Jaren Lockhart murder - & - dismemberment trial wrapping up

(Sorry, it seems one of my links -- the first TUSCL discussion, a.k.a. my third-to-last, a.k.a. my ante-penultimate link -- is not correct; well seven outta eight ain't bad ...)

And finally, as to my own proximity to the event ...

Well, believe it or not, my personal cash accounts, excruciatingly accurate as they are, actually do inform me of the mongering journeys which I might have been enjoying during that period in 2012. I looked in my old Microsoft Money and Quicken files and can determine the following fairly definitively: I had been to Visions in New Orleans East in mid- to late-May, and I had been to Visions and to Penthouse (which is just a few blocks from Temptations) later in June. When I went to Penthouse, I am sure, I must have walked past or near enough to Temptations, and have certainly passed it many times during my nightly prowls in those days, since it's on the main drag of strip-clubs smack in the middle of the most populated and cruddy section of tourist-heavy Bourbon Street. I can recall patronizing Temptations several times, I have probably written intelligible reviews about the place, but I cannot presently recall any occasion of getting a lapdance, or of getting to know any one individual dancer there. Images in the newspaper stories make clear what the victim looked like, especially the fact of her large number of tattoos, which would have been remarkable and memorable, so I suspect that I'm accurate when I claim that, because I don't recall her in specific, I probably never met her. I think if I had been attracted to someone looking like her whom I had met at Temptations, or maybe had a lap dance with her, then I would have recalled her. And again, my monetary accounting is helpful here -- it informs me that I hadn't spent money for any lappers at Temptations at that time. Nevertheless, for me it's unnerving to learn that I was so close to such a horrific incident. The victim probably had a drug problem, one can infer from the news stories, so she was seeking much-needed cash by means of the ill-fated "bachelor party" when she chose to leave the club with her (accused) killers.

I wonder how this might put a damper on out-of-club excursions by dancers. They'll be more skittish here, probably; but also no less in need of the money. I'm no longer a club regular anywhere -- I stopped clubbing about two years ago, plus -- and I'm not going to try to re-insert myself into any club in this context and atmosphere. Even if things aren't unreasonably more restrictive these days, it's just not appealing to me to hang with the skizzy skuzzy set, like it used to be. I thrilled to touch the underworld. But I just figured out that it probably touched me back, ever so slightly. Enough of a touch to chill my spine right to the core. Thanks Nietzsche for the pointer about the abyss ...

Fuck me did SJG change his username?

A sad story. It's dangerous to be a stripper.

glad to see you are still here Book Guy

Hey, still lurking and trolling Dr. PHil. :)

I would like to add one correction / update -- Speaks was convicted yesterday, but of Second, not First, Degree Murder. Evidently the prosecution did not choose to seek the death penalty, don't know why. (And who is SJG? oh never mind ...)