jade_lee February 29, 2008 at 3:19 p.m.

The fact that his crime of obstruction was committed in Canada, the removal of the boxes from his Toronto office is most pleasing to me.
Karma at work, as Black gave up his Canadian citizenship and snubbed the whole bloody lot of us by doing so, we Canadians get the last laugh......

Casey February 29, 2008 at 5:45 p.m.

I find it difficult to understand and even more distasteful to read how Paul Waldie and other Canadian reporters relish? - or is it brownnosing in the extreme - refer to CB as Lord Black. Yes, I know that he's an ummm Lord but this smacks of groveling and does not, in my opinion, add anything towards these reporters worthy of respect and rather diminishes them in my eyes.

jade_lee February 29, 2008 at 6:03 p.m.

When the LORD insulted an entire nation he gets what he deserves and if that means a browbeating so be it. It's a doggy dog world for those who don't care to see the merit in other opinions that differ from theirs I suppose and Ameilticket is content with her new dog, how sweet is that?

Casey February 29, 2008 at 6:14 p.m.

Another tidbit re the Lady? Black -

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/sc...

No words left to describe this pathetic individual.

leaf February 29, 2008 at 7:37 p.m.

Jello, will you get over the insult to the entire nation already?!
You may feel insulted but I don’t.

I would like to see a poll that shows the entire Canadian population is insulted because CB renounced his citizenship.

Speak for yourself, live and let live.
Is that reasonable?

jade_lee February 29, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.

I am way over it, the Lord I see is going to jail deblogger, can I call you deb for short?

leaf February 29, 2008 at 10:27 p.m.

having visions, jello?
hearing voices too?

ValC February 29, 2008 at 10:52 p.m.

i'm sure CB and probably all his friends and well-wishers don't care, but i found it personally offensive when he surrendered his Canadian citizenship for a British title. i don't know about the entire country but i wouldn't be surprised to learn that a lot of Canadians agree with me.

GravityLevity2 March 1, 2008 at 12:19 a.m.

When Black renounced his Canadian citizenship, I thought it was a silly thing to do at the time. Just how silly has become evident in the last year. His parting comments about Canada were offensive, but he had been saying and printing stuff like that for a long time.

My main emotion at his actually renouncing his citizenship was relief that we were rid of him.

It's startling to find that Amiel's boundless extravagence is still in operation, apparently dropping 250,000 dollars on clothes and accessories, all in one place. This sort of comfort shopping remind me of Tammy Faye Bakker talking of her shopping sprees that took her mind off the legal troubles of hubby Jim and the PTL. Tammy Faye had more of a common touch or common taste, though; she comfort shopped at malls.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 2:26 a.m.

What a lovely Saturday morning and the beginning of His Lardship and Morticia's last weekend together for a long, long time to come. Karma be praised!

I'm really looking forward to the Sunday papers in London, as there will be quite a bit of Schadenfreude oozing from every word.

Here's a repost of an excellent comment about the Dirty Duo that was published nearly a year ago. In my view, Naomi Klein is a better writer than either His Lardship or Morticia could ever dream of being. There's a Canadian for all of you to be proud of instead of that grubby crook and his grabbing, neurotic and nasty wife.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/...

Naomi is versatile as well. This article of hers in today's Guardian deals with a topic that I have mentioned many times, the current wave of Islamophobia and Muslim-smearing that is reaching Goebbels-like proportions in parts of the media - with Mark Swine and Morticia among the worst offenders.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/...

leaf March 1, 2008 at 3:25 a.m.

hey fickton, since there's only a couple days left, why don't you start counting down the hours?

that ought to make your schadenfreude just burst out comes lock-up time.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 5:09 a.m.

Someone suggested I start counting down the hours until the neocon windbag, snob and convicted fraudster and soon to be Baron Black of Crosswaysshagged enters his new mansion on Monday. No need for me to do that. But I bet His Lardship and the gruesome "Lady Black" are both having more than the occasional glance at their watches and pondering their alternatives. This weekend will be the worst in their lives to date - and even worse will follow. I make no apologies to anyone for my Schadenfreude. I have been hoping for this ever since I first read one of Morticia's vicious, hate-filled articles in the Sunday Times. It's been a long wait, and I'll relish ever second of the enjoyment now that the well-deserved suffering of this evil pair is beginning. Karma be praised.

ValC March 1, 2008 at 7:43 a.m.

good morning Fintan

I thought that Naomi Klein had a very good point -- being identified as Muslim should not be considered a slur. The Muslims I know are all good people who simply want to earn a living and have a safe place to raise their families. No different from anybody else.

For myself, if I were Muslim, I believe that having my religion demonized on a regular basis would push me toward a more radical point of view. That, of course, would be more fuel to the fire for people like Mark Steyn. Yikes, that's a very scary vicious circle.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 9:11 a.m.

Good morning Valerie,

If "Christians" like Mark Swine are correct, they should be very angry at their god for having made about one-sixth of the people on this planet Muslims, just to annoy "decent" people like himself, His Lardship and Morticia.

You are absolutely right that being demonised on a regular basis only alienates people more. It also creates a laager mentality and diverts their energy and intellectual efforts from addressing and hopefully resolving an obvious problem, namely that in some respects some segments of the Muslim community have failed to adjust sufficiently to the profound changes that are happening in this world. That is problem that Muslims themselves must solve, and interference and unwanted proffering of advice by outsiders will only exacerbate it.

Remember, for all the fine words in the constitution that the USA drafted soon after 1776, they still had slavery for 90 years after that. It is, nevertheless, to their credit that they abolished it themselves, after their own internal debate, and not at the diktat of others.

That is why I condemn all general slagging of Muslims and advocate outreach towards them. I agree that Muslims are in general good people who only want the same things that we all want- a decent life. The same goes for Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and what are you havin' yourself, of course.

We have a saying in Finnish: "niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan", which means something like "the forest will answer you the way you shout into it".

His Lardship, Morticia, Mark Swine, Dumbya and all of their ilk still haven't gotten that, but sooner or later they will.

P.S. Even "little people" like us get mentioned in the media sometimes. I've just noticed that today's Helsingin Sanomat (the largest daily in the Nordic regions) has a picture of my very pretty blond daughter-in-law.

Casey March 1, 2008 at 9:58 a.m.

Fintan Itse March 1, 2008 at 9:11 a.m.

Well stated, Fintan. I wish that more like and Valerie thought as you both do and your comments give one hope...:-).

Casey March 1, 2008 at 10:11 a.m.

And this is what is left of an individual and his reputation and life that could have accomplished so much as a kind of elder statesman in his golden years -

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs...

The tragedy describes what the consequences have done to his family and friends - Black has disappointed them and has failed them all.

Casey March 1, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.

Lest anyone believe that Black did not receive ample prison time for his 4 felony convictions, take a moment to actually ponder what 6 and half years behind bars will actually be like. To go from where Black is now to any sort of prison and thus restriction of freedom and some danger to his physical amd mental safety, is frightening and in my opinion, the fear would be demonstrated most by Black feeling a sense of terror of being forgotten, left behind and abandoned. This potential outcome is probably what would frighten me the most. The entire situation could have been prevented had Black not lied, cheated, committed fraud, stolen from his shareholders and obstructed justice. And I am of the opinion that the obstruction very possibly destroyed potential evidence that would have been the smoking gun or guns.

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 11:09 a.m.

I doubt the powers of Karma operate in the way jade lee seems to imagine they do. The inference is that Black is now being paid off by the natural order of "what goes around comes around." Going to jail, then, is a cosmic payback for the sin of "turning his back on Canada."

Obviously, Kharma doesn't care that Black would have preferred to keep his citizenship and fought to keep it but wasn't allowed.

Jade Lee should watch her back. Desperately wanting and taking "the last laugh" with such malice and pleasure, is something Kharma, should it exist, might be interested in.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 11:50 a.m.

Thanks for that link Casey. Nice to wake up from an afternoon nap and realise it wasn't just a pleasant dream that His Lardship is going to this place:

http://www.bop.gov/locations/institution...

It sounds like a hell-hole, and actually I wouldn't send anyone there for longer than it takes to get a reality check. But His Lardship told his old pal Ruth Deadly Edwards he would take it all in his stride. The reality is, he has to.

I tend to agree with you that Morticia will eventually fade from the scene. Valerie is right about the body language and apparent affection for him (I doubt whether anyone as evil as her is capable of what we humans understand as love) and also that she has stayed with him longer than any of her exs, but he must have looked like the summit to her. Anyone else would have been the downhill that lies beyond the peak.

When she hooked him, she hooked what looked like old and very serious money, then soon after came a title - I have no doubt that she will still have the effrontery to call herself "Lady Black" in Britain, where she is now almost universally seen as a disgraced harridan - and more money than she had ever dreamed of having. Naturally, she stood by him throughout the trial, because there was always the chance that he might beat the rap (I must confess that even I feared at times that karma might fail on this occasion) and there is still the tiny theoretical possibility that he will be exonerated and released when his appeal finally comes up in five or six months from now. If she had slithered off before now, or is she does so before his appeal, she would have not a shred of sympathy anywhere. And he might just overcome her wicked spell long enough to spill some of the beans on her that he undoubtedly has.

Such is the power of denial that she probably still thinks he has a chance. And such is the power of her calculating self-interest that she has to go through the motions until summer/autumn 2008 at least.

But when the appeal is rejected, I can't see her sticking it out much longer if any other option comes her way. But then another reality clicks in: she is going on 68, looking more haggard by the day, and the kind of men who could afford such a high-maintenance woman have plenty of choice - and most of them have a lot more common sense that the idiot who almost forced himself into an American prison.

I'm turning my phone to silent now, because the above is bound to elicit some more screeching, hysterical abusive calls from "leaf" (go figure who that really is!) in the middle of the night. LOL

Casey March 1, 2008 at 12:32 p.m.

I'm turning my phone to silent now, because the above is bound to elicit some more screeching, hysterical abusive calls from "leaf" (go figure who that really is!) in the middle of the night. LOL - Fintan

It is difficult to believe that " leaf " actually called you as he / she threatened but I suppose nothing would surprise me about this individual. For the life of me, I can't figure out what possible satisfaction or enjoyment " leaf " derives from hounding you, a complete stranger. Far be it for me to understand what she / he is attempting to prove...?

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 12:47 p.m.

Casey, I feel kind of flattered in a way that leaf is giving me so much attention. I suspect there is a strong connection to His Lardship and it gratifies me that my comments on the execrable Morticia are obviously hitting home. After leaf made a mischievous report to the police here that I was a paedophile, etc., etc., I actually sent an e-mail to His Lardship, under my real name and giving my exact address, and told the coward to just "bring it on". No reply as yet, and I'll hardly get one now. LOL

The calls from "leaf" were made by someone who is very angry, shrieking hysterically and - well - just a loser, a woman of a certain age, as they say. Some of them are recorded. Enough said for now, as you probably undertand.

Leaf would love to know my actual name and address and post it on the Internet, but so what? It is only His Lardship and Morticia who might suffer the repercussions.

But the nastier the fool leaf gets, the more inspired I become to really lay it on Morticia! I have plenty of time and energy, and it keeps me away from watching re-runs on TV.

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 12:49 p.m.

Casey Smith March 1, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.

"...I am of the opinion that the obstruction very possibly destroyed potential evidence that would have been the smoking gun or guns."

How is this possible when every scrap of paper in that office had previously been logged in, photocopied and cataloged? Just asking.

Casey March 1, 2008 at 1:37 p.m.

How is this possible when every scrap of paper in that office had previously been logged in, photocopied and cataloged? Just asking. - Charles Dashwood

Huh? You cannot be serious...? Go back and read the charges, evidence, testimony of witnesses, etc. I am too lazy to re post stuff that is old and long forgotten. Move on, the Lord is going to jail, whether or not he destroyed potential evidence - fact is, he was orderd not to remove anything...period.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 1:44 p.m.

Charles Dashwood: "How is this possible when every scrap of paper in that office had previously been logged in, photocopied and cataloged? Just asking."

Good question, but there are several others at least as good. Are you sure that EVERYTHING in the boxes had been logged, copied and so on? Even if they had been, why didn't His Lardship just ask the new masters of the building to put them to one side until they could be handed over to him? He hardly thought the stuff in the boxes would be just chucked into a dumpster, did he?

Another good question: Did he tell Morticia he was going down to take the boxes after his secretary had been refused permission to remove them from the building? And what did she say? After all, both of them presented themselves as people who knew everything about everything and wanted to advise and counsel the whole world. Surely one of them must have grasped what a court order means. It means if you have been ordered not to remove something from somewhere, you are heading into deep sh1t if you do. Even a slob like me knows that.

I believe it was just a case of a big arse hole being so used to calling the shots all the time in every way that he just lost it when a "humble" security person said "no". Just as someone can lose it for a split second and ram a knife into someone else or lash out in some other way, he lost it for a tiny fraction of the time - 5 years or so - that it will cost him - and keep him out of the world's face!

Karma be praised.

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 2:22 p.m.

Despite everything, Conrad Black believes he will be able to handle his long jail sentence, according to Brian Stewart

“I went down worried how it might be, but I found him in good spirits,” Mr Stewart, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation journalist, said. “A lot of the time we spent talking politics or joking about old time as if he had not a care in the world.

“He does have this remarkable ability to compartmentalise. We did talk about the possibility of prison. He is definitely ready for it. He think he can handle it. He thinks he has come through a lot of stress and adversity in his life.

“She has bought a dog, which is a big thing in her life. They were both getting on fabulously well. She has probably been prepared for a bad ending longer than he has. She tends to be more pessimistic,” he said.

The Palm Beach Daily News reported in its gossip column that Lady Black had spent $250,000 on the new collection by fashion designer Oscar de la Renta. But Mr Stewart threw cold water on the report, saying shopping was far from her priority at this time.

He said Lady Black plans to remain in the Palm Beach mansion so she can visit her husband about 90 minutes drive away in Coleman FCI.

Lord Black will be strip-searched, fingerprinted and sujected to a DNA test before changing into a prison uniform on Monday. The clothes he wears to prison will be posted back to his wife.

He will share a cubicle in a prison dormitory with another inmate and subsist on a stodgy diet of dishes such as spaghetti and macaroni cheese.

He will have only limited access to e-mail and might find it impossible to write in jail. But Mr Stewart said: “He will certainly be writing in his head.” The historian and biographer of President Roosevelt and Nixon may also turn his attention behind bars to a book on Canada’s Second World War prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King."

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 2:32 p.m.

All the particulars of the case have been discussed ad infinitum so there's not much sense arguing. As Casey says, Black is on his way to jail and there is nothing more to say about that.

I, for one, found it strange that the appeal court judges who disallowed his emergency request to remain free on bail until the appeal, found some worth in the appeal on the fraud charges, but not on the obstruction charge. I was surprised at that.

A lot of people, including me, will be interested in the arguments and counter-arguments, as well as in the success or failure of the appeal as well, when it is heard.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 2:44 p.m.

His Lardship's bravado reminds me of an event many, many decades ago, when I was a very junior reporter and assigned to covering things like meetings of the local Agricultural Committee or a court of first instance. Boring, but there was the occasional bright moment.

Once, a young man with a long history of yobbish behaviour was, again, in front of the judge on an assault charge. After all the evidence had been presented, the judge told the defendant: "I'm minded to give you a custodial sentence, as you obviously need to learn that we cannot tolerate that kind of behaviour. Six months imprisonment might bring you to your senses."

The idiot in the dock just smirked and said: "I could do that standing on one leg!"

To which the judge replied: "I wouldn't want you to lose your balance, so I'll make it a year in that case."

Let's see how cocky His Lardship is in a couple of months from now!

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 2:56 p.m.

Conrad Black may not have to serve more than two years and two months in prison. From the parole commission website:

"The "parole eligibility date" is the earliest time the offender might be paroled. If the Parole Commission decides to grant parole, it will set the date of release, but the date must be on or after the "eligibility" date.

The process begins at sentencing. Unless the court has specified a minimum time for the offender to serve, or has imposed an "indeterminate" type of sentence, parole eligibility occurs upon completion of one-third of the term..."

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 3:05 p.m.

Well, Mr Itse, Conrad Black is far from being a yob. He has a first-rate mind, as even his detractors must admit. We'll have to see how well he handles incarceration. Some prisoners, perhaps those who believe they have been wrongfully imprisoned, have kept their personalities intact after long imprisonment. I don't know, but I suspect much depends upon the level of stimulation. Black will no doubt be visited in prison by any number of sparkling intelligent people who hold him in high regard.

I am thinking of Nelson Mandela, who lost not a whit of his charisma and aplomb, despite many long weary years in jail, God bless him!

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 3:41 p.m.

Charles Dashwood, I agree that His Lardship is not a yob.

He is worse than that. Most yobs that I have come across emanate from socially deprived backgrounds and grew up in an environment not particularly conducive to self-improvement.

His Lardship, by contrast, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and enjoyed privileges from the very beginning. What he has in common with the yobs of this world is that he seems not to have benefitted from good parental guidance. A good kick in the arse for his earliest crimes might have straightened him out.

To compare him to Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest men who has ever graced this planet and a person of royal blood, is downright insulting. Nelson Mandela had a truly noble goal, the liberation of millions of his people and the betterment of the conditions of their lives, and was sent to prison for attempting to achieve that goal, whereas His Lardship was convicted of purely and simply stealing to satisfy his own greed and that of the scheming, avaricious hag that he married.

Nelson Mandela was lucky the Apartheid thugs did not execute him, but he would have borne any punishment with fortitude.

Nelson Mandela KNEW he had been wrongfully imprisoned, and so did millions on the outside. And he eventually emerged into freedom - and not even Elton John came anywhere as close to him when it came to wearing spectacular shirts! I hope Nelson lives to at least a hundred. How can you compare a scut like Black to him?

As for His Lardship being visited in prison by "any number of sparkling intelligent people who hold him in high regard", surely you have now come close to formulating the ultimate oxymoronic sentence. How could anyone of even minimal intelligence hold such a loser in high regard?

Not even Mark Swine will visit him. His Lardship is dead meat, tainted goods, and it matters not a whit whether he comes out in four months, two years or five years. He is a convicted thief and he will have the stench of prison about him for ever more.

Karma be praised.

Lit_200 March 1, 2008 at 4:04 p.m.

My, you seem to have a head of disaffection for Conrad Black Mr Itse! As I sometimes tell my students: "don't mistake your personal feelings and attitudes for objective truth."

On the matter of Conrad Black and Nelson Mandela. I was not comparing them at all. I was merely pointing out the undeniable truth that some men can withstand long imprisonment without losing their essential character.

It's wonderful that you think so highly of Nelson Mandela. Does you credit, but that was hardly the point.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.

"My, you seem to have a head of disaffection for Conrad Black Mr Itse!"

What a beautiful piece of understatement, Mr. Dashwood. Are you British?

I'm glad you were not comparing His Lardship to Nelson Mandela - or, heaven forbid, that other "jailbird" Gandhiji. I also agree with you that many people can and do endure long periods of rigorous imprisonment and still retain their essential character. There is even a name for them: recidivists. Look it up, as His Lardship would say.

The problem is that His Lardship is a greedy crook who advocates policies that are very detrimental to society. It will be a real pity if he emerges from prison with the same character he had when he went in.

How much better it would be if he could see the error of his ways and put what gifts he has to good uses - with the aim of a planet where fewer people suffer so much deprivation because of the greed of the class to which he belonged - and which jailed him because he stole from them!

jade_lee March 1, 2008 at 4:38 p.m.

I do not fear any form of poetic justice Dashwood as I am not a criminal, I generally treat people well and without malice.
Your warning to me to watch my back is quite hilarious considering your references. As a Canadian citizen I am well aware of what Conrad Black did with respect to his becoming a "Lord" and it disgusts me, but it's his criminal behaviour that I refer to each and every time I think in terms of Karma. Generally speaking I believe that good things happen to good people and the opposite is true for bad people. I realize that this is not always the case but for the most part our laws are designed to catch the really bad people, the ones who commit criminal offenses. Do you understand this? As for your belief that Conrad Black fought for his right to retain his Canadian Citizenship, that is pure bull. He was given a choice no different than Thompson and he decided to give his citizenship up for the title, Thompson did not and chose to remain a Canadian citizen and not go for the title. Obviously I respect Thompson for his choice. Yes I bet you will defend Black and tell us how Black was a British subject but if you look into the matter you will find that his political strength went a great deal further in Britain than here in Canada and his attempts to circumvent our laws were futile which says a great deal about how seriously we take various agreements. It refreshing to know that even the great influence that our rich class here in Canada possess does not always guarantee that they will be able to get what they want when our laws state something different.

jade_lee March 1, 2008 at 4:55 p.m.

As for your comments about Black remaining true to himself despite his pending prison sentence, the goal of our prison sentences is promote non criminal thinking, reform if you will, and it is my hope that Black will realize the error of his ways.
But in reality I don't see any remorse and I doubt if Black will ever admit that he committed a criminal offense. He is not unlike the many recidivists Fintan speaks of. They just "don't get it". It is my belief that most repeat offenders have not been charged criminally for most of their criminal behaviour, so they continue to risk the threat of getting caught by committing crimes, knowing that they will get away with a great deal of their criminal activity and thus benefit from it as most recidivists brag constantly about this fact in prisons all over the country. These criminals have no sense of remorse and a different set of morals from most of us . Sounds sorta like Black but different in that here we have an individual who has a group of cheer leaders behind him that appear on the surface to have credibility. I for one don't trust people who rally behind criminals based on blind loyalty and similar political thoughts, it's just plain wrong.

Fintan March 1, 2008 at 4:58 p.m.

Giles Slade, a name I never heard before, but karma bless him for the pleasure that reading this article has given me before I lay me down to sleep (9 minutes to midnight here and --- specially for leaf --- 45 hours before His Lardship ends up where he belongs). I bet Casey will enjoy reading this.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/giles-slad...

Pearl of the week as far as I'm concerned:

"Oddly enough U.S. sheep often own the company. They had a tea-party a while back to establish this."

Karma be praised.

Casey March 1, 2008 at 5:14 p.m.

Well said, Jade lee, about Black and others like him " not getting it ". In fact, I will hazard a guess that he would rather die than ever admit, particularly to the Jackmans, Kravises, Taubmans, etc. that he perhaps may be guilty - this would be tantamount to admitting that he is indeed a criminal and that lofty position to which he ascribes himself would never permit such an admission. Because then he would be admitting that he is no better than all his other cell mates and fellow flunkies; that he is undeserving of any titles ( and should surrender the Peerage if he possessed any class ) and is basically a complete loser. Black believes that he is a " freedom fighter " and he clings tenaciously to this presumption because it is what gets him through the day and sleepless nights and helps him survive the terrible position he now finds himself in.

Lit March 1, 2008 at 9:23 p.m.

I hate to correct anyone, Jade Lee, but you are quite wrong if you believe that Lord Thompson of Fleet gave up his title to retain his Canadian citizenship. As he said in an interview with Saturday Night:

"In London I'm Lord Thomson, in Toronto I'm Ken. I have two sets of Christmas cards and two sets of stationery. You might say I'm having my cake and eating it too. I'm honouring a promise to my father by being Lord Thomson, and at the same time I can just be Ken."

Canada allowed Lord Thompson to keep his title AND his citizenship but denied that to Lord Black of Crossharbour.

What is good for the gander, apparently, is not good for the other gander when it comes to Canadian politics.

ValC March 1, 2008 at 10:02 p.m.

to lit200

yes, i wondered when i saw that comment of Jade Lee's because i thought Kenneth Thomson was a lord of some variety although i thought he didnt use the title. hopefully, someone who is an expert in this area will post an explanation of why KT was not required to give up his Canadian citizenship.

If it's true that CB was treated differently only because Jean Chretien didnt like him, that is appalling. Given my opinion of CB, it really is difficult for me to be sympathetic about CB being forced to give up his citizenship. But fair is fair.

Marilyn2 March 1, 2008 at 11:06 p.m.

Kenneth Thompson probably was not required to give up Canadian citizenship because he inherited his title (Lord Thompson of Fleet) from his father, Roy Thompson. Furthermore, unlike Lord Black, Ken Thompson never used the title "Lord" in Canada nor did he ever take his seat in the House of Lords in England.

Casey March 1, 2008 at 11:19 p.m.

Valerie Chaudhry March 1, 2008 at 10:02 p.m.
If it's true that CB was treated differently only because Jean Chretien didnt like him, that is appalling. Given my opinion of CB, it really is difficult for me to be sympathetic about CB being forced to give up his citizenship.

The bottom line, Valerie, is that CB thought a useless title in the UK was more important than his citizenship in the country of his birth and family. To have respect for someone like this is inexplicable. Black simply validated the legitimacy of his detractors' opninions of him - a smug, pontificating loser. And worse, the Loser Lord and his Lady think their dtractors are envious of them. What a joke on them.

Marilyn2 March 1, 2008 at 11:19 p.m.

I should add to my above post that Roy Thompson, like Conrad Black, was forced to give up his Canadian citizenship to accept the title of Lord Thompson of Fleet. But, since his son, Ken Thompson, inherited the title, he was not required to give up Canadian citizenship to take the title. Hope this clarifies things....

jade_lee March 1, 2008 at 11:40 p.m.

ok ok! I confused Thompson with Weston! BUT!! Roy Thompson had been required to give up his Canadian citizenship in order to become Lord Thompson of Fleet, While Weston had in fact been the one to turn down a title so he could remain Canadian! So I guess I now don't respect Thompson like I stated earlier. And to those who claim here that Thompson was able to retain his citizenship you are incorrect. Garfield was the better man in this case!

Take note that Black's hasty acquisition of dual citizenship was achieved in record time, a mere two weeks and Tony Blair mistakenly thought that this had solved the problem with respect to Canada's long standing policy that Canadians should not be given titles. My point here is that Black wanted to be on the queens list at the same time as dear Magaret Thatcher! Go look this up, I had to!

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 2:24 a.m.

Sunday morning here in Helsinki and just after 2 a.m in Palm Beach, so Morticia and her felon husband are still awake if this article is to be believed:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/wo...

It's nice of His Lardship's friend Brian Steward to be so brave about it and opine that he will cope well with prison, whereas Morticia will suffer. But what would Mr. Steward know about the reality that His Lardship is entering?

What a tiresome and stupid woman! As the article concludes "It remains unclear how Amiel will support herself. She is, like her husband, considering writing a book about their “persecution by jealous people”.

How many people would buy a book like that? Lit/leaf perhaps - that's one copy. What with civil suits pending against her, too, she may soon have to have a garage sale and maybe hock the diamond.

Meanwhile back at the ranch (in the UK), being in any way associated with His Lardship is now a definite liability.

"Labour yesterday revealed growing anxiety that Boris Johnson could win the London mayoralty when its local election coordinator, Hazel Blears, condemned the Tory candidate as a nasty rightwing elitist with odious views and criminal friends like Conrad Black."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/...

Yes, it's official: Lord North of Mudchute is dreck!

Karma be praised.

GravityLevity2 March 2, 2008 at 2:41 a.m.

Thank you for the clarification, Marilyn, about the Thompson title.

Another post contained this observation: "The historian and biographer of President Roosevelt and Nixon may also turn his attention behind bars to a book on Canada’s Second World War prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King."
How's he going to do the research for that book in an American jail without even regular Internet access? I doubt the jail library will have sufficient info. on this topic.

GravityLevity2 March 2, 2008 at 3:05 a.m.

jade lee--in response to your lol post from a previous thread: From the Times of London (sunday edition): "Although Black has until 2pm tomorrow to turn himself in at Coleman, a 90-minute drive from Palm Beach, the jail is on alert for him to arrive today in an attempt to elude the press." I guess if that happens, the authorities'll make him stay in a nearby motel Sunday night. Or maybe you're wrong, and the Times and the previous media report of the possibility of Black reporting in early are accurate as to his being able to do so should he wish to.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 3:25 a.m.

John Bell, I suspect the Times has gotten it wrong about the distance from Schloss Blackula South to Coleman Institution for the Morally and Ethically Challenged (CIMEC). I looked it up on Google Earth ages ago and now again. Here is an article from a local paper in that part of the world. Guess they know better than the Times guy. According to it, the prison is about 200 miles from Palm Beach. That's 320 km. If His Lardship and Morticia try to do that drive in 1½ hours, I sure hope they kill only themselves in the crash.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20080301/NE...

leaf March 2, 2008 at 4:20 a.m.

"For the life of me, I can't figure out what possible satisfaction or enjoyment " leaf " derives from hounding you, a complete stranger. Far be it for me to understand what she / he is attempting to prove...?" - donna aka sandy aka casey smith (not patty smith!) aka etc etc etc......

------

far be it for you to understand anything, granny. or to remember anything... you are a reactionary, not a thinker.

why do i do anything? what gives me satisfaction?

i called fickton the minute you posted that you had called his # and it was disconnected.

i called (the 1st time) to prove you wrong.
i called (the 2nd time) to piss fickton off.

both give me great satisfaction.

leaf March 2, 2008 at 4:23 a.m.

"No reply as yet, and I'll hardly get one now. LOL" - forgetful fickton.

------

what about the willing henchman?
he's closer than you think...

leaf March 2, 2008 at 4:32 a.m.

"...when I was a very junior reporter... " - fabulist fickton

------

was that before or after the advertising job when you tried to write off your Playboy subscription?

leaf March 2, 2008 at 4:44 a.m.

"Most yobs that I have come across emanate from socially deprived backgrounds and grew up in an environment not particularly conducive to self-improvement." - bragging fickton

-------

will you quit writing about YOUR neighborhood, YOUR country, YOUR fictitious jobs!!!

other than the perroquet, you think anyone believes a word you write?

although i can vouch for this: you wrote YOUR own phone # on the blog!

i always get a good lol out of that one ☺ ☺ ☺

leaf March 2, 2008 at 5:09 a.m.

"ok ok! I confused Thompson with Weston! " - jello

----

get it together jello: Thompson makes chocolates and Weston makes fine bread.

------

" Garfield was the better man in this case!" - same confused jello

-----

Garfield is a cat!

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 5:19 a.m.

leaf de Blogger March 2, 2008 at 4:23 a.m.

"No reply as yet, and I'll hardly get one now. LOL" - forgetful fickton.

------

what about the willing henchman?
he's closer than you think...

------

Is this another threat?

Bring it on, leaf! Bring it on!

If you and whoever is behind you are just trying to stop me ridiculing the gruesome Morticia and delighting in His Lardship's fate, you have failed miserably - just as His Lardship and all his lawyers and supporters have failed miserably to keep him out of the place where he belongs.

And I repeat, I did send an e-mail to the coward Black to tell him that, if he was behind or connected with leaf, to do his worst. And I got no reply. Nor will there be one for the next five years. ROFLMAO!

leaf March 2, 2008 at 5:30 a.m.

"How many people would buy a book like that? Lit/leaf perhaps - that's one copy. "

-------

this insipid little comment will merit a nuisance call to its author.

and this concludes de Blogger's edition.

for now.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 5:54 a.m.

"this insipid little comment will merit a nuisance call to its author."

Site Administrator:

Once again, leaf states clearly that she intends to make a nuisance call to my number, probably in the middle of the night here.

May I respectfully suggest that you read your own comments policy, especially this bit:

"We will not tolerate any comments that are abusive, threatening, defamatory or libellous, or attacks, ad hominem and otherwise, on fellow posters. Should you engage in this behaviour or otherwise violate the rights of other posters, Toronto Life reserves the right to pursue any and all remedies available to it, including, without limitation, restricting, suspending or terminating your access to this site, without explanation, prior notice and liability."

***

It is obvious that someone (who might that possibly be, LOL?) doesn't like the satirical way I write about His Lardship and, especially, Morticia and has been trying to deter me by resorting to nuisance calls at night, spurious reports to the police here and incitement to others to do violence to me.

All have failed. The only thing that will stop me is when that two are no longer mentioned in the media. One is hours away from his new home, the other will soon fade away as well. Apart from a blip or two on the radar when the appeal comes up and fails - nothing. And nothing for me to write about, but there is a world outside this blog and I have never left it.

Except maybe some unpleasant incident like a shanking in prison or a drastic solution on the outside will give me a theme to comment on.

All of no consequence. The fairytale of the Gruesome Duo is approaching its unhappy end. Der Spuk ist vorbei!

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 7:22 a.m.

From palm trees to the austere misery of a prison. This is how the Nazional Post describes the big, big change that is about to take place in His Lardship's life. But don't they get it, either, when they keep on referring to him as Lord Black? He swindled his way into the upper house of the UK Parliament and has brought shame on the entire institution through association with him by becoming its first member to be jailed - as a convicted fraudster - in a former colony.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.h...

This quote from His Lardship is delectable: ""Yo've gotta be philosophical, ah reckon. It's a ho'rible, outrageous thin'; th' whole thin' is an absolute crock."

I'm sure Bubba will understand.

Mark Swine is travelling in Europe and will miss the farewell bash in Palm Beach today. Probably hasn't been invited anyway, because there hasn't been a squeak out of him for weeks. I'll give the Swine this at least: he knows a loser when he sees one, even if it takes a while for it to register with him.

While I gloat at the fate of His Lardship and Morticia, I'm just digesting lunch: osso bucco and lapin puikula perunaa (a delicious variety of potato that grows only in Lapland) and mixed salad, washed down with some inexpensive - but good - South African red wine. Morticia and His Lardship would probably sn1gger at such simple, wholesome fare, but I'll have something similar next Sunday - and what will His Lardship have?

All this gloating will earn me a few more nuisance calls, but not one of them has woken me up yet. ROFLMAO

I can't wait for Morticia's next article in Toothpaste. After advocating Ritalin for kids, defending dog torturers and boasting about her love of portraits of Nazis, what can she come up with next?

Casey March 2, 2008 at 8:40 a.m.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs...

The above posted link is truly frightening and demonstrates the rock bottom to which CB has decended. I cannot imagine a more disgraceful evolution for the Lord. I do have pity and hope that he merges from prison with a little less hubris and arrogance.
Try to read the postings of prisoners included in link I provided ( I think this is the link that includes these comments. )

Casey March 2, 2008 at 9:05 a.m.

" TEATIME IN PRISON?

The Lord of Excess is spending his last few hours of freedom in his $28 million Palm Beach home, getting ready to trade his maids for beefy federal corrections officers for 61/2 years.

Canada-born British peer Lord Conrad Black, 63, is scheduled to surrender to federal authorities by 2 p.m. Monday. Speculation on The Island has it that Black, found guilty of using the coffers of newspapers like the Chicago Sun-Times and Jerusalem Post to fund his lavish jet-setting lifestyle, is headed to a low-security prison camp at Coleman, between Orlando and Ocala. " -

The phone at his sprawling South Ocean mansion Saturday afternoon rang without a response for several minutes, until he picked up: "No comment," he grumpily said before slamming it down.

Rarely seen in these parts before the financial scandal showed he may have fleeced investors of half a billion dollars, Black and his wife, Barbara Amiel, have lived permanently here since last spring.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/c...

Casey March 2, 2008 at 9:10 a.m.

Another great link -

http://www.thestar.com/News/World/articl...

How the mighty have fallen.....

ValC March 2, 2008 at 9:28 a.m.

thanks to everyone who clarified the info about titles and Canadian citizenship. here's something funny -- when i googled garfield weston, the man, not the cat, an add for ebay popped up "Buy Garfield Weston on eBay.ca & Pay Less Than Retail ww.ebay.ca "

to Fintan

i would be interested in reading BA's take on the trial. it's probably vulgar curiousity on my part. i found her autobiography entertaining even though the truth was "enhanced" in places to make the story more dramatic.

oh and happy anniversary to you and your wife, a day early. i hope you have a romantic surprise planned. most women love that. if not, here's a suggestion. write a letter to her giving the reasons why you love her. give her the letter and a single long-stemmed rose.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 9:35 a.m.

Thanks for that link, Casey. just shows how much His Lardship and Morticia are respected on "the Island". LOL

It's a pity words can't be framed. To hear Mr. opinionated, know-all, swallowed-a-dictionary Smart Arse confine himself to the two words "no comment" is a rare pleasure indeed.

Of course, His Lardship can always look on the bright side. One of the things he won't have to worry about for the next six years is nuisance calls in the middle of the night.

Here's an interesting link with an amusing name, "Crooked in Canada". Well, it worked well for His Lardship for a long time, but "Crooked in the USA" turned out to be a really wrong move. http://crookedincanada.com/2008/03/01/co...

The writer speculates that His Lardship might try something dramatic like make a run for it - and it can't be ruled out yet. There are also other interesting possibilities involving the two of them. The next few hours will be exciting.

Casey March 2, 2008 at 10:55 a.m.

Thanks, Fintan. By the way, one website that I logged onto earlier and linked to the site that describes Black's future for the next few years in excrutiating detail, purports to be postings by prisoners themselves. Although this is hardly blog fare for Bell's more genteel site, I was shocked to read that one of the ways prisoners are disciplined and even simply out of spite or plain lack of funds or whatever, toilet paper is witheld from prisoners or used as barter fodder. And this occurs on a regular basis and for lengthy periods. Prisoners are actually told to errr use their hands. How utterly distasteful...*sigh*. Poor CB...

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 11:47 a.m.

First thanks to Valerie for your nice felicitations. I wasn't born into His Lardship's wealth and privileges, but I was a lot luckier where the woman in my life is concerned.

Casey, I haven't found that link, but if it is true it is a terrible reflection on the USA and its treatment of prisoners. Remember, however, that Morticia has staunchly defended the conditions under which detainees are held in Guantanamo and glosses over the fact that they have been denied any due process of law, unlike her crook husband, who had one of the fairest trials in US history, was defended by a small army of expensive lawyers and, in my view, was very lucky not to have been convicted on other counts as well. And His Lardship himself has never tolerated any criticism whatsoever of the USA and indeed even wanted Canada either to become a part of it or to abandon those of its features that make it more European and civilised in character.

I'm all for His Lardship having a tough time in prison, but no one - repeat not even a scumbag like him - should be deprived of necessary hygiene articles and proper medical care. It is sufficient for him to have to take rather than give orders for a change and have time to reflect on all the ways he went wrong. He would redeem himself somewhat in my eyes if he renounced his Canadian, British and Holy See titles and spared those three countries the shame of being associated with him.

Here's a funny link.

http://www.altlondon.org/article.php?sto...

Lit March 2, 2008 at 12:21 p.m.

Just a couple of corrections. Probably the most time that Conrad Black will do in prison, even if he does not win the appeal on obstruction (which it is pretty certain he will), will be 26 months - that is when he will be eligible for parole. When he wins the appeal on obstruction, he will probably be released immediately. So there is a possibility that he will be in the pokey for 60 days or so.

It was amusing to watch the wriggling around by some posters trying to excuse the Canadian government who allowed certain men to accept honours from other realms but not others. They like this lord so-and-so, so that's OK but Conrad Black, the neocon - well, that is a different matter!

Of all those anti-Blacks here, I have a smidge of time for Fintan. He was a reporter in Canada and in fact worked under Barbara Amiel. The story I am hearing is that he got canned for either incompetence or being a smart ass and has been burning with resentment ever since. You really should move along Fintan old boy. That is a long, long time to hold a grudge! Karma doesn't approve of that, you know.

As for the rest of them, they want CB jailed... and much worse!... because of the way he thinks. And that is not only vindictive, it's a quite primitive and dangerous emotion. Shame, shame, shame!

Casey March 2, 2008 at 12:32 p.m.

LitTwo Hundred March 2, 2008 at 12:21 p.m.

It is amusing to watch how LITtwohundred squirms and wrrigles for excuse after excuse and more and more ludicrous reasons for Black's " eventual release ". Each time that Black suffers another indignity, there's LIT offering his stupid explanations for same. And if memory serves me correctly, I believe that CB is not eligible for parole until he has served 85% of his sentence. Here;s a further prediction - Black will lose all his appeals - just as I claimed that he would be found guilty and convicted.
You are living in a fantasy world, LIT twohundred and it is sad to read how lost you appear.

Casey March 2, 2008 at 12:37 p.m.

Just to make you squirm, LIT two hundred - CB will be in a cell by tomorrow and everything you have stated / predicted has been 100% wrong, off the mark, silly and you are beginning to look like a complete, ill informed and ignorant fool.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 12:41 p.m.

Casey Smith... wrong again. I predicted between five and seven years when you and everyone else was slavering first for life and then for 35 years. who do you think you are dealing with?

Look up http/www.usdojgov/uspc/questions.htm where you will find ...

"The process (of awarding parole) begins at sentencing. Unless the court has specified a minimum time for the offender to serve (it didn't), or has imposed an "indeterminate" type of sentence (it didn't), parole eligibility occurs upon completion of one-third of the term."

One third = 26 months.

Your apology is accepted in advance.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 12:44 p.m.

Casey and Jade Lee are doing the same thing here they did in the previous blog, attacking the person of someone with whom they disagree.

Disagree with them and out come the claws and one can almost hear the hissing and howling.

Stop it.

Grow up!

Casey March 2, 2008 at 12:45 p.m.

Black may have to serve 85 per cent of his sentence before being eligible for parole of any type. - James Morton in this link -
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/st...

I do not apologize to fools..........and to those who clearly haven't a clue about what they are talking about.....

Casey March 2, 2008 at 12:46 p.m.

Above post by me was directed at LIT two hundred....

Casey March 2, 2008 at 12:54 p.m.

Just to add insult to imjury as it were, here is another link for you, LIT two hundred, mentioning parole eligibility only upon compeletion of 85% of sentence. Read it and weep......
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/...

Lit March 2, 2008 at 1:04 p.m.

Still scratching, hissing and clawing? Casey cites newspaper reports while i cite official websites.

Just a whisper in your ear Casey... look up the difference between mandatory parole and elegibility for early parole for non-violent offenders.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 1:07 p.m.

Hee, hee, poor Lit/leaf.

"He was a reporter in Canada and in fact worked under Barbara Amiel. The story I am hearing is that he got canned for either incompetence or being a smart ass and has been burning with resentment ever since."

Actually, I got canned for not reacting the right way when the lady boss came in wearing nothing but a garter belt under her trenchcoat, gave me a flash and I failed to "rise to the occasion". She got pretty nasty and suggested I was gay, and really went ballistic when I told her I liked my women a few years younger. She also misinterpreted that, as we have subsequently seen in leaf's claims that I am a paedophile. It was too fraught a moment for me to try to make her understand that even a slob like me has standards and I wouldn't do her with Mark Swine's dick is he lent it to me for the occasion.

I do admit that I was then and always have been a smart ass. How clever of Lit, though, to finally figure out that I am a Canadian or someone who has lived in Canada for years.

And then again, maybe all of the above is bullsh1t.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 1:16 p.m.

Fintan, you have an elegant and classy way of expressing yourself. You are obviously a wise and learned gentleman of impeccable manners.

ValC March 2, 2008 at 1:17 p.m.

lit 200

not everyone who is anti-black wants "the worst" for CB in jail. I resent being characterized as slavering and what not. I agree with you to the extent that a non-violent first time offender, like Black, might be eligible for early parole or early release and also that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think the man is guilty of the crime but there is certainly room for forgiveness in my heart where warranted.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 1:26 p.m.

Valerie, thank you for that sensible post. I do not lump you in with others who are virulently anti-Black and want him squashed like a bug. Certainly, there is much to dislike about the man, but also much to admire. It is their one-sidedness that I object to most strongly.

kjopc March 2, 2008 at 1:37 p.m.

Oh dear... Lard Black might deprive his detractors of any satisfaction regarding his incarceration. What will we do if he declares jail to be an enjoyable experience and not a punishment at all?

He's devious enough to turn the tables by not revealing his misery. Posturing as a most-contented inmate would deny us the gratifcation of retribution and give him intense pleasure.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 1:38 p.m.

This is a little present for the anti-Blacks. Fintan could not have said it better himself and I am sure he will enjoy it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4f2nR7MpGU

Lit March 2, 2008 at 1:48 p.m.

And for those who get too serious in the business of hating the evil Conrad Black, a reminder that even he is also human:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_l9ICZB...

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 1:48 p.m.

For the record, I stated several times during the trial that I would be happy to see His Lardship get a short, sharp term in the hoosegow, perhaps six months or so, that would hopefully help straighten him out. I feel the same about all prisoners, except those who are clearly violent and a potential danger to the lives and safety of others.

Lit 200, you are a hypocrite and a liar. You point the finger at me for my openness in expressing my joy at His Lardship's and Morticia's comeuppance, yet you are the same multiple personality who has sent a false and malicious report to the police, accusing me of being a pedophile and made nuisance calls in the middle of the night. I have recordings of your voice, and so have the police. You are a scary piece of scum, but I don't scare so easily. So when you can muster the balls, just bring it on! Me and my friend Glock are waiting for you, and in fact looking forward to it.

You are a sick, twisted person, and you too will get your comeuppance in due course.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 1:53 p.m.

Fintan, if you cannot distinguish between me and the one who signs himself here as leaf, then you don't have the judgement or discernment I give you credit for.

I am not leaf, I have never posted under that name, I have never made phone calls to anyone as the result of any postings on this silly blog.

Smarten up man! You should be able to figure this out for yourself without forcing such a denial.

Jeanne March 2, 2008 at 1:54 p.m.

Arrived back from a short holiday to find old friends posting about Lord Crosstalker on a new blog! How delightful.

What I'd like for his Lordship while in prison is that he would see the error of his ways and resolve to be a better person for the rest of his life. That's unlikely, however, so, as a second-best wish for him, I hope he experiences the same feelings his many victims felt over the years, when Black bullied, criticized, ridiculed, threatened, robbed, and stomped all over them with his metaphorical boots. Fair's fair.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 2:01 p.m.

And, need it be said, I have had no dealings with police anywhere, or made charges against anyone.

I encourage you to get in touch with Doug Bell, right after you see a therapist, and ask for confirmation that the IPs of my posts and those of Leaf are different - from different countries for I live neither in Canada or the United States.

I hereby give Doug Bell the authority to inform you privately of this information.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 2:23 p.m.

Yeah, yeah, Lit 200. You know quite well that Doug Bell can't check IP addresses, otherwise you (leaf) would have been apprehended long ago. Your self-righteousness would be plausible if you had dissociated yourself from leaf's accusations of paedophilia against me. Instead, you applauded your alter ego's sickest assertions on numerous occasions long after they had been made. You are a liar. Period!

Lit March 2, 2008 at 2:39 p.m.

Fintan

You are completely wrong.

Provide evidence or shut up.

I have nothing more to say to you.

jade_lee March 2, 2008 at 2:46 p.m.

If one takes the time to review the several books and articles written by those in the upper classes who have served a term of incarceration, you will find that they all advocate reform of prisons and find the experience to be horrible, way worse than any of them anticipated. This will be what Conrad Black will say and there is no doubt in my mind this will be his experience. As for Lit, perhaps he should take his advocacy for the wrongfully convicted and support some of the little people out there rotting in jail cells without any hope of every appealing their sentences as there is not a lawyer out there willing to take on their case.
I imagine Lit will think Black is still a wonderful guy even if his criminal record stands. That is the difference between Lit and I, he supports crooks for subjective reasons who fail to show remorse and I don't .

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 3:04 p.m.

Jane-Lee: "If one takes the time to review the several books and articles written by those in the upper classes who have served a term of incarceration, you will find that they all advocate reform of prisons and find the experience to be horrible, way worse than any of them anticipated."

I fully agree with the above and acknowledge your actual practical experience of the subject. The problem is that people like His Lardship and Morticia don't care a flying fornication about problems that affect others than actual and wannabee billionaires. They couldn't care less if "ordinary people" who fall foul of the law are imprisoned under the most degrading of conditions, with no attempt at rehabilitation, re-education or anything like that.

A person that His Lardship might look to and emulate is Jonathan Aitken, a member of parliament in the UK and, I believe, also descended from a Canadian-born press baron. Check him out on the Internet. He fell foul of the law for perjury, did his time and emerged a far better man. He has done a lot of good for society since he came out and has spoken and written a lot about prison conditions and their shortcomings. All in all, he is person who can nowadays hold his head as high as anyone else, and good luck to him for that even if he is a Tory!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Porridge-And-Passion...

GravityLevity2 March 2, 2008 at 3:16 p.m.

In the US, to get early parole don't you need?
1. good behaviour
2. admission of your crimes and some repentence.

Conrad Black will find both of these hard to muster. The first because he has always had problems with authority. The second, even stronger, because the parole board will need him to 'splain away his 2008 publication, the book on how he did nothing illegal and the succeossor regime and the US justice system are at fault.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 3:48 p.m.

John Bell

Contrarywise, I think Black will be a model prisoner, since he knows it affects early parole. But he doesn't suffer fools lightly so you may be right. Time will tell.

As to repentence, the US parole commission may indeed require an admission of guilt and repentance but they do not say so on their official website. In fact, I think that requirement is somewhat outdated and in disrepute. Jade Lee probably knows whether this is true.

The US Parole Commission do mention the possibility of a released convict prepetrating violence and also the likelihood or otherwise of the prisoner reoffending. On both those counts, Black will be a winner.

I think US prisons are badly overcrowded and understaffed. The Commission wants to get people who won't cause trouble out on parole as quickly as possible, to make way for the really bad guys. Black knows this.

jade_lee March 2, 2008 at 3:49 p.m.

LOL I don't see Conrad Black rebelling in prison. The law of the jungle aplies behind the walls of all prisons where if a "fish" shoots off his mouth he quickly gets it slapped or worse.....yes Black will soon learn that equality does not apply in the prison system and even his cash flow will not place him in a position of power as that is reserved for the "heavy" in the unit as brute strength is the only power that means anything.
The most important consideration for parole is that the person will not reoffend. Do any of us believe that if he finds himself in the position of "proprietor" again that CB would not steal?

Lit March 2, 2008 at 3:56 p.m.

As to what Conrad Black will write about, I doubt he will spend much time on prison conditions. However I do expect a penetrating examination of the USDJ and especially the role of special prosecutors.

For the life of me I cannot understand the high regard that Fitzgerald seems to have among the chattering class. He utterly failed to bring closure to the outing of CIA agent Valery Plame, although everyone knows who dunnit, and he jailed reporters who refused to give up sources.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 4:01 p.m.

As to reoffending: How can Conrad Black reoffend when he is barred for life from the management of a publicly traded company in the United States?

Shareholders are safe from Conrad Black, who stuffed their pockets with dividends when he was in charge... but they are not safe from Richard Breeden, the rapist of Hollinger, who is now running an activist hedge fund and sequestering his 2 per cent management fees and 20 per cent of profits cut in the cayman islands.

jade_lee March 2, 2008 at 4:04 p.m.

The reporter who went to jail promoted the lies that led to the Iraqi war, how ironic is that?

Casey March 2, 2008 at 4:10 p.m.

Fintan Itse March 2, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. re LIT two hundred -

I agree with you completely, Fintan in absolutely everything you have stated re LIT two hundred. He / she is a mean spirited, spiteful, nasty and obviously unhappy individual and derives his / her main enjoyment in life grovelling and brownosing a smug, pontificating, arrogant and criminal - Conrad Black. LIT's support of Black is totally obssessive now and frighteningly off centre and abnormal. LIT for all intents and purposes, HAS ho life outside of this blog that he uses to demonstrate his grating and sniveling and pathetic support for a loser Lord named Black.
Fintan? Your posts are spot on, terrifically informative and enjoyable to read. Keep 'em coming, please, and do not pay any attention to that wasted person and apparently frequently drunk, ( according to his / her numerous postings to that effect ) LIT two hundred. She / he is simply a loser like Black....period and exclamation point.....

Lit March 2, 2008 at 4:13 p.m.

I bow to Jade Lee's expertise in the matter of prisons, parole and the like. However, I doubt that Conrad Black will be subject to a great deal of harrassment by the old cons in Coleman. There are not that many old cons in a minimum security prison, most are are white collar or petty criminals, aren't they? I doubt the officials have to worry about an older gentleman getting shived, or raped.

Aside from that, the warden is aware that he has a high-profile man under his care and will take any precautions to prevent his institution from being smeared by the scandal of Black being mistreated, much as his detractors here want that to happen.

Casey March 2, 2008 at 4:15 p.m.

LitTwo Hundred March 2, 2008 at 4:01 p.m.

As to reoffending: How can Conrad Black reoffend when he is barred for life from the management of a publicly traded company in the United States?

He is also barred for life from the United States once he is deported. I find that particularly amusing for someone who gave away with gusto his Canadian citizenship....lol.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 4:16 p.m.

Lit 200, alias leaf and serious Internet stalker and criminal, continues to post allegations that would be very actionable indeed if she had the courage to make them outside the cover of anonymity. Example, allegations about Mr. Breeden. Yet Lit has said she is OK with the idea of Doug Bell revealing her ID address. She knows full well that Toronto Life can't do that. But I just hope Morticia makes the mistake of repeating those allegations without the cover of anonymity. '

I now make it 22 hours until His Lardship ends up where he has been headed for decades and Morticia starts wondering whether to follow Daddy's example.

Or could it be a Hitler and Eva Braun solution? In which case i hope they do better than the other pair and spare the dog.

Lit March 2, 2008 at 4:18 p.m.

There is another excellent comment by Casey Smith. Such depth! Such perception! To read it is to be aware that one is in the presence of a truly penetrating and balanced intelligence. Now, as to the matter of Conrad Black...

Lit March 2, 2008 at 4:24 p.m.

Jade Lee. Two reporters were jailed by Breeden, remember? And yes, one of them, Millar, and she is still answering for that nonsense. But just by the by, what relevance is that?

jade_lee March 2, 2008 at 4:24 p.m.

Lit don't be fooled, the warden rarely enters the prison proper and who Conrad Black is will not mean much to those who have other things to think about more germane to their own miserable lives. For the most part people do respect aging people in prison but that means nothing to any con if the older inmate has a nasty mouth on him, lets hope word does not get out about what Black writes in terms of the underclass he appears to think of as slugs.

Fintan March 2, 2008 at 4:27 p.m.

Good night, Casey and all friends. In less than 40 minutes (here) it will be 3 March,

THE DAY OF KARMAGEDDON FOR HIS LARDSHIP LORD NORTH OF MUDCHUTE AND MORTICIA

Let us rejoice in united hearts although our bodies are thousands of kilometres apart!

To quote my favourite line from Star Trek:

Live long and prosper.

Karma be praised!

Casey March 2, 2008 at 4:28 p.m.

An interesting commentary from the always interesting, Susan Chandler - read it and weep again, LIT two hundred....
" In the case of Black, the justices said his sentence was sufficiently long that there was no chance he would serve out even a reduced prison term before the appeal is decided.....".

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bk-co...

Casey March 2, 2008 at 4:29 p.m.

Good night, Fintan and pleasant dreams...:-).

Lit March 2, 2008 at 4:36 p.m.

Just a note to Casey Smith - That was an AP news report, not a commentary, and you have misunderstood the judge's reference, but don't let it bother you. Do read the official website I gave you when you have a moment.

You have Conrad in jail where you wanted him. So rejoice with your soulmate. Enjoy your victory!

Lit March 2, 2008 at 4:38 p.m.

What a mistake! I meant Fitzgerald, not Breeden. Sorry Jade Lee.

Casey March 2, 2008 at 4:43 p.m.

LitTwo Hundred March 2, 2008 at 4:18 p.m.

There is another excellent comment by Casey Smith. Such depth! Such perception! To read it is to be aware that one is in the presence of a truly penetrating and balanced intelligence. Now, as to the matter of Conrad Black...

Thank you but coming from a drunk, your comment has caused serious laughter here....lol.

Casey March 2, 2008 at 6:04 p.m.

For the record, Lit two hundred ( " You have Conrad in jail where you wanted him. So rejoice with your soulmate. Enjoy your victory! " ), I feel no victory - I feel only sadness and fear for CB. I would not trade places for him for all the money in the world. It gives me joy or satisfaction to see him go to prison or suffer while there. But he had it coming and I will not lose any sleep over his sad predicament.

Casey March 2, 2008 at 6:05 p.m.

It gives me joy or satisfaction = NO joy - sorry

leaf March 2, 2008 at 8:59 p.m.

Fickton has been a manipulative boy today.
Not only has he again wrongly accused Lit 200 of being me, but he tried to get Lit to deny his pedophilia.

For the record: Lit has never stated any opinion about fickton’s pedophilia.
I have and I stand by my report, the one I sent to the Helsinki police. In fact, i need to know what’s going on with that report. I’ll contact the HP and keep you posted.

Right now, it’s pay back time for insipid comments.
You think fickton can sleep or is he too excited about the big day?
We’ll soon find out.

I must thank fickton again for kindly posting his phone # on the blog.

leaf March 2, 2008 at 9:32 p.m.

i think he was sleeping. his avant-garde answering machine picked up after 7 rings. damn that thing is slow!

i played him a nice little number. let's see if he'll know from which soundtrack it's from.

by the way, get ready for an orgy of finnish schadenfreude tomorrow. fickton's guts will explode in a climax of fake pleasure. it won't be pretty, it will smell nasty. they'll be fickton's words in all his creepy glory.

i know i have more fun generally pissing him off, making him write begging notes to TL and feeling victimised, than he does writing his thinly veiled frustration here.

Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay,
when will he give my # away?
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, zip-a-dee-ay
looks like today is still not the day...

jade_lee March 2, 2008 at 9:38 p.m.

So how long have you had these obsessional tendencies leaf? Don't you have a husband who can help you through these moments of pain?

Jeanne March 2, 2008 at 10:05 p.m.

Well, it didn't take long for the usual suspects, Lit and Leaf, to try to monopolize the conversation. Same old, same old.

Lit, those who have worked with offenders, like jade_lee and to a lesser extent me, recognize the pattern in all your posts - deny and minimize. This is what the cons do, day in and day out. Deny and minimize. Ho hum.

As for Leaf, we call you a stickhandler, buddy. Just keep anything and everything moving, figuring you're too smart and too fast for everyone else. As if. Ho hum.

Fintan, lovely to read your beautifully-written posts again, and your quirky humour is always a counterpoint to the deep seriousness of many of your messages. Casey, don't recognize the sound of your prose from before. Maybe I will with time.

As for me, I look to another country to serve up some well-deserved justice to my former countryman, Conrad Black, a few hours from now. Somebody had to bell that cat, and we owe the US thanks for getting this lyin', cheatin' thief off the streets, finally. Thank you so much.

Note to Barbie-baby. Look on the bright side. At least you won't have his fat fingers pestering you in the night anymore.

leaf March 2, 2008 at 11:22 p.m.

jeanne seems to know what she's speaking of....
whose fat fingers pester you in the night jeanne?

GravityLevity2 March 2, 2008 at 11:34 p.m.

"I feel only sadness and fear for CB."
"Only"?-->Yeah, right. How genteel of you.
Fintan, whom you so admire and praise, admits to, you know, that long-worded German emotion that I can't spell.
As for my feelings, I see what they are when the authorities actually have the slippery old crook behind bars.

jade_lee March 3, 2008 at 12:23 a.m.

I don't feel one single ounce of pity for Conrad Black on the eve of his pending incarceration even thought I still think a possible 5 years behind bars is ridiculous for the crimes of fraud and obstruction of justice when context is taken into consideration. Perhaps my opinion on punishment differs from the Canadians who advocate minimum sentence laws. I know the same crime on paper rarely matches in circumstances or severity.
Something we all know to be true.
Conrad Black while being filmed by "the Passionate Eye" said, "A forgotten man does not forget." Is that a Confucius quote or a threat? I think we all know that the Audit committee was also guilty of criminal behaviour and their complicity is perhaps what Conrad Black thought would bail him out. It didn't happen, these people somehow slipped under the radar and certainly Conrad Black realized that he himself could not rat these very influential people out. I read about the governor's testimony, those other Audit committee members and it was clear that these people were using the "I am shocked and didn't realize what I had actually signed" clause. They all claimed that they somehow trusted Conrad Black to be ethical just like Conrad himself explained how he hired others to make the right and legal decisions for him. They were all greedy thieves and we now know this to be true, but Black took the heat for his friends and Radler at least for his part confessed. I think this is what has happened and the sooner Black deals with his criminal thinking the better. I am sure he will regret what he has done in time and saving face will not be the most important goal when he is humbled by the prison system. Who really knows how this will all end? I doubt if Conrad thinks in terms of endings at present as he is only at the beginning of his punishment. Ironic that a man famous for being a "down sizer" is now being "down sized" himself. Welcome to the world of the little people CB!

Fintan March 3, 2008 at 1:20 a.m.

7.41 here and the first cup of coffee always tastes good. Three hours and forty minutes since leaf/lit's/possibly Morticia's nuisance call, but naturally I was fast asleep then and so was my wife and our dog. It's all recorded.

I ask everyone to read leaf's posts and have a good laugh. What a loser! Now she intends to make another nuisance report to the police here. She must think this is a banana republic with really stupid and corrupt cops. Doesn't the lesson of His Lardship, who thought he was was soooooooooooo clever - teach her anything? I bet he never thought he'd end up in the slammer. Indeed, with 12 hours and 59 minutes left to 14.00 in Coleman, Florida, I wouldn't be surprised if he still hasn't quite accepted the reality of where he'll be tonight!

Yeee-haw and hallelujah!!!!!

John Bell, the long German word you mention is nowadays a loan word in English as well and belongs to the vocabulary of the moderately well-educated. It is Schadenfreude - pronounced shaa - den - friday. It is the feeling you get when something bad happens to someone bad, like a pompous arsehole sufering a pratfall, Dumbya choking on a pretzel (which act, sadly, he failed to complete) or a crook who got away with it for decades ending up where His Lardship is going today.

Nice to see you back Jeanne. Loved that comment about the good news from Morticia's point of view!

But I suppose he bought her a diamond-encrusted, gold-plated vibrator as a going-away present. With long-life batteries, versteht sich!

GravityLevity2 March 3, 2008 at 1:32 a.m.

'Ironic that a man famous for being a "down sizer" is now being "down sized" himself. Welcome to the world of the little people CB!'--too true, Jade Lee, too true.
Conrad Black is feeling like a drowning kitten, not a kitten drowner, right now.

Fintan March 3, 2008 at 2:36 a.m.

I remember reading that His Lardship fell in love with Palm Beach when he witnessed a collision involving three Rolls-Royces. That says a lot about his values - and the values of the community, where money is everything. Now, the Nazional Post is surprised that Palm Beach feels free to kick him when he's down. What did they expect?

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs...

kjopc March 3, 2008 at 3:13 a.m.

Just as I thought, Black isn't going to give us any satisfaction out of his incarceration. He'll never admit that jail is a bad thing for him:

"This is not a scary place. There's no violence there"

"It's not the least bit stigmatizing."

"It doesn't bother me because it won't last long."

More here:

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.h...

Casey March 3, 2008 at 4:42 a.m.

http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.h... - as per Ken Cox above, with thanks and some additional comments by me below -

As I stated on another thread on this blog, it is impossible, morally, ethically, emotionally, politically, psychologically to hold a smidgen of respect for a pontificating loser in toal and complete denial. CB is delusional, talking like the defiant 14 year old who stole all those exam papers and sold for profit all those years ago. This paragon of hubris, nauseating and bloated ego is nothing if not rather amusing at this late stage. He clearly WANTS people to despise him and make no mistake about it, the felon IS repulsive. Although I do not have a sense of victory over his imprisonment nor do I feel any joy for his situation, I thoroughly reject this lousy cheat, fraudster and liar and everything he brags about and while I do not gloat, I am a wee bit snug about how I had this loser figured long ago. I predicted this outcome many times and not only on this blog but offline.

Fintan March 3, 2008 at 5:51 a.m.

It is clear from the article to which Ken Cox posted a link that His Lardship still hasn't got it. I guess he never will.
Some wrongdoers, like paedophiles, are simply incapable of understanding that what they do is wrong. Or so I have read.

It actually makes no difference whether His Lardship swaggers his way through the few hours of freedom - less than 7 - that he has left or blubbers like a big baby. What matters is that he is going to jail - it matters not for how long. And the nasty right-wing causes he espoused are inevitably weakened by association with him.

He is deluding himself if he believes there is no shame in what has happened to him. I'm sure Jade-Lee's expertise in this area is vastly greater than mine, but His Lardship the convict who believes himself to be a victim of a miscarriage of justice will certainly find a great many others like that inside.

When he eventually comes out, he will never again be allowed to serve on the board of a public company - and who would want to do business with him? Anyone who would deserves the shafting he or she would get.

If his Catholic faith is a painkilling drug for him, then by all means let him thump his craw all he likes. But let's hope the Catholic chaplains in the slammer are down-to-earth priests who will encourage him to be a real practising Catholic rather than the à la carte type who has spent too much time with high-ranking crossdressers like Cardinals and Archbishops and right-wing media priests like de Souza.

In fact, maybe the penny will drop when he doesn't have the local Cardinal rushing to see him next visiting day.

Well said, Casey Smith. I totally agree.

Here's an interesting article in today's London Times - bit confused, but interesting nevertheless. His Lardship's old crony William Rees-Mogg never lost much sleep over the vast numbers of young Blacks incarcerated in America. It took the incarceration of one old Black to wake him up:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment...

Fintan March 3, 2008 at 6:20 a.m.

Haw, haw - His Lardship is finally prepared to admit he was "unwise". Actually, as I have said many times before, it's hard to think of anything more "unwise" - nay, downright stupid - than stealing from the rich in the USA. LOL

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/...

Fintan March 3, 2008 at 6:29 a.m.

Apologies to the ghost of the great Johnny Cash - I once heard him perform live - but I just can't resist this:

He hears that train a-coming
A-coming down the track
But he can't see the sunshine
'cause he's Conrad Black

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1xSt7iga...

I wonder how many nuisance calls this will get me from Lit/leaf when she gets back home? ROFLMAO

Casey March 3, 2008 at 7:37 a.m.

Fintan Itse March 3, 2008 at 5:51 a.m.
" It is clear from the article to which Ken Cox posted a link that His Lardship still hasn't got it. I guess he never will.
Some wrongdoers, like paedophiles, are simply incapable of understanding that what they do is wrong. Or so I have read.

It actually makes no difference whether His Lardship swaggers his way through the few hours of freedom - less than 7 - that he has left or blubbers like a big baby. What matters is that he is going to jail - it matters not for how long. And the nasty right-wing causes he espoused are inevitably weakened by association with him.

He is deluding himself if he believes there is no shame in what has happened to him. I'm sure Jade-Lee's expertise in this area is vastly greater than mine, but His Lardship the convict who believes himself to be a victim of a miscarriage of justice will certainly find a great many others like that inside.
When he eventually comes out, he will never again be allowed to serve on the board of a public company - and who would want to do business with him? Anyone who would deserves the shafting he or she would get. "

I concur. And Black is forever prohibited from entering the country he so so obssessively lavished such fawning praise upon yet felt no qualms about looting one of its companies, the United States, once he serves his time and is for all intents and purposes, kicked out of the country for good.
That he continues to compare himself and predicament to Martha Stewart and Michael Milken is laughable, a typical Blackian attempt at saving face, denial, and just plain legally wrong. In any case, those 2 convicted felons, Milken and Stewart, are no more deserving of respect than Black is and at the end of the day and bottom line, all three are crooks. It is totally in keeping with Black's bloated ego and character to liken himself, etc. to the other two and no surprise - one thing separates Black from the others and that is they are far richer than Black. For all his stashed away millions, it is impossible to find anything remotely likeable about 2 losers - Black and Amiel - who days before her husband surrenders to the DOC, she drps 250k on clothing. Where is this lowlife of a Lady going to wear this stuff or indeed, when?

Casey March 3, 2008 at 7:47 a.m.

Furthermore, Stewart and Milken did not renounce their citizenships for foreign titles and then try to get them back when necessity overcame expedience. Black's infamy herein will forever haunt him and will always overshadow any possible achievements.

Casey March 3, 2008 at 7:58 a.m.

One final comment before I head to work - a memoire by Black of his fall from grace is the last thing anyone with any smarts who wishes to get the truth and true story will read this garbage. What is sad is that Black and his publisher think that the memoire rates any significance or importance - the rest of us will take this garbage ( because that's what it is ) from whom it emanates and attribute to it the sort of junk someone like Black would write.

Lit_200 March 3, 2008 at 8:05 a.m.

I see most posters on this blog have no use for one Conrad Black. Not only to be contrary, but because I think he is being truthful, I'll side with him.

Fact is, I think the charges against him were trumped up and that he did nothing wrong... at least with respect to charges he was found guilty of in Chicago. Certainly, what he took in compensation (from a company that was quite successful at the time) is a pittance compared to the obscene amounts being claimed by some CEOs who are at the helm of failing companies.

Of course no one here will cut the man any slack whatsoever, no matter what he does or says. But I must say he seems - despite the butterflies he must have in his belly today - to be handling himself bravely and like a gentleman. Fintan says it does not matter whether he is stoic or "blubbering like a baby" but for me, anyway, it DOES matter.

He is showing inner steel as he goes to his unenviable fate with his detractors braying like donkeys: Hee Hawww!

I respect him for that, at least.

ValC March 3, 2008 at 8:13 a.m.

to Ken Cox

thanks for posting that link. I LOL when I read "I'd rather do something bookish than physical labour." Wouldn't we all. But to my mind, mowing the lawn would be one of the more desireable jobs in a prison -- you get to be outside, in the fresh air and sun, get lots of exercise. I would hate something like scrubbing floors or hauling garbage.

I agree with your comment that his future public comments about prison life will be as upbeat as he can possibly make them. I remember when I was a little girl and Harold Ballard (former owner of the Maple Leafs) was sent to prison. HB said being in a prison was great, that they had steak all the time. My Mom explained to me that this is how fraud artists lure people in and take advantage of them.... by lying

jade_lee March 3, 2008 at 8:44 a.m.

Charle Dashwood,
Would you please explain to us how Black is being truthful about selling himself a business for $1, that was part of Hollinger International, a publicly owned company. and then reselling it for over $700,000.oo and pocketing the profit? Apparently the buyer thought the paper was worth significantly more than the $1 Black paid for it! BTW this is not rocket science business acquisition, this is theft at it's most obvious!

Lit_200 March 3, 2008 at 9:07 a.m.

Well... with apologies to Tina Tur