Camera Drones are Voraciously Addictive!

Los Angeles, CA—If my blog seems to have so much content related to camera drones it’s because I hopelessly hooked!

I find myself adding sites to my bucket list every day.  Most of them are in far away places. 

Here are two of my latest shoots.  Please enjoy!

Drones, Research, development, the Dysfunctional FAA and Over-Zealous Politicians

Los Angeles, CA—An undetermined but huge numbers of little camera drones are in civilian hands all over the world.  They are safe, somewhat simple to operate and the cameras are capturing stunning images.

We can easily guess that the number of multi-rotor drones in the USA currently far exceeds that of conventional helicopters. 

Drones for the most part are ignored by the Federal Aviation Administration unless they are used to earn money or are flown inside or too close to airports without control tower permission.   The FAA has advised the drone owners to fly below 400 feet in order to avoid conventional aircraft.

Currently there are adequate laws in every state that cover drones or their potential involvement in endangerment, assault, stalking and privacy invasion.

The FAA has missed their deadlines and has all but abdicated its responsibility to integrate these devices with other air traffic.

One federal judge has already slapped the FAA and their ban on commercial use has been voided.  That matter is currently under appeal.

Other than constant obstruction the FAA has done nothing to encourage the collision avoidance system and other testing by drone manufacturers. 

The voracious drone market competition shows promise of new safety hardware and software development.   That certainly shows the potential of real safety benefits all aircraft passengers and those on the ground.  

Because of the FAA testing is being done everywhere but the USA!  We as a nation are falling behind.  

Any safety concerns by the FAA are without foundation.  There’s never been a remarkable accident!  No lives lost.  Any injuries related to the drones are a few cut fingers of the drone owners because of ill-advised handling.

Public safety would be greatly enhanced if the little drones were used instead of fixed wing planes of helicopters.

The drones are battery powered and environmentally friendly.  The noise from the drones is so much less than regular aircraft. 

Most importantly drones are so much cheaper to operate.   The savings to taxpayers would be huge if government agencies embraced these things. 

For example automobile accident investigations and criminal investigations on our roads rely on time consuming diagramming by cops.  If cops used a camera drone they’d have picture perfect and to scale evidence.  This can be done quickly eliminating prolonged traffic tie-ups. 

Insurance companies could quickly survey damaged property after floods, storms and fires.

Farmers, cattle ranches and rescue crews will all significantly benefit from using drones. 

The FAA is by nature another power and money hungry bureaucracy beast.  The FAA must realize that they can’t keep up with millions of 12 year-old boys flying drones above the roofs of their homes. 

The FAA needs to back off and stick to their original mission of dealing with manned aircraft.  I don’t see much argument over measured and reasonable regulation of drones weighing more than 55 pounds.   

Politicians likewise need to let the existing laws work instead of obstructing business and public safety with unfounded “Chicken Little” predictions of doom and death.   

The operators of the little camera drones for the most part police themselves.  They understandably don’t want to endanger their expensive drones, cameras, the public or themselves. 

For the few drone operators that might choose to use drones criminally the local police have sufficient manpower and resources for enforcement.   

Please Enjoy Yet Another Drone Video

Los Angeles, CA—On a quiet Sunday Morning my little drone took a ride above Westwood area of Los Angeles.  The video shows the Southern portion of the UCLA campus, Wilshire Blvd and beyond.  On the West you can see the Veteran’s Cemetery, The VA Hospital and the 405 Freeway.   

Unfortunately because of the terrific music attached this cannot be seen in Europe. 

Murder Conviction and Sentence of Jodi Arias May Be History

Phoenix, AZ—A major time-bomb of sorts is waiting to go off in the courtroom of Judge Sherry Stephens.  This is in the form of a motion that would remove the death penalty from consideration due to serious misconduct.  The shenanigans and misconduct of cops and prosecutors in this case has grown to fill a massive book. 

Judge Stephens lost all control of the the Jodi Arias case from day one.  Stephens has simply turned a blind eye to the misconduct that allowed this murder trial to become one of the more infamous judicial circuses since the Salem Witch Trials.

The latest stunt revealed today was that Mesa police detective Estaban Flores unlawfully shared confidential and court sealed information with his wife.  She in turn allegedly uploaded outrageous videos containing some of the information onto YouTube in efforts to incite public opinion against Arias.

Ultimately, if this is true, Estaban’s police career and peace officer certification is history.  He and his wife probably will now be facing criminal charges brought by an appointed special prosecutor. 

As for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and Maricopa County Attorney’s Office,  it seems that they have from the beginning chronically and deliberately obstructed Arias’ right to a fair trial. 

Everything from withholding evidence, witness tampering, and obstructed communication with the Arias defense team has taken place.  Of course who could forget the grandstanding circus Ringmaster, prosecutor Juan Martinez signing autographs for his infatuated female court watching fans.

That means there is so much more at stake here than lifting the Death Penalty but outright dismissal is now in plain sight.

No small issue is that Arias has been transformed by a runaway prosecution effort into a reviled pariah.  Current jury selection happenings have made it abundantly clear that the jury pool is hopelessly tainted.

There is no chance that the damage could ever be undone.  There is only one solution now That is setting Arias free and that’s exactly what the law requires.

As for the angry mob of mindless court watchers that have made Arias the object of their intense hate?   They can now transfer their wrath to the brain dead officials that let this happen through their redundant, persistent and chronic misconduct.

The 23 page Motion is attached below:

  Jodi Arias Motion Oct 1 by crimefile

Carice van Houten to Play Leni Riefenstahl the beautiful actress, singer and Pioneer Film Director

Leni Riefenstahl

Carice van Houten

Berlin, Germany—I first talked about this last February when there was a tease article in Variety Magazine.

The Jessie Owens story is coming to the big screen.  The film titled, Race is starring Stephan James as Owens and he is joined Jeremy Irons and William Hurt in this film.  Stephen Hopkins is directing the film.  Shooting began this week in Berlin.

The multi-talented Dutch actress, Carice van Houten who happens to be my personal favorite has signed on to play the legendary German film director Leni Riefenstahl.

Van Houten was cast in the once in a lifetime role of the accidental Dutch resistance hero, Rachel Stein / Ellis de Vries in Paul Verhoeven’s film, Black Book (2006).   That’s still is my favorite film of all time!

Today, van Houten graces the Game of Game of Thrones cast as the Red Priestess, Melisandre.

Riefenstahl was a gorgeous dancer and actress and genuine contemporary of the late great Marlene Dietrich.  The events of 1933 in Germany would change her life. 

Riefenstahl was an incredibly talented woman who took advantage of an opportunity within Adolf Hitler’s emerging Third Reich to make films with virtually unlimited budgets.

Riefenstahl was not anti-Semitic or any kind of a racist.  She was an opportunist that simply rose to the occasion when she got her chance.

One of her trademark masterpiece films, Triumph des Willens or in English Triumph of The Will is banned today in Germany.  It’s filled with amazing camera shots both static and aerial that had never been done before in cinema.  

That film was an epic propaganda piece designed to make Germany love their new leader who promised them hope and change and during a very bleak period in German History.  

Riefenstahl matched her stunning images with music and the film became an undeniable hit.  Nazi propaganda aside Riefenstahl did exactly what film directors are supposed to do.

Riefenstahl’s greatest epic was her documentation of the 1936 Olympics. Hitler decreed that Blacks and Jews could not take part in this event but relented when Germany would not be allowed to host the event

We all know what happened with that legendary African-American track star Jessie Owens, to Hitler’s chagrin defeated all of the world’s greatest runners.

Riefenstahl’s spectacular film of Owens' victory has been seen millions of times and it’s still being shown today nearly 80 years later! Riefenstahl created the template that sports photographers everywhere still follow today.

Riefenstahl invented camera movements using aircraft, sliders, dollies and jibs that are being used by filmmakers everywhere today.  Imagine what she would have done with the multi-rotor camera drones in use today.

Riefenstahl was sought after by Walt Disney but her alliance with Hitler spoiled that.  She was nearly tried as a war criminal and found herself punished and precluded from doing what she preferred in Hollywood.

Riefenstahl became a documentary film maker that made groundbreaking films of African tribes and oceanographic scientific films until her death at age 100 in 2003.

Riefenstahl was also known for having a boyfriend some 40 years her junior! 

Okay i admit that I’m in love with van Houten’s amazing talents. I know this woman is exactly what the Oscar’s Best Actress Award is all about.  I love her singing too! I often listen to van Houten’s album, See You On The Ice as I drive around L.A.

I only hope that van Houten is able to book more of the blockbuster films she deserves.  If I was somehow van Houten’s agent, I’d make that happen!

Jailed Drone Photographer Needs Legal Help On A Serious First Amendment Fight.

Daniel Saulmon/Tom Zebra

Los Angeles, CA—Daniel Saulmon, 42 better known as Tom Zebra is being held in a jail cell here since his 4:00 PM arrest on September 23^rd.  Saulmon was late for his misdemeanor citation received weeks earlier for flying his camera drone.  When Saulmon appeared later that morning they kept him waiting for hours and then was ordered held on a punitive $30K bail. 

Saulmon spent five days in jail until his supporters were able to post his bail.  

The crime Saulmon is accused of is flying his little plastic remote control Phantom 2 camera drone on Los Angeles park property. 

The little known L.A. ordinance Saulmon was arrested on is not new.  It banned flying of remote controlled aircraft.  However this put on the books long before the little multi-rotor Phantom gizmos with cameras ever existed.  

At the time they enacted this remote controlled aircraft law, the city council had no way to know the much gentler camera drones would be invented later.  Without specific intent to ban the multi-rotor  Phantoms the law should be considered void for vagueness.

The ordinance itself was enacted to prevent people from being injured by the much faster and less stable fixed wing remote aircraft being used at the time.  There are absolutely no reports of any deaths or remarkable injuries from the little drones like Saulmon used. 

The simple but unanswered question on these popular camera drones is, aren't they protected by the First Amendment?   

The real issue here is that Saulmon is a firebrand in the eyes of cops.  He’s challenged police authority to stop him from shooting video of them on public streets.  Saulmon has posted countless videos on YouTube of hostile confrontations with cops in every South Bay police jurisdiction.

Salmon patrols the streets on his bicycle and whips out one of several video cameras he carries and begins to record the action.  Often the cops take exception to Saulmon's activities and try to force him into presenting identification and to explain why he’s shooting video.  Saulmon usually refuses to cooperate with the police and it nearly always makes for interesting video.Saulmon also makes a modest living in part by selling newsworthy video to local news organizations.  

Our nation's cops are just beginning to learn that Saulmon’s activities are Constitutionally protected by the First Amendment.   The U.S. Supreme Court has spoken on this issue and cops have no reasonable expectation of privacy when engaged in their duties.

Over the last several years cops have conspired against, harassed and falsely arrested thousands of people taking their pictures.  This won’t end until the lawsuits begin to seriously drain public coffers.  

Saulmon recently added that Phantom 2 camera drone to his arsenal and that has ignited even more resentment from his police detractors.  The cops have consulted/conspired  with city and county prosecutors looking for any and all ways to sideline Saulmon’s activities.

Logic would dictate that the camera drones are just another form of media capturing devices like pencils, pens, paintbrushes, typewriters or any other camera!

Is this a conspiracy to violate Saulmon’s civil rights?  Given the history I think that may be abundantly clear.

Let me say I don’t personally approve of much of Saulmon’s tactics but the Bill of Rights says otherwise.  

I know a lot of cops that welcome cameras because they are a protection against bogus brutality complaints by criminals.  Not all cops agree on pushing Saulmann around or intimidating him.  The cops prosecutors and courts have to respect our basic freedoms.  The right of people to record and scrutinize the conduct of the police must be protected at all cost.

Saulmon deserves to be fully  supported by the camera drone manufacturers, media, civil libertarians and certainly the ACLU.

I hope someone reading this will arrange for a top flight First Amendment media lawyer.  

The fact is the news organizations stand to lose the most if the camera drones can be banned.  Camera drones are the next generation aerial electronic news gathering devices.  They are so much safer, agile and incredibly cheaper than helicopters. 

Saulmon will be in the Long Beach Superior Court on September 30^th, 2014 at 8:30 AM.  The court is located at 275 Magnolia Ave, Long Beach, CA.

Soulmon needs to serious legal help to fight this tyranny.   

Let me get a single point across here.  Our rights have never been won or preserved because of requests, begging or pleading.  Without the Tom Zebras of America constantly fighting for their rights there'd be no First Amendment.  

Maniac With A Knife Stopped By Unidentified Good Guy With A Gun In A Walgreens Drug Store!

Phoenix, AZ—Last week Christopher Scott Gale approached a woman shopping at the Central Ave and Osborn Road Walgreens from behind.  Without provocation or a known motive he used a kitchen knife with an 8” blade to stab the woman at the base of her skull.

The woman screamed and an off duty but armed federal officer in a checkout line quickly intervened.   The offender was standing over the wounded woman when the G-Man ordered the man to drop his knife and lie face down on the ground.  Responding Phoenix Police took the offender into custody.

Gale told police that he purchased the knife at the WalMart located in the Christown Spectrum Mall because he wanted to,c “stab and kill someone.”

Police reported in court documents that after stabbing the woman, Gale was face to face with her while the knife was protruding from her neck.  Allegedly Gale told her, “I’m killing you to save the world.”

Rather than book Gale immediately in jail police removed him to the Desert Vista Behavioral Health Center in Mesa where he was arrested yesterday. 

Gale now faces charges of Attempted 1^st Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault.  His bail was set at $1 million.

According to the court documents police located video of Gayle purchasing the knife at the WalMart earlier.

We all know how much worse this would have been is there was nobody present armed with a gun to stop this monstrous act. 

Gale returns to court on October 2, 2014.