zimmerman contacted Special Prosecutor Angela Corey and also called Sean Hannity of Fox News. If all this is isn't odd enough, in another bizarre twist, Zimmerman created a website titled therealgeorgezimmerman.com, although it was inaccessible Monday night. Zimmerman's legal team speculate that Zimmerman might have left Florida because he fears for his safety.

Ham on Wry's patience for a resolution to the Trayvon Martin case has worn to a frazzle, so I can't imagine how his family can bear all this waiting. Good news came earlier from Special Prosecutor Corey when she promised an announcement concerning the case by Friday. Ham on Wry has believed all along that police should have arrested Zimmerman and taken him to trial, given that he shot an unarmed teen. It could have saved everyone many weeks of agony and calmed all of the interested parties.

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State Attorney Dismisses Grand Jury in Trayvon Martin Case

Bruce Lipaky,  Florida Times Union via AP

Florida State Attorney Angela Corey will decide the fate of George Zimmerman alone. She announced today that she would not use the grand jury scheduled to convene Monday by State Attorney Norm Wolfinger, who handled the case before it was given to Corey. She has established a reputation for not using grand juries when unnecessary, and she has never used one before, except when required by law. Since the case does not involve an allegation of premeditated murder, Corey is not required to use a grant jury to make the decision under Florida law.




In a prepared statement, Benjamin Crump, one of the attorneys representing the Martin family, said, "We are not surprised by this announcement and, in fact, are hopeful that a decision will be reached very soon to arrest George Zimmerman and give Trayvon Martin's family the simple justice they have been seeking all along." Other attorneys echoed the same sentiment as Crump.

Ham on Wry wonders what is taking so long to conclude the investigation, as details about progress have not been released. Crump's office essentially cut off any further discussion about the case after making the statement public, when it added, "At this time, the investigation continues and there will be no further comment from this office." Now, everyone must practice patience in waiting for the investigation to conclude and remember that opinions are not facts.

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Floridians Free to Dye Animals

We who live in Florida breathed a huge sigh of relief Friday when Governor Rick Scott signed a bill making it legal to dye animals again after a 45-year ban. I can't tell you how often I'm tempted to grab one of my pets and dye it hot pink or fuschia, but didn't because I feared jail time. Now I can dye them with impunity.




The astute reader will immediately wonder why Florida would have such a law on the books in the first place. Harking back to 1967 when the ban took effect, parents frequently gave children dyed chicks for Easter because it was all the rage. But then what?  The dye started wearing off, the chicks grew into chickens, and no one was prepared to deal with that. Some hapless chickens probably wound up on the dinner table while others perished because the owners didn't have the foggiest notion of how to care for them. Most likely for that reason and the fact that certain dyes can endanger animals' lives, Dade county vet and legislator Dr. Elton Gissendanner worked tirelessly to pass the law in 1967. During the most recent legislative session, the provision allowing animals to be dyed was added by Broward representative Ellyn Bogdanoff at the request of a Broward county groomer who wanted to be able to dye highlights into the fur of dogs presented in dog shows.

That same astute reader might also ponder why Governor Scott signed the bill that overturns the one on the books, in spite of thousands of protests against allowing animals to be dyed. The bill also ends the ban on selling or giving away chicks before they are 4 weeks old and bunnies before they are 8 weeks old. As of Friday, the governor's office had received 266 calls and 4,315 emails in opposition to the bill. Why did Scott ignore animal activists? The provision for allowing dyeing was added to a larger agricultural bill, and he said it was important to pass it. Shame on Ellyn Bogdanoff for tacking such a ridiculous provision onto an important bill.

Readers, move to Florida if you love superficiality and nonsense because you'll find plenty of it here. Florida politicians can't seem to draw legal redistricting lines or understand that the Stand Your Ground law is fraught with holes as illustrated by the Trayvon Martin debacle. The state has so many yahoos in the legislature that reasonable, logical citizens shake their heads at the antics of the current mob of dummies. Ham on Wry suggests that the efforts of Florida lawmakers to pass ridiculous laws bear the name Trivial Pursuit. It would aptly characterize the year 2011 and thus far in 2012.

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Five Blacks Shot, Three Die in Tulsa

Tulsa Chief of Police Chuck Gordon and Mayor Dewey Bartlett /AP James Gibbard

Black residents of North Tulsa are taking extra precautions today in the aftermath of five separate shooting incidents Friday that left three people dead and two in critical condition. Police are searching for a white man driving a white pick-up that was spotted at the scene for three of the shootings. All of the victims were walking when they were attacked. One told police that the man in the pick-up stopped to ask directions and then opened fire.

Tulsa's police department has a history of problems and faced accusations of corruption. In December, a former federal agent and three ex-policemen received jail terms for using false search warrants, committing  perjury, and stealing money, among other charges. Against that backdrop, the Reverend Warren Blakney Sr., president of the Tulsa NAACP, said "avid distrust" between the black community and the police department had raised concerns that the shootings wouldn't be fully investigated, so he contacted the police to emphasize the importance of cooperation with the Black community to keep the investigation from becoming contentious.


Police released the names of those killed as  Dannaer Fields, 49, Bobby Clark, 54, and William Allen, 31. Fields was found wounded, Clark on a street, and, ironically, Allen died outside a funeral home. Officers found the other two men  in another yard two blocks away and took them to hospitals in critical condition.


Ham on Wry hopes this case is handled quickly and effectively to quell any unrest that emerges around suspicion that these crimes were racially motivated.

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Project Glass-The Next Big Thing You Don't Need

After spending over two years in development, Google has released its Project Glass prototype eyewear. Pictured at left, they have a sleek, almost borg-like appearance designed to make the wearer into a walking computer. Google claims this souped-up version of actual glasses will provide users real-time information right in front of their eyes






Google X, Google's secret research and development facility, has several designs that might eventually be chosen over the model shown. No matter what style Google eventually releases, the glasses will function as a mini smart phone. A video camera and a small piece of glass sit over the right eye, with no lens on the left. Google states, "We think technology should work for you -- to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don't."

Although the concept is beyond cool, Ham and Wry shudders as the thought of a mob of visitors in Times Square crashing into each other like bumper cars and making it impossible for New Yorkers to navigate through the most crowded piece of Manhattan. No worries yet. These glasses won't be available for many years.

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Romney Says Obama "Out of Touch"

Ham on Wry finds it interesting that Mitt Romney accused President Obama of being "out of touch" Wednesday. His pathetic attempts to relate to Americans who don't hobnob with the wealthy elite included "mom jeans", stilted humor, and failed attempts to portray himself as "one of the gang." His laughs appear forced and his body language screams, RIGID. He failed in his bid to win the nomination in 2008 for good reason. Romney doesn't understand the middle class.


President Obama has two school-age children and his wife sometimes sneaks out and shops at grocery stores and Target, so he knows what an average American faces every day with rising prices and shrinking incomes. Romney has led a privileged life from birth and moves in circles to which most Americans have no access. His world differs from ours in that rising prices matter little to someone who can afford to buy anything he chooses. In Ham and Wry's view, Mitt Romney is sorely out of touch with middle America and positively has no understanding of poverty.  His father George understood poverty, but Mitt never experienced wanting things he couldn't afford.

The American Energy Alliance, which has ties to the Koch Brothers, billionaires who own oil pipelines, has already released a ridiculous negative ad blaming President Obama for the spike in gas prices and it includes the funding for Solyndra as a red herring. C'mon people! How stupid can viewers be if they believe something funded by billionaires who support conservative causes because it puts more money in their pockets.  Gas prices are basically out of the hands of a single individual. Did Americans blame Gerald Ford for the skyrocketing gas prices and long lines at gas stations in 1974?  No! It's not a Republican or Democratic issue. Much of the increase stems from the oil producing nations in the Middle East. They set the price of a barrel of oil produced by OPEC.

This blogger will continue to harp on researching information and ignoring ad campaigns from either side. Our founders wanted well-educated citizens to vote their beliefs because they understood the issues and the candidates. Please don't go to the polls in November, if you believe that you don't have the responsibility to inform yourself about all of the issues and the platform which the candidates stand on.

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The Hunger Games Continues Its Win at the Box Office

The Hunger Games knocked out the competition to claim highest numbers at the box office this weekend, after having the third best opening of all time the previous weekend. Adapted from a young adult novel by Suzanne Collins, the movie captures the main thrust of the book. My niece read the entire trilogy and recommended that I see the movie. Wow! What a ride!



Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark from District 12 are pictured above in the costumes designed by Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) to wow the crowd as they are introduced to the Capitol crowd eagerly awaiting the start of the games. Each of the 12 districts in the nation must send a boy and girl each year to "The Hunger Games", a fight to the death until all but one of the participants die. Readers can find many synopses online to gain a basic understanding of the plot.

The costumes in the movie absolutely dazzle in their brilliance and innovation. In particular, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tunnis) stand out in their unusual hairstyles and clothing.
Effie is pictured above with Katniss during the ceremony to pick the male and female tributes from district 12, a coal mining district. Below Caesar is shown on the set of the live telecast of "The Hunger Games". Both characters change hair color to match the lavish outfits that they wear.

The movie offers a metaphorical look at a future state divided starkly into haves and have nots.  The culture has devolved into a shallow society, and the ruling class uses the games to control the masses. The ending had a Romeo/Juliet moment but offered a surprise to the expected outcome. It both entertained and enlightened, and I highly recommend it. Parents should accompany children under 12, and I suggest leaving those under 8 at home.

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