Lively Case Discussion #486 7/3 - 7/4/2006

[Anna]

[Maybe it is the powers that be that has continued this charade to go on, for fear of something worse.  Maybe the powers that be can survive quite well with on-line gambling and the rest of them can just go to hell in a handbasket, for I doubt the powers that be cares about the rest of the island.  It appears that a good many of them live in third-world-type squallor while the Dutch live in good neighborhoods.

I think you make a good point, Tyler, because it is the poor who fill the service jobs and those who are wealthy are not touched by the lack of tourism.  Online gambling and porn and money laundering are most likely alive and well and sustaining many of those in the "elitist" faction on the island.  Even empty hotel rooms can be used to launder money by showing them as full on the books.  Would venture to guess that even the statistics shown are higher than the actual occupancy rate.

The rich are getting richer.

.

[SunFreak2]

Good night Monkey folks.  It's time for Mr Sandman to sing me a lullaby.

[Tylergal]

[Maybe it is the powers that be that has continued this charade to go on, for fear of something worse.  Maybe the powers that be can survive quite well with on-line gambling and the rest of them can just go to hell in a handbasket, for I doubt the powers that be cares about the rest of the island.  It appears that a good many of them live in third-world-type squallor while the Dutch live in good neighborhoods.

I think you make a good point, Tyler, because it is the poor who fill the service jobs and those who are wealthy are not touched by the lack of tourism.  Online gambling and porn and money laundering are most likely alive and well and sustaining many of those in the "elitist" faction on the island.  Even empty hotel rooms can be used to launder money by showing them as full on the books.  Would venture to guess that even the statistics shown are higher than the actual occupancy rate.

The rich are getting richer.

.

I truly believe that, Anna, that the porn, gambling, money laundering and drug activity and perhaps even human trafficking are all the "have's" care about.  They certainly do not care if those dependent on the service industry cry or die.  The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and Aruba becomes Obuder's Cuba.

[Anna]

Do wonder how long the powers that be will let this continue, especially when they know how to solve the problem.

Too many involved, possibly. Image the wrath that would come down on a single whistle-blower? The Jossy bashing would pale in comparison.

I think there are too many involved in the dirty money from the online gambling and porn to want anybody to rock the boat.  That would include Karen Janssen I am afraid.  She is our only hope for a case being filed against the known suspects but unless things change drastically, I just don't see her being willing to that that kind of pressure.  She stands to gain from being a team player just like all the rest.

While I suspect Paulus has his hand in quite a few tills across the island, I am not sure that there is a direct connection to Natalee's disappearance for the ones making the money would never want this kind of attention nor spotlight on their illicit activities.  Well, the gambling and porn are legal but the money laundering isn't.It is my understanding this was her specialty before coming to Aruba.  Seems it has increased with her presence along with Judge Smid, also an alleged expert in the field.

The only way a kid could afford to lose that kind of money gambling would be if the house was backing him and it was just to add money to the house take for the day via Paulus line of credit which he would never really have to repay.  But I still can't find a direct connection to what happend to Natalee.  I think those doing the cover up are doing so to protect their own money tree via the dirty money even though not involved in the actual crime.

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[Anna]

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Monkey Bunkey time, Goodnight All!

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[Sue]

Rougly translated from Amigoe (full translated article should be available tomorrow)

In the financial bulletin over April data which come from Executive Board immigration and the central office for, have been processed statistics (CBS). The bank reaches the conclusion that both the number of tourists and the occupancy in the hotels decreased. The number of cruising tourists decreased in April 2006 with 12.9 percent with respect to a year rather and came in 17.1 percent less cruising ships there. The number of tourists that by plane arrived, decreased with 14.7 percent. This percentage is the result of the difference between the first trimester of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. The bank communicates further that the average occupancy in hotels decreased to 81.3 percent (compared to April 2005). By means of information of cruising Tourism Authority CBA let know that the number of cruising passengers in April decreased with 12.9 percent, compared to April 2005. The number of cruising ships moored that in Aruba decreased also, with 17.1 percent.

RED, thanks. Looks like an across the board drop.

I hope they give Paulus millions.

Wow and didnt they say the boycott was having little effect on them
Lets keep it rolling

[klaasend]

[klaasend]

Goodnight!

[Sue]

Night Klassend , Hope you had a good 4th

[msmarple]

testing ...

[msmarple]

testing 2 ...

[Jacqueline]

After a week and a half of various hearing postponements, “Uncle Mike” Michael Chemidlin has finally gotten word from the Magistrate judge in Sierra Leone, and the word was good. Receiving the great news directly from Uncle Mike over the telephone, he was officially “released” by the judge this afternoon, July 4, and now allowed to come home to the U.S. While the U.S. Embassy in Freetown had the day off celebrating our nation's birthday, Uncle Mike attended court today with most of the individuals usually present noticeably absent. Without much fanfare, the judge issued his decision to release Uncle Mike after being held for over two months. I could definitely feel a sense of relief in Uncle Mike's voice as he told me the great news, with that relief quickly spreading to family and friends as they learned of the news as well. However, although this is indeed the news we have been looking for, we are not out of the woods yet.

Uncle Mike has already been “released” once before, only to be rearrested shortly thereafter. The decision made by the Magistrate today was another “released” type decision and not a complete “acquittal” of charges, leaving the door open for Uncle Mike to possibly be rearrested. I, personally, don't believe this will happen, and that Uncle Mike will indeed be free to leave the country. However, it is important that we not count our chickens just yet until Uncle Mike is on a plane with Sierra Leone, Africa in his rear-view mirror. Only then can we be sure that this entire ordeal is completely behind us and Uncle Mike is truly FREE.

Happy Birthday to our great country, the United States of America. Today we celebrate our country's unsurpassed freedom, the 4th of July, our Independence Day. Let's hope and pray that Uncle Mike will look back on today from the comfort of his own home, from the U.S.A., as his own personal Independence Day, the day he was granted freedom from captivity in Sierra Leone, Africa.

We will have more details on exactly when Uncle Mike will be leaving Sierra Leone tomorrow.

04 Jul 06


Good morning,Monkeys.

Above is from Uncle Mike Website.

[Leslie]

Amigoe
http://www.amigoe.com/english/
Diario  July 5, 2006
http://www.diarioaruba.com/diaranzon/frontpage/index.html
BonDia is unavailable
Solo Di Pueblo has not been updated recently
http://tinyurl.com/k3fcv
Awemainta register to read
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/viewer.aspx

[Jerry from Ohio]

Jerry from Ohio  AKA "Sandman"
  "Cough"  Go to sleep, Go to sleep, Go to sleep Lil Sun freak Close your eyes close your eyes and you won't see the Monster that's hideing under your bed !
   See Ol Jer is  so good with the Kiddies LOL
  Honest though I used to sing songs like that to my own daughter as well as my neices and nephews  and They all loved it .
  I made all the  scarey things in life so ridiculious and funny that tey never had bad dreams or worries like some kids  besides while i was singing them off to dream land  I would always look under the beds and in the closets in a comical way .
  seems that once the mystery  was taken out of scary tings there was no more fear and to this day they all remember that I did that .
  Sorry folks  went trippen down memory lane  I suppose <g>   Now  shesh   Lil Sun Freak is  sleepin guss I bored her to sleep hehehe
  Jerry from Ohio

Good night Monkey folks.  It's time for Mr Sandman to sing me a lullaby.

[Sleuth]

Good morning Jerry and all other monkeys.


Off to work, but I hope you all have a great day.

TerryD - could you bring Starbucks a little earlier tomorrow?  

[Kimmy53]

Good Morning Monkeys!  I hope everyone had a great 4th.

Jacq- just reading about Uncle Mike - Great News...I hope it means finally an end to his ordeal.

Going back to read up on what I missed the last few days.

[terryd270]

How does July disappear before it even appears? arggggh  It seems the days are going by too fast..  I got everyone some Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks, very hot so be careful.. So does everyone still have all their fingers from last night, I hope?

[msmarple]

WAKE UP monkeys!

Jacqueline - I'm keeping fingers crossed for Uncle Mike and family. I've not been able to follow that situation (or SM) very closely lately, but know that y'all have been through some tense times. I'm sure that he's really "released" this time ...

[terryd270]

msmarple,

I think I would be sleeping inside the American Embassy if that was possible.. Thats got to be hard on someone that at any minute that they might rearrest you..

[Jacqueline]

Thanks Kimmy, Ms, and all for your concern.
I will feel totally relieved when he gets his passport back and on his way home.

But hopefully this time it's the real deal...