Friday OT #2 - So, So, So Scandalous

[SCNCY]

The Theranos story has kept me intrigued. The whole concept just seemed impossible to me to begin with, and with the busting of the company and all the legal troubles, I've kept up with it more than I expected.

Yeah, I've checked in to this more often than other stories. What I really want to know is why Holmes feels the need to talk in a deep voice and impersonate Steve Jobs? Also interested to know how the company was able to grow and keep almost everyone working for them in line, despite the red flags.

 

[CYCLNST8]

That really really freaked out parents when I was a kid.

Yeah, that defined my elementary school days. We dedicated a lot of time to discussing "stranger danger." Always avoid free candy.

 

[JP4CY]

The Theranos story has kept me intrigued. The whole concept just seemed impossible to me to begin with, and with the busting of the company and all the legal troubles, I've kept up with it more than I expected.

That's a good one. I'm not following the trial that closely, though I've got episodes of a podcast saved up to binge here in a week or two. But I read "Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou and a few other longform stories about it. I'm not sure why this story grabbed me rather than, say, the WeWork scandal; perhaps it had something to do with this company's fraudulence actually hurting people, or all the dignitaries who lined up to back Theranos without seeing through it in real time (which seems pretty obvious, even without hindsight). The sociopathic Steve Jobs impersonation she tried to pull probably helped too.

Yeah, I've checked in to this more often than other stories. What I really want to know is why Holmes feels the need to talk in a deep voice and impersonate Steve Jobs? Also interested to know how the company was able to grow and keep almost everyone working for them in line, despite the red flags.

I did the whole "Dropout" podcast in 2019.
Two things stuck out:
Ramesh Balwani
Walgreens

 

[GMackey32]

9/11. I listen to lots of podcasts about it. Watch every documentary.

 

[nrg4isu]

What are some stories that you followed intensely closely?

9/11 .... 2021. I have an unhealthy obsession with why we keep losing that game.

 

[CYdTracked]

I don't get too caught up in stuff because the big picture is these things have little impact on my life. There were 2 Dateline episodes in recent years that caught my interest for a short time because of local ties and made me want to learn more. First one was a murder that happened less than a mile from where I live in Grimes. I still remember seeing the road closed off that morning on my way to work wondering what happened. Google David Moffit/Justin Michael and you will find some stuff on it. Basically was a strange love triangle that lead to it and the Dateline episode was really interesting because the showed some of the questioning the fiancée who was in bed right next to him when he was murdered and how odd her line of questioning was too. Was fascinating to see how all these little pieces had to come together to finally figure out who committed the crime.

The other was the Dateline on the Jason Carter trial with the murder of his mother. A lot of weird circumstances in that one too.

 

[Cyclonepride]

I remember watching the 9/11 coverage for days hoping they would save more people.

I read pretty much everything I could get my hands on regarding 9/11 (much of it clearly propaganda, but a lot of it was very informative). The 9/11 Commission Report was fascinating. As was The Looming Tower (great book, also a mini series on Hulu now) and Terrorizing Ourselves (book on risk management in regard to terrorism).

That's how I handle stress. Gather information and understand the event and its history as completely as I can.

 

[Trice]

I'm not sure if @Angie is making a distinction here between stories people follow intensely in real time as they unfold (Gabby Petito) vs. subjects they develop an intense interest in and do deep dives on at some point down the road.

Personally, as I get older I try - with varying degrees of success - to avoid the former. I stay on top of the news but I try to avoid getting sucked in to stories like that. And when I do, they tend to be local, like news from ISU.

One benefit of that is that much of what is news today will be forgotten tomorrow, and I won't remember or care. And if it's truly important or I do end up caring, at some point in the future there will be a book or documentary about it, and all of the misinformation (and occasionally disinformation) that happens in real time will get sorted out.

It's a little bit like how Netflix has reprogrammed my TV viewing habits. Instead of doing a slow drip of TV episodes over months, I do a season or more all at once. Same with most major news stories.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

The deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.
Thru one specific podcast, I learned something that wasn't talked about much. The autopsies revealed whoever murdered them had to be in phenomenal shape/strong arms and shoulders. Their bodies were "lifted" off the ground by the knife alone from the way they were stabbed.
The podcast also led to some belief there were two murderers (OJ and his son). Ron was well, well versed in the martial arts, so to take him down alone, would be very difficult.

Lots of other things that people already know about OJ but expanded upon more: the Europrean shoes, the gloves (there was a receipt from Nicole purchasing them in that size), the police's awful responses to Nicole's 911 calls.

That whole trial was such a joke. Pretty much everyone was playing to the cameras.

 

[JP4CY]

That whole trial was such a joke. Pretty much everyone was playing to the cameras.

Kardashian, from what I remember, was like "what did I do?" As having some remorse knowing that OJ was guilty.

 

[Sigmapolis]

This. I read several (Maybe 2 dozen) books about survival stories about 5 years ago. Kind of ran out of them
I have a few that I really thought deserved more attention and can try to find what they were and share if you wanted.

Sure!

I guess I would add airplane crashes and shipwrecks to that list.

I seem to have an odd curiosity about the human response to the most extreme of circumstances.

 

[mj4cy]

There are so many people following the Gabby Petito story super-closely right now. What are some stories that you followed intensely closely?

I read actual court documents from the Jerry Sandusky trial. Which was NOT easy, as it was horrifying, but it was an example of horrifying systemic abuse.

What are yours?

I was glued to the live courtroom feed during the Larry Nassir case and impact statements.

 

[Cybone]

I’m my prior life, I worked some on the Columbine Massacre litigation. I became close friends with some of the survivors, one is still one of my closest friends.

I also had a front row seat into the investigations and security surrounding the James Holmes/Aurora Theater shootings. In both cases, I was tasked with locking down systems related to the litigation.

Anytime there was a school shooting, the firm would get bombasts but press wanting quotes from the Sr. Partner

 

[Brentwood]

I was really into the "West Memphis 3" watched every version of the HBO doc "Paradise Lost". There were several datelines and books too.

 

[Entropy]

One thing I remember from my youth was my parents' obsession with the Jacob Wetterling case.
I had forgotten about it until my spouse turned me onto this podcast.

In the Dark, Season 1 (Jacob Wetterling) | Podcast | APM Reports

The investigation into the abduction of Jacob Wetterling yielded no answers for 27 years. We investigate how law enforcement mishandled one of the most notorious child abductions in the country and how those failures fueled national anxiety about stranger danger and led to the nation's...

features.apmreports.org

Brought back a whole flood of memories from that time period.

 

[MeanDean]

Sure!

I guess I would add airplane crashes and shipwrecks to that list.

I seem to have an odd curiosity about the human response to the most extreme of circumstances.

Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World – Joan Druett

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand.

As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me - Josef Martin Bauer (there have been questions about the legitimacy of the story)

Survive the Savage Sea - Dougal Robertson

I assume you've also read some of the Ernest Shackleton stuff. There's also a very cool photo book of the actual voyage. So interesting to see the photos of the real thing.

 

[MeanDean]

Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World – Joan Druett

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption - Laura Hillenbrand.

As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me - Josef Martin Bauer (there have been questions about the legitimacy of the story)

Survive the Savage Sea - Dougal Robertson

I assume you've also read some of the Ernest Shackleton stuff. There's also a very cool photo book of the actual voyage. So interesting Meto see the photos of the real thing.

Also "Ashes Underwater" about the cruise ship that capsized in Chicago in the river before it's day trip with a whole slew of lower middle class factory worker aboard. Not sure if this is the actual book I read or not.

Edit: Also, Last Man Out - Melissa Fay Greene. 1958 Canadian coal mine disaster/rescue then media circus afterwards.

 

[cyhiphopp]

That really really freaked out parents when I was a kid.

It freaked out the entire state! My older brother John is almost the same age as Johnny Gosh and my parents still talk about everything that happened back then.

 

[cyhiphopp]

I’m my prior life, I worked some on the Columbine Massacre litigation. I became close friends with some of the survivors, one is still one of my closest friends.

I also had a front row seat into the investigations and security surrounding the James Holmes/Aurora Theater shootings. In both cases, I was tasked with locking down systems related to the litigation.

Anytime there was a school shooting, the firm would get bombasts but press wanting quotes from the Sr. Partner

That sucks so much. I can't imagine how hard that would be.

 

[Entropy]

The Theranos story has kept me intrigued. The whole concept just seemed impossible to me to begin with, and with the busting of the company and all the legal troubles, I've kept up with it more than I expected.