Wesley Snipes is facing sentencing today after being convicted of several tax misdemeanors. He had some of his friends submit letters to the court asking for leniency and attesting to his good character. Among the letter writers were Denzel Washington, Woody Harellson, Judge Joe Brown, a Shaolin monk, and Snipes’ personal driver and personal stand-in (who presumably doesn’t have to stand in his stead in this instance).

But the winner by a mile is the letter submitted by Bokeem Woodbine which is actually handwritten on college ruled paper ripped from a spiral notebook (to his credit he did use both sides of the sheet). What on earth was Bokeem doing that he couldn’t find the time to compose his thoughts on a computer? Hell, an email to the judge would carry more weight.

Bokeem

“Oh shit! They Got Wesley? This is an injustice! I need to express myself to the judge! No… no time to log on. You know how slow Windows Vista is. I’ll just (*rip*) take a few of these sheets and put pen to paper….”

The letters can be found here (pdf). If you just want to see Bokeem’s letter, and who could blame you, it is the very last letter in the document.

Today, I found myself thrilled that composite sketches and eyewitness descriptions are so inaccurate. Why? Because when I opened up today’s New York Times Metro section and saw the picture of the hancuffed suspect in a recent local rape and murder case, I felt like I was looking at a picture of myself.

It is truly uncanny.

If statements and skectches were remotely accurate, I would be wondering why people were gripping up their children off the street and fleeing as I walked by.

And it begins. I have been wondering for some months how long it would take law enforcementy types to realize that they could use social networks like MySpace and Flickr to track down graffiti and streetartists and the evidence (or leads to the evidence) they would need to bring a case. Users add fresh pictures of their latest escapades near daily. While I hoped that the Police would never get wise, it appears that the Boston Police just used MySpace to catch some kids (to the tune of $75,000 in damages).

Apparently, with all of the old copper fixtures stripped from nearly every abandnoned house in Baltimore, folks in search of scrap metal have turned to stealing lamp posts. According to the New York Times:

Thieves are sawing down aluminum light poles. Some 130 have vanished from Baltimore’s streets in the last several weeks, the authorities say, presumably sold for scrap metal. But so far the case of the pilfered poles has stumped the police, and left many local residents wondering just how someone manages to make off with what would seem to be a conspicuous street fixture.

If you have seen HBO’s “The Wire”, then you are famailiar with the fact that drug users (Think Bubs) routinely gut the inside of abandoned homes in Baltimore, looking for any metal they can trade in for enough money to buy their next fix. But this is on a whole new level. Whomever is stealing these lamposts is organized and precise.

The poles, which weigh about 250 pounds apiece, have been snatched during the day and in the middle of the night, from two-lane blacktop roads and from parkways with three lanes on either side of grass median strips, in poor areas and in some of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods. Left behind are half-foot stubs of metal, with wires that carry 120 volts neatly tied and wrapped in black electric tape.

“Pirates Open Fire on Cruise Ship off Somalia”

Pirates in speed boats opened fire on a cruise liner carrying hundreds of tourists off the Somali coast on Saturday, but none of the holidaymakers were hurt, a shipping official and the ship’s owners said.

Shocking. (via washpo)

Via Cnn: Martha Stewart was just convicted on four counts.

Update: Wow. Stewart is still in the court house and her website is already updated with a post verdict message.

Professor Yin wonders what will become of the Fastow kids since both of their parents have been sentenced to the bing for their roles in the Enron scandal. While I am sure that Lea and Andy will end up spending their time in a palatial clink, it will be a clank nonetheless.

It looks like Lea is going to do her bid while Andy takes the reins at home. Then Lea is going to tag Andy in. I can just see Andy now…

Mommy is staying at a nice hotel for a few months. She’s away on “business.” In fact, When mommy gets back, I will be going away on “business” too. Mommy gets a nicer hotel though.

Oh. . . Now this is country. . . That’ll teach the youngun to ask for the keys to the car after a “Tide” loss. I love how the article is sure to note that the son acknowledged that he “picked the wrong moment” to ask about the car.