The Unimaginable Downfall of A former NBA Basketball Player and Current Sports Broadcaste

Rex E. Chapman (credit Maricopa County Sheriff)

Scottsdale, AZ—Rex Chapman, 46 had a great 12-year NBA basketball career Playing for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.   

In 2006, he served as the vice president of player personnel for the Denver Nuggets.  Today he’s employed TV sports broadcaster for Turner Broadcasting. 

 I say that he had a great career, because it has suddenly all ended in an epic crash after his September 19^th arrest for stealing some $14,000.00 in merchandise from a local Apple Store. 

The foolishness of Chapman’s caper defies logic.  Apple store records show he was present on several occasions and video shows him purloining the property with a knapsack or white Apple bags.

In an even more stunning lapse Chapman apparently wasted no time selling the booty to local pawnshops.  They too keep surveillance video recordings and are required to obtain identification of anyone pawning or selling property. 

Most people are thinking this mess may resolve itself with some probation with restitution.  Not in Arizona! This state has some of the more draconian laws in the USA.

Since there are several separate criminal events they are all treated as prior offenses.  The five separate felony counts of Trafficking In Stolen property counts involved alone could easily put him behind bars for the rest of his life. 

Video surveillance without eyewitness testimony is worthless because it is hearsay.  However in court the Apple Store’s records will refresh the clerk’s memory so he can identify Chapman, as the person on the video is the same one he served.  The same holds true for the pawnshop clerks.

I can’t imagine Chapman being so desperate for money considering his high-end salary garnered from both careers.  I can only ask what was he thinking? 

The Scottsdale police officer’s probable cause statement below in the attached court record tells this sordid story. 

Should The LAPD Use Drones?

Dragonfly Drone 

Los Angeles, CA—Let me be the first to say that I find the increasing militarization and spying by police repugnant.  Government at every level is out-of-control.

Today there is a demonstration in progress at City Hall protesting the use of two small multi-rotor drones in possession of the LAPD.  This group is uninformed and unfamiliar with the limitations of these devices also called unmanned aerial vehicles. 

I suspect these demonstrators are confusing these drones with the much larger, multi-million dollar weaponized drones used by or military in combat zones.

However there are substantial benefits of our first responders using multi-rotor drones to deal with instances such as common disasters, searches for lost people and potentially dangerous animals on the loose in neighborhoods.  The diminutive drones can more safely enter tighter spaces than any helicopter.

As a camera drone pilot, former cop and licensed private investigator let me be the first to say the drones just are not helpful for spying. 

The drones don’t stay in the air for more than 20 minutes because of battery limitations and they can only carry smaller cameras.

Getting identifiable pictures of people with those drones is nearly impossible unless the drone is within a few yards of it’s target.

Capturing conversations is another impossibility because of the sound of the motors and prop wash.

Conventional helicopters and the technology of special cameras and other devices is a far superior surveillance tool.  The little multi-rotor drones simply can’t carry the weight of that kind of equipment.

In the case of a fire, earthquake, tsunami, floods or any natural disaster the drone are already proven lifesavers.  Victims needing rescue can be located.  Damage surveys can be made so that needed resources can be quickly allocated.

The benefits of first responders being able to deploy drones in emergency situations far outweigh their possible abuse. 

Here is drone video of a recent flood:

Are $8.00 McRib Mystery Meat Sandwiches and Pink Slimeburgers in your future?

Chicago, IL—Those fast food workers seeking unionization and a $15.00 per hour minimum wage are incredibly delusional.  Frankly if they were smart enough to figure out the folly of the efforts they’d not be working in fast food! 

Fast food appeals to Americans because it’s cheap and fast.  Unionization will kill this necessary industry along with the jobs and some needed training workers are currently enjoying.

Flipping burgers was never meant to be a career but a stepping-stone.  Getting a job at one of the many fast food chains is suited for young people just starting out in the workforce.  

These jobs may also suitable for some retirees supplementing social security and to stay useful in declining years.  An entry-level job in fast food is anything but a suitable career goal.

If burger flippers were paid as skilled workers they would never have incentive to learn and move on to become more valuable to our workforce.

Let’s talk about the fast food products.  Fast food is generally minimally acceptable for healthy diets.  This is the rock bottom of nutrition.  Pink slime and pressed mystery meat processing has made unsalable meat products somewhat acceptable at least in looks.  In the end most of it's really crap.  

Our nation has rapidly declined and is spiraling into joining the Third World.  A $15.00 per hour minimum wage will certainly kill jobs along with important incentive for workers to gain better skills.

The poverty that fast food workers complain about is exactly why fast food is popular.   The poor cannot afford to eat at the sit-down restaurants where burgers are better and cost $8.00. 

Even our middle class has to settle for cheap meals at least part of the time.  Paying for the kid’s braces or gas for the car means more visits to the Taco-Bell for meals. 

If the demands of some fast food workers are met they will actually suffer more than ever.  Not only will their employers shut down but also they will no longer have meals they can afford.

In the end it will be fast food workers that suffer the most with a boost in the minimum wage.

Is This Tyranny or Reasonable Government Regulation Needed For Public Safety?

Chase Culpepper 

Anderson, SC-- Chase Culpepper is an ordinary 16 year-old and like millions his age it’s time to apply for a driver’s license.

Well it turns out that Chase is not exactly ordinary but a male that apparently identifies as a female.  That may bring discomfort to a lot of people but not Chase or his mother.  He dresses as a girl and looks the part.

The lad completed and submitted the license application and passed both the written and actual driving test.  Now it was time to stand before the camera for that driver’s license photo. 

The motor vehicle clerk could not help but notice Culpepper’s face adorned with cosmetics and his application indicates he is male.  There is apparently a departmental directive that prohibits applicants from wearing a disguise.  Ignorance and the clerk's rather nasty attitude took over and the boy was told to wash his makeup off or not get a driver’s license.

The make up was no disguise like a fake beard, wig or mask.  The makeup did not really alter Culpepper’s appearance.  The other factor was that the lad like many girls did not want to be caught in public without it. 

The boy buckled to the clerk and washed his face but frankly with his blond tresses and female attire he still did not look much like a boy.  The license was issued. 

That’s not the end of this tale because the boy and his mother felt this action by the clerk was both discriminatory and insulting.  They have unsuccessfully demanded a new photo with the makeup. 

The argument here is quite simple.  Culpepper wears makeup all the time and without it he may appear different. He is who he is.

The funny part about this is that women are routinely seen in public with and without makeup and they for the most part are readily recognized as the same person. 

I think it’s fair to say if this were a woman not wearing makeup that same clerk would have thought nothing about taking the photo and issuing the license.

This was not about concern of a disguise but an effort to exercise a bogus authority over the young gender bender.  Pretending this was really out of concern for some kind of identity fraud to fool cops during a traffic stop is laughable.  
I guess we have forgotten that photos never appeared on our driver’s licenses until the late 1970s!  We had the photo technology for many decades before that but did not bother to use it!   

When did we give government the power to tell us how to dress, wear our hair or use makeup?  The answer is we did not! 

This was really about a clerk’s personal disapproval of Culpepper’s lifestyle.  You may not agree with Culpepper or his approving mother but when did we ever allow government to get involved in absolutely every aspect of our lifestyles?     

The motor vehicle clerk involved was unreasonable, petty and abusive.  Culpepper should get a new photograph the way he actually appears every day.  

Young Culpepper has since found a lawyer and filed a lawsuit.  As usual the taxpayers will get punished for the misdeeds of government officials.  

This is not about a lifestyle or morality but simple government tyranny. 

There is a way to end this kind of abuse and that's to strip government workers of the personal immunity that we mistakenly have given them. 

My Music Copyright Infringement Dilemma is Troubling, There Must be a Solution!

Los Angeles, CA—Like most of my blog visitors I love music.  I have my favorites from Gershwin to The Doors.  The artists that have entertained me deserve all of the reward for their work.  Every musical recording is a labor involving numerous people that worked so hard to create.

The music industry exists because of intellectual property rights.  Without these rights so many of the hits we enjoy everyday may never have pleased our ears.

My video host YouTube has settled most copyright issues with the use of music within the USA.  Advertising and iTunes links have solved many of the problems.

There was also a surprising discovery made by the copyright holders in the form of increased sales when a video featuring their products was popular legitimate sales of the music increased too.  Old forgotten hits suddenly were reanimated into moneymaking popularity once again!

As many of my visitors know I’m into the camera drone technology.  My drones shoot amazing video but the natural sound is the annoying sound of the whirling rotors and motors.  I must replace the soundtrack with music or a voiceover.  Music is the obvious choice. 

There is lots of copyright free music out there but most of it sucks in a big way.  Of course I want to use my favorite material. The problem is that my videos are blocked out in Europe because of unresolved copyright issues.

I want so much to share some great music that matches the videos.  I’d be willing to pay a reasonable fee for the privilege to have these videos seen worldwide. 

I have many friends in Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands where I can’t share these videos. 

I will give you two examples.

While I was in Carmel By The Sea I sent my drone up over the beach for the soundtrack I used my favorite actress on the planet.  She  is a multi-talented Dutch lady, Carice van Houten.  She sang this classic 1930’s American song in her terrific film, Black Book called 100 Years From Today. 

Late this summer I was asked to shot a scene in the Palmdale desert for a film for my film director friend, Pablo Lewin.  The film is in post production right now and I’m not sure what Pablo has in mind for the soundtrack covering my shot.

Pablo gave me permission to show this scene on YouTube and I immediately knew the music I wanted to use!  It’s from the film Baghdad Café but is sung by Patti LuPone and is called, Calling You.   How perfect it was! 

There has to be a way to solve this problem. 

Needless to say my European friends will not be able to see these.  

 Carmel By The Sea

The Palmdale Desert Scene: