ABE THE VAMPIRE HUNTER MEETS TWILIGHT

What happens when Abe, the Vampire Hunter, meets Twilight?  Well this photo gives you some idea.  "A vampire divided against himself -- with a silver bladed ax - cannot stand."

Dirt Track Racing - Motorcycles & Quads

Photos I took of the racing at the Marion County Fair this week.

NBA - Best Ever

In the wake of the Heat's championship, there's a lot of talk about LeBron James being one of the best players ever - some putting him just behind Michael Jordan.  Well, he may get to that lofty plateau, but I think he's still got a little ways to go.

Here's my all-time NBA team, in order (remember, you get 15 on your roster now):

1. Michael Jordan (G)
2. Oscar Robertson (G) 
3. Bill Russell (C)
4. Wilt Chamberlain (C)
5. Magic Johnson (G)
6. Larry Bird (F)
7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (C)
8. LeBron James (F)
9. Kobe Bryant (G)
10. Elgin Baylor (F)
11. Tim Duncan (F)
12. Shaquille O'Neal (C)
13. Julius (Dr. J) Irving (F)
14. Jerry West (G)
15. Isiah Thomas (G)

* Just missed:  Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Bob Pettite, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Dirk Nowitzski,, Walt Frazier, John Stockton & Steve Nash 

Tim Durham: Talent, Greed & A Life Wasted

TIM DURHAM HEADING TO COURT 

Tim Durham was once a bright guy with a promising career ahead in both law and business.  But he will spend the next 20 years or more in Federal prison.

Yesterday he was convicted of fraud in stealing $200 million from investors. It wasn't all that intricate a plot. With money and credit from other business ventures, Durham and a business associate, James Cochran (also convicted), bought Fair Financial in 2002. 

ONE OF DURHAM'S "TOYS"

Fair Financial was a well-established company with a history of providing safe investments and a solid, if not spectacular, return to its investors. 


But Durham had other plans.  He turned the company, and the life savings of 5,000 investors, into his personal piggy bank.  He funded a lavish life style -- renting the top floor of the tallest building in Indianapolis, homes in L.A. and Miami, a commissioned portrait, yachts, a world-class collection of collector cars, including a Bugatti & Duessenburg, a $160,000 Playboy party.

Along the way, he distributed his money to make powerful friends in Republican politics.  Carl Brizzi and Gov. Mitch Daniels were among those receiving the most lavish largess from Durham's funds.

It was a life based on toys.  Whoever dies with the most wins.  No concern for the investors, who put the money scrimped from a lifetime of work into Durham's greedy hands. 

No morality.  No honor.  Just insatiable greed.

TIM DURHAM & HIS MULTI-IMAGE PORTRAIT

Reflecting back to the early 1980s, I was at a young lawyer at the big Indianapolis firm of Ice Miller. During that same time, there were four others coming out of law school. Top of their class credentials and the world waiting before them.  

 Tim Durham, Myra Selby, Bart Peterson & Joe Hogsett, Three associates & one summer associate (Joe took a position at Bingham Summers out of law school).

Bart became mayor of Indianapolis. 

Myra became the state's 1st (and only) woman & 1st African-American Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. 

U.S. ATTORNEY JOE HOGSETT (at lectern)

Joe became Ind Secy of State, a US Senate candidate, and now US Attorney. 

 And Tim Durham, his greed unchecked, his desire for parties & fancy cars insatiable, will spend at least the next 20 years in federal prison. 

His prosecutor - Joe Hogsett

What a long strange trip its been.

How secure is your data on the internet? 

How "hidden" are you when you use a screen name?

Not very.  Matter of fact, not at all.

The Indianapolis Star has published an amazing story about cyber sleuthing and the vapor trail we all leave in the ether.  The story involves a video which has attracted national attention, and national scorn (at least in most quarters).  It shows a little boy singing an anti-gay song in church, concluding with the line "Ain't no homos gonna make it in heaven,"  to the whoops and cheers of the congregation.  For the video clip, CLICK HERE.

The church is the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle in Greensburg, Indiana.

But equally stunning is how the YouTube video went from 16 views, to nearly a million is the story of how the church and the person who originally posted it were identified by "some guy with a computer in Texas." 

"Mike" - the newspaper would not identify his last name due to threats he has received - stumbled on the video while doing research into the anti-gay sermons of a preacher in North Carolina.  He followed the posting "FunnyMan1972" through Spokeo.com and Veromi.com, to locate the poster in Greensburg.  Then using information about the man's children, and cross-linking with Facebook friends lists, he found the man's identify.  With further research, he located a photo of the interior of Apostolic Truth Tabernacle and matched it to the YouTube video.

Its a piece of sluething worthy of Sherlock Holmes or Harry Bosch -- or maybe more closely to Lisbeth Salendar, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  To read the entire story, CLICK HERE.

Tail of the Dragon - Images from the ride

The Tree of Shame at the south end of the Dragon.  Parts from motorcycles scattered along the Tail of the Dragon are nailed to the tree for al to see.

In Deals Gap after 1st ride through the Dragon

Deals Gap at the foot of the Dragon

The Tail of the Dragon sculpture

Dramatic horseshoe lake from overlook on the Tail of the Dragon

Overlook near the top of the Dragon

Dam & power plant on way to Robinsonville

Taking a break near the end of the Cherohola Skyway