Reviews for this month

I'm going to start doing monthly reviews of things I've read, seen, etc. This month's books;

Osamu Tezuka's Buddha is a bona fide comics masterpiece. I don't usually like a reading manga, the perversely Japanese subject matter, either incomprehensible, graphically violent or cloyingly sweet, or all three simultaneously, usually make it a grating and unrewarding experience, that can't be fixed by stylistic wizardry.

Tezuka is credited with inventing the 'big eyed' style of manga, but where other authors use it indiscriminately, he only uses it for effect, i.e. only beautiful, innocent and pure women are portrayed as such. Most of the other characters are drawn in a variety of styles, most of them looking more like early Disney characters. This is a very conscious choice, the majority of characters serve the purpose of stand-ins for readers with basic questions about Buddhism.

The story dictates what everything looks like, but not to the degree where it gets annoying. Backgrounds can be lush and detailed or spare and mostly blank depending on the effect Tezuka's looking for. The entire story is presented with incredibly sophisticated cinematic techniques, and all that bizarre manga symbolism is presented completely in context, and entirely understandable for once. It really makes clear how well these angles and facial expressions can work when wielded with some subtlety.

The story sticks quite closely to the life of Buddha, but without delving into superstitious magic or the always unhelpful zen paradox. It mostly points out the obvious reasons why the teachings where necessary at the time, why they were superior to dominant theology and why they're still relevant today. Tezuka goes to great lengths to cast a different perspective on any demons or gods that appear in the tale, preferring to point out the humanity of the characters and staying as far away from metaphysics as possible, presenting the Buddhist philosophy as a straight-forward answer to modern living.

Having tried to wrestle through the Tibetan book of the dead last month, I can't tell you how refreshing and enlightening this comic was. At around three thousand pages it looks imposing and complex, but it's actually as clear and unassuming a religious text as you'll find. No useless celestial hierarchies, no dead language jokes. Just a very entertaining look at why you really shouldn't be afraid of death.

Pierre Bayard's 'How to talk about books you haven't read' is pretty much the exact opposite. It is not, like the title suggests, the bluffer's guide to appearing literate and cultured, but rather a clever exploration of why it's more important to know how to discuss books, their relationship to each other and to you, than to actually read them all.

Bayard illustrates his points with recognisable anecdotes and examples from literature. His brief summaries of famous books are of course littered with inaccuracies that you guess must be there, but can't put your finger on, even if you've just read the book he's talking about. He reveals that he did this consciously towards the end of the book, to make the point that the unreliability of the human memory is the main reason you have to bluff about books you have read at least as much as abut those you haven't.

Even more controversial is his assertion that critics needn't read the books they review, that in fact it's usually better that they don't. My review of Buddha is case in point. I liked it so much that instead of coming up with a pithy one-liner or two, I ended up singing it's praises to the detriment of giving anyone a clear idea of whether or not they should read it. This onion av club review, though it only covers the first book of the eight, perhaps intentionally, is a lot clearer on what's good about it, and what isn't.

I actually read 'The Raw Shark texts' by Steven Hall some time ago, but I still think I should mention it. It's not perfect, but the concept and a lot of the quirky ideas in it are reason enough to read it. The protagonist is an amnesiac who's getting packages from his pre-amnesia self. His former self gives him the advise that piecing together his memories will probably lead to far more trouble than trying to live without the knowledge. Of course, it's irresistible for the hero to find out.

The reason he's an amnesiac is that he's being hunted by a 'conceptual shark', which has the entirety of information as a habitat. It's also being hunted by a self-replicating intelligence that's a hundred and fifty years old, and is continually trying to take over new bodies through hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming, conditioning and old-fashioned education. The reason it's such a voracious entity is it's origin as a dying man's desire to live on in another body, multiplied by the need for all the bodies to synchronise information regularly, which only strengthens it's instinct for self-preservation through endless positive feedback.

And those are just two of the ideas Hall wants to get across, the rest of the book is littered with interesting number and language jokes. It's also the book's only major flaw. Hall needs every last scrap of realism and believability for the ideas, leaving none whatsoever for the main character or the villains, love interest and mentor. The prose alternates between fiery and compelling for the ideas and limp and uninspired for the relationships. But in proper sci-fi tradition, you probably won't care, the ideas are more than interesting enough.

As for movies, I've only watched three recent ones, but they were all quite good.



There will be Blood rightly deserved it's Oscar. Daniel Day Lewis stars as an early twentieth century oil baron with an all-consuming greed. His struggle to make enough money to never have anything to do with anyone else ever again is captivating to watch. Even though the film is almost three hours long, it flies by, from one scene pregnant with doom to the next. The finale is an awe-inspiring diatribe against his main antagonist, a delightfully oily and insane teenage preacher played by Paul Dano. It's quite a stylistic break with P.T. Anderson's previous films, especially because of the spaghetti western effects, like the almost unbearably slow tension building scenes, the spare, rugged and beautifully harsh backdrops as stand-ins for the characters inner lives and tight close-ups in the most dramatic moments, all in the service of what is basically a rather complex character study of an arch-capitalist in the tradition of Citizen Kane.



Ridley Scott does a gangster movie with Russel Crowe and Denzel Washington, and though it's good, it suffers from Scott's indecision on whether to follow the gangster movie template or make it a Ridley Scott thriller, ending up with something that's neither. If American gangster had been half an hour shorter, it would probably be the better for it. Based on a true story, Washington plays Frank Lucas, the black drug dealer that co-opted the Maffia into his own New York based empire. He manages to buy the drugs directly from the growers in Vietnam and has them shipped over to the U.S. in Body Bags. Russel Crowe is Richie Roberts, the officer trying to catch him, albeit considerably slower than in other movies. It takes Crowe more than half the movie to even figure out it's Frank Lucas he needs, giving Washington the time to employ his entire family in the business and be the hardworking businessman and lovable family man at the same time. Washington has a hard time trying to fit a Tony Soprano-esque character arc into 30 odd scenes. Russel Crowe is almost the standard dedicated cop with a messy personal life and doesn't really do anything but play that tired old cliché. The movie ends with Frank Lucas caught, but in the epilogue he still manages to finger every corrupt police officer in New York.



Charlie Wilson's War is exactly what I hoped it would be. A tight and interesting political satire by Aaron Sorkin with no possibility of him getting lost in some sprawling, dense forest of plots and counter-plots, seeing as it's all based on true events. Tom Hanks does a fabulous job as the titular character, the drinking, cocaine snorting and womanising representative for a Texan district, who is also a prominent member of the congress black ops committee, but it's Philip Seymour Hoffman's dour, rude and argumentative CIA agent that almost blows him off the screen. Julia Roberts fills a role perfect for her generally wooden acting as the right wing heiress that brings them together to arm and train the mujahedeen, who are fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. The movie ends with the acknowledgment that if the U.S. had spent as much money on rebuilding Afghanistan after their war, the U.S. wouldn't have been occupying it now. Excellent political satire based on true events that is, except for a few necessary character development moments, never cloyingly sentimental or overly simplistic about a complicated and multi-faceted historical development, which is still highly relevant.

Final Natalee Holloway update

Avid readers might have noticed that the stream of news from this direction has dried up somewhat. I'm sorry for those who've come to rely on brand new Natalee Holloway snippets, but there's really nothing left. Yeah, Natalee's parents hired a sub, Joran is in a mental institution, etc. But the big story is over and it didn't amount to all that much in the end. If you're into Justice, you can take comfort in the fact that Joran van der Sloot won't have much of life, at least not for the next couple of years.

I'm still annoyed that I was able to scoop all these reputable news organisations with what were essentially on the fly translations of the news and the various special reports, they couldn't get somebody to translate some of this? Maybe I misjudged the scope of this story, but at least people on the internet were interested. I just expected better of them, I guess.

I stand by my assessment of the various 'experts' and their theories, usually about Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, they acted suspiciously, but so what? The only one that admitted to anything is Joran, even though this doesn't mean he'll hang for it. It's true I don't like Dr. Phil McGraw, though I do sometimes find his show entertaining. The main reason isn't that he interferes with media circus celebrity-nonsense cases like this one or Britney Spears or the custody battle for Anna Nicole Smith's baby, for instance. It's his inability to be honest about what he's doing, i.e. turning news and psycho therapy into entertainment and why's he's doing it, it's his job, that annoys me. He should at least take some responsibility for when it goes horribly wrong. Maybe being sued by Britney's family will bring forth a kind of public apology.

After all that talk of responsibility, it's my turn to apologise for not checking out or retracting the Lorenzo van Rijn story. But in my defense, I was just reporting what everybody else was reporting. I'd love to have had the resources or contacts to call Aruba and ask somebody there, but I don't, I barely have enough time to update a few times a month. but I'm more than willing to except responsibility in this matter, I strive to be factually correct, and if I'm not, you can call me on it.

Anyway, thanks to all the people who left comments, even ones I didn't agree with, that week was just great. I'm going back to writing longish essays about whatever, and maybe follow the primaries a bit more.

Mitt Quits, McCain reigns, Huck stuck.

Mitt Romney quits the race for the presidency, after having spent a recorded 35 million dollars on his campaign. "I feel I have to now stand aside, for our party and for our country," the former Massachusetts governor told the shocked crowd. mitt Romney is suspending his campaign, which means he can hold on to his delegates until the Republican National Convention this summer. He did not, as the press was speculating say a significant amount of positive things about John McCain.

His decision leaves Mike Huckabee in a lurch, as to whether or not to quit the race as well, as previously requested by Romney. Romney apparently decided to not be the spoiler himself, and not, as was speculated as well, because he's thinking of his future in the party. McCain is expected to start a dialog with the conservative wing of the party, many of whom are adamantly opposed to McCain for voting against the two tax cuts by president Bush, his views on immigration and calling them "agents of intolerance".

Natalee Holloway Update 42: Daury Rodriguez hires lawyer, wants name cleared. Deepak and Satish Kalpoe suing Dr. Phil

Daury Rodriguez, named as the accomplice in the dumping of Natalee Holloway's body by Joran van der Sloot is suing van der Sloot. 'We used to play soccer together. I wouldn't call him a friend, especially not now. I don't even have a boat." His lawyer Chris Lejuez, says van der Sloot's confession was very damaging to his client's reputation and that they want his name cleared of any connection with the case.

Deepak and Satish Kalpoe are able to sue Dr. Phil McGraw for using tape manipulation to suggest their guilt, a Los Angeles judge ruled today. Dr. Phil and CBS tried to halt the case by calling into question the legalities of suspects in a case to be tried in Aruba suing an American TV host. Dutch and American forensic experts have conclusively proven that McGraw 'doctored' the tapes.

2008 Super Tuesday: McCain Triumphant, religious vote split. Democratic vote torn between two lovers

John McCain is riding high after his California win and seems to have managed to recapture the old Republican power base of fiscal conservatives, all his supposed moral failings have translated into the crumbs Romney and Huckabee are fighting over. They're only winning states they were going to win anyway, and are both failing to capture any new voting blocs. If McCain can capture the gulf coast as well as the North West, he has his nomination. Check out the NPR map.

CNN is providing a nice tally of yesterday's results. Full of upsets for Clinton, the democratic side is looking increasingly split. Clinton won California, but the Midwest is Obama country now. There doesn't seem to be a decisive winner in the South yet, Clinton losing key states like Alabama and Georgia, despite securing early endorsements. But it's still wide open, a decisive win in a big state in the next couple of weeks can boost either campaign.

Natalee Holloway Update 41: Andrew Hodges on Dutch TV, Deepak and Satish still involved. Lorenzo van R. believed to be 'Daury' by Native Arubans

Andrew Hodges, the forensic psychiatrist who has been involved in the case since the beginning, has just espoused the theory that Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were responsible for raping Natalee together with Joran van der Sloot. "He is lying on that tape. I suspect the kalpoes are involved. They were cleaning their car obsessively after the disappearance, for one thing."

Meanwhile Dutch TV program Netwerk reported that the Arubans know who Joran's accomplice with the boat was, a certain Lorenzo R., his half-brother. Lorenzo R. is a known underworld figure on Aruba. He was arrested in November of last year in connection to an illegal marijuana plantation. Apparently they've kept quiet about this because Lorenzo's superiors in the Aruban underworld were not prepared to do without him. He is already being held for questioning by the police.

Hillary-Barrack or Obama-Clinton, Democrats playing safe no matter what., Republicans set to devour selves.

Sorry to disappoint the people looking for more hot Natalee Holloway updates, but there's really nothing more to report. It looks like the story is being buried in the U.S. by the election coverage, which gives me an ample opportunity to give a last minute rundown of the situation according to me. It's not so strange that the Holloway story is disappearing, seeing as politics has never been sexier; A woman, A black guy and a Mormon? There's only one traditional looking candidate, but he's always good for a hot soundbite.

In my previous post about the primaries I was chuckling at the huge pack of Republicans popping up and how interesting the race would be for them. Unfortunately, Rudi's strategy didn't pan out and he had to leave. Well, everyone saw that one coming. Who the hell waits until Florida to start campaigning? Rudi blew it, and he never even realised the whole 9-11 thing was dead in the water as soon as he started.

Ron Paul is still hanging on, as all proper goofballs should. He has no hope in hell of coming away with any kind of bargaining power, though. Unlike Mike Huckabee, who's definitely trying to capture as big a piece of the conservative christian vote as possible, even though it's hard to say how this will translate to bargaining power.

Mitt Romney is fighting his weird cult-member image with business credentials and it seems to be working. There's a real possibility that he might capture the religious vote and if he doesn't, Mike is available as vice-president. It's gonna be a tough fight against McCain, the two are head to head, especially in California, which is only just waking up.

The bizarre turn around of the last few weeks is that the bulk of conservative commentators is turning on McCain for a variety of garbled reasons. This kind of infighting is more common on the left side of the political spectrum, and I'm really relishing it. Let's hope the general public in the U.S. realises the insanity in this and stops listening to those idiots. FOX news is not journalism.

Even better would be that they get together and set up a third party on the extreme right. It's about time and that would open up the possibility for a decent far left party as well. Some coalition politics would not only lively up congress and the house, but there would be room for a wider variety of viewpoints in cabinets, committees, etc. Just imagine, the U.S. a mature democracy where party affiliation is a reliable indication of policy decisions, and where personal charisma takes a back seat to voting record.

The democrats are not putting all their eggs in one basket, last week's mutual vice presidency admissions are quite obviously engineered by the DNC. They probably promised their delegates to whomever wanted a democratic win most.

Who's eventually going to emerge candidate for either party will be much easier to gauge tomorrow, but it we know it's going to break down into four scenarios.

-Obama versus McCain. One of the two nightmare scenarios for conservatives. No one to vote for, nothing to gain. McCain is fantastic at dirty tricks, but nothing has stuck to Obama yet and even if it did, by that point the image contrast between the two is going to be obvious. Obama is ridiculously dynamic by comparison, and he can throw so many old peccadiloes at McCain it's ridiculous. McCain doesn't have the same appeal, and certainly not with the voters they'll b fighting for, the conservatives.
EDGE:Barack Obama

-Clinton versus McCain. The other nightmare. This one will definitely be the most entertaining. The Clintons are at least as good as he is at burying their opponents under layers of accusations, but if McCain is still missing the vital christians, he won't stand a chance. Hillary could even steal them if she pitches it right. Like Ann Coulter promised, she'd campaign for Hillary before she'd call McCain anything less than 'uncomfortably close to the Antichrist'.
EDGE:Hillary Clinton

-Obama versus Romney. This one would just be weird. 'Change' versus 'Economy', White men and churchgoers who would actually go out and vote versus everybody else, most of whom wouldn't. By far the most polarising and uncomfortable presidential race, even for the candidates. There's no obvious winner in this one, and just might split the U.S. down the middle for the hundredth time. Neither has enough history or serious policy failures behind them, so it would be another image over issues race.
EDGE:Who knows?

-Clinton versus Romney. Hillary has this one in the bag, Romney's grasp on the electorate is too tenuous to stand up to Clinton's barrage of communication. She's running a highly focussed campaign, picking exactly the groups that she wants to reach, and reaching them perfectly. Romney's personal fortune is peanuts compared to what Clinton can get with a few vague promises to lobbyists. And the experience the Clintons have is going to make mincemeat of his business credentials, she might also try to steal the religious right away from him, if all the other voting blocs are secure.
EDGE:Hillary Clinton

Definite answers from the exit polls in four hours.

Natalee Holloway Update40: Peter R. De Vries will appear on Larry King, Inside edition. Van der Sloot at undisclosed location. Prosecutors biding time

It's all quiet on the Joran front today. No new statements by the parties involved. Except for de Vries' production company, which let everyone know he's reached agreements with Larry King and Inside edition. Oprah is apparently out of the picture.

Joran van der Sloot has siad, thorugh his lawyers that he's talking to the police and is fully cooperating this time. They have been appraised of his location. Meanwhile, they're investigating who 'Daury' is and what he did exactly. If he confirms part of van der Sloot's confession, van der Sloot can be arrested in Holland.

The whole thing is dying down again, waiting for a trial. Most of the quality newspapers and state-sponsored TV programs have already used the case a launching pad for complaining about having to compete with commercial stations for the common denominator, due to the government's semi-privitisation initiatives. Or that the police and the prosecutors should have entrapped Joran himself, conveniently forgetting that van der Eem offered his services to the police first.

Van der Eem (34)gave an exclusive interview with de Telegraaf today where he claims to have been disgusted with van der Sloot, and that he hung up on him after van der Sloot called him in tears after the show last Sunday. Van der Eem, a father of two and a businessman, managed to convince Joran that he was a major drugdealer and that he had paid work for van der Sloot.

On last notable bizarre detail is the medical expert Dr. Ernst Stolz claiming that Natalee might have died due to a rare allergy to prostate fluid. It's an extremely rare condition with fewer than six reported cases a year in Europe, but it presents with the symptoms that van der Sloot described.

Natalee Holloway Update 39: ABC's 20/20 special report starts in half an hour. Rumours about de Vries cancelling Larry King and Oprah.

Joran van der Sloot has now been formally named a suspect in the murder of Natalee Holloway. His statement to the effect that he did not know whether or not she was alive when her body was dumped means the prosecution can and will demand more severe punishments.

Gerard Spong, a prominent Dutch attorney, stated earlier today that there is a very real chance that van der Sloot may win the criminal case, but will be unable to win a civil suit brought by the surviving family members. Since there is an extradition treaty between the Netherlands and the United States, possible damages may be "..far more than he will ever be able to repay. The American system for awarding damages can have devastating results."

Peter R. De Vries is 'reconsidering' some of his American TV appearances. His production company Endemol is citing "completely ridiculous demands" regarding exclusivity of interviews, formats and availability. De Vries will definitely appear in Alabama, but all other engagements may be off. "I have enough to do here." De Vries declared in a statement. "I might just leave it, if they keep this up."

Natalee Holloway Update 38: Joran's lawyer: "Confession was a lie" Psychologist: "Joran might be a pathological liar" Lawyer is not 100% about Joran

Joran's Dutch Lawyer, Bert de Rooij, is prevaricating about his guilt, the truth or lies in the taped confession. "Every time he releases a statement, we have to figure out if he's telling the truth or lying."

Hans Mos just declared that he will wait for Joran to come in, but not indefinitely. "The story fits the facts, Joran incriminates himself, so he is a suspect, but we will not arrest him on this evidence. he should come in, for his own good as well."

Natalee Holloway Update 37: Joran's lawyer offers a talk between him and the prosecutors, Makes weak excuses, Joran is addicted to gambling, in debt

Joran's Dutch Lawyer is making excuses for Joran now. He's apparently a pathological liar and needed money for his gambling addiction, and this is why he told the 'lies' about Natalee's disappearance. De Vries has 'twisted' the evidence in his advantage.

Hans Mos and a Law psychologist have just joined the discussion and are not buying it. There argument is that the other evidence fits the story, and the main part that's interesting is the 'missing' part of the story between Ntalee dying and "Daury" showing up to dispose of the body.

Hans Mos has just claimed that the 'Daury' that appeared in the papers yesterday is a different one. The last names, beeped in the show, are different. Hans Mos has already contacted the 'real' Daury. He's hoping that Joran will help them with what actually happened this time.

Natalee Holloway Update 36: Joran's confession, Natalee dumped in Ocean, possibly Alive!Accomplice 'Daury'found.No arrests made.Prosecutors 'Cautious'

This is a round up of the last few posts, it looks like the investigation is moving forward, but until something new pops up, we'll just have to wait. But here's the recap:

Joran van der Sloot, an earlier suspect was filmed with hidden cameras by Peter R. De Vries while in the car of a friend, Patrick van der Eem, who had offered his services to De Vries when he met van der Sloot. Van der Eem was paid about 25.000 euros for his part in the operation. Van der Eem previously offered his help free of charge to the police, yet they were legally bound not to entrap a former suspect.

Over the months of their acquaintance, van der Sloot began to trust van der Eem, who never brought up the case. After Joran returned from Aruba following his second arrest and release, the sting began in earnest. Van der Sloot told van der Eem that she died while they were engaging in sexual acts, describing her death in a way that resembles an epileptic fit.

An Aruban friend that van der Sloot described as 'Daury' helped him dispose of the body by dumping it in the ocean. During the TV show, a man named Daury, a former friend of van der Sloot's was found, but he can prove that he was in Holland at the time of Holloway's disappearance. Another friend of van der Sloot's, previously detained for questioning by the prosecution, Steve Gregory Croes, is now rumoured to be the one who helped van der Sloot.

Van der Sloot's confession makes it clear that Deepak and Satish Kalpoe are not implicated in the disappearance of Holloway at all. He describes them as 'Losers and Dupes' and brags about his sexual prowess in comparison to the brothers. Van der Sloot's father is implicated in various legal strategies and maneuvers, including instructing Joranj to stay silent, and smuggling a phone into his cell.

Van der Sloot believed himself to be untouchable by the prosecution and the police. "They're idiots. I played it so well. They have nothing on me." Van der Sloot also made numerous remarks to the effect that he was planning to make a lot of money from appearances on television, book deals, out of court settlements for defamation of character.

The days before the show aired, van der Sloot's lawyers denied that he was in trouble, but soon after a phone interview with the Pauw en Witteman television show where he claimed all of the things he said to van der Eem were menat to impress him, his lawyers released a statement to the effect that he should have kept his mouth shut.

Despite the case appearing solved to the general public, the Aruban justice department can not say with certainty when there will be arrests, and if van der Sloot can be convicted, and if so of what exactly. If Natalee Holloway was dead at the time of the dumping of the body, van der Sloot is only guilty of obstruction of Justice, disposing of a corpse and perjury.

Peter R. De Vries will be seen in all major American talk shows this week. Almost half of the Dutch population tuned in Yesterday evening for his documentary. ABC will be screening an edited version of this programme tonight.

Natalee Holloway Update 35: Joran's house searched. Peter R. De Vries calls for Joran 'to come clean' Arubans guarded at press conference.

Joran van der Sloot's last known address, his house in Arnhem, has been searched at the request of the Aruban Justice department. Police have also searched his Grandmother's house where he was reportedly staying over the weekend. The apartment complex in Drachten where he is reported to be right now is being secured by a private security firm and the police. This just in... the apartment complex is not van der Sloot's location, the dutch news has just released an interview with the inhabitant of the apartment, it's all a misunderstanding due to the fact that his name is Johan.

Peter R. De Vries recently said in an interview; "Even if this all a lie....I don't think so. There is no one in the world you are going to impress with a story like that. It's going to be hard after lying for so long, to his parents, to everyone, but he has to come clean, now more than ever."

The press conference by the Aruban prosecutors was remarkably less optimistic than the interview with Hans Mos. "They are being cautious.." Lex Runderkamp, legal expert told the NOS journaal. "They can't convict him yet, and before they can arrest him they need more."

Natalee Holloway Update 34: Peter R. De Vries centre of Media Circus. Joran possibly still in hiding Press conference this afternoon

Peter R. De Vries will be on Larry King on Wednesday, is still in talks with Oprah Winfrey and others. Yesterday's edition of his show had a record of 7 million viewers in Holland, almost half of the entire population of the country.

The appartment complex where Joran might be hiding is practically under siege by journalists. Local inhabitants have hired a security firm and police are standing by as well, even though it has not yet been confirmed that van der Sloot is residing there presently.

The car used in last night's hidden camera sting operation is for sale at a second hand car dealer, for 63.900 euros. It is unknown at this point if it still contains the elaborate camera set up that de Vries installed.

The press conference in Aruba is at 12.00 local time, which is 11.00 am in New York and 8.00 am in Los Angeles.

Natalee Holloway Update 33: Steve Gregory Croes, former suspect may be "Daury", pressconference by Arubans tonight..

Steve Gregory Croes, who was also arrested two and a half years ago, but later released is currently suspected of being "Daury" by dutch newssite www.Fokkinel.com and VKmag, who earlier had the English transcript of the interview that Peter R. De Vries had with Hans Mos. There has been no confirmation of this rumour so far, by any other source.

Apparently there's a press conference later today by the Aruban Justice department at 12.00 am local time. They have been working quietly behind the scenes to secure an arrest voor van der Sloot before the story would break, but the judge denied their request, despite the taped confession, on the grounds that van der Sloot has been arrested and released twice before. He and others can be called in for questioning, but not against their will.

Natalee Holloway Update 32; Nothing more to report for today

That's it for now. The late dutch news reports only that De Vries believes that the Aruban Justice department has enough to reopen the case, but that it will take a lot more work for Joran to be convicted.

The Aruban Prime Minister has said that Joran van der Sloot has caused 'untold damage' with his 'unbelievable and untruthful claims".

A legal expert (Lex Runderkamp) has just declared on the Dutch News that it's a very important legal distinction if Natalee was dead or Alive when she was dumped in the sea. If she was dead at the time, the person who dumped her body in the ocean is only guilty of a severe degree of grave robbing, but if she was alive, it's at least manslaughter. In any case, it's far from a done deal, legally.

Natalee Holloway Update 31 Breaking News, 'Daury' found, Joran in hiding in Drachten, Aruba disgusted at confession

Daury has been Found, Check this link by Whatnow, if you read dutch. Amateur and professional photographers are stalking the location in Drachten where he is rumoured to be. The SBS 6 news team rang the bell and asked whether or not he was there. They received the reply: We can't say anything about that.

Arubans have responded with revulsion at Joran's confession. Virtually everyone on the island has an opinion, usually negative. They're most upset at what this has done to the island. "This has been horrible for the island." an inhabitant told SBS 6.

Natalee Holloway Update 30 Breaking News, Daury found, claims Joran lied...Joran in hiding, possibly already found..

Whatnow, who commented on a previous post, gave this link, in dutch about The "Daury" Joran mentions. He claims to have been in Holland at the time of Natalee's diappearance. The school where he studied confirms this.

Natalee Holloway Update 29 De Vries presents the evidence to Hans Mos, the main prosecutor, he is impressed.

The conversation that was on De Vries' website earlier is playing now. Hans Mos is surprised at his gall, and at the way he 'duped' Deepak and Satish. They are also talking about his lack of respect for Natalee, and women in general. Hans Mos says they are reopening the case in the light of this evidence. 'Joran is intelligent, so I don't think he's lying her."

The reason the case hasn't materialised before, is really a lack of physical evidence, no body only testimonies by liars.

Beth Twitty is invited by Peter R. De Vries to come to Holland. They're showing her arriving in Holland now. Seated in Peter's office they are showing her subtitled footage. She's obviously upset when she hears Joran talk about her daughter, especially the sexstuff. And she is crying when he talks about not feeling guilty.

"You've got it all...That son of a bitch."
"He doesn't seem to care for anything but himself, he wants to profit from it."
"He doesn't even care, he didn't even know if she was dead. They could have..dumped her alive."

She goes on...

"No remorse, no guilt. I always thought his life was already a living hell, but it's about to begin..it's about to begin. Look what they've done to Natalee, what they've done too a country..."
"To you..."
"To Natalee..That son of a bitch..they just disposed of her body... He knew who to call in this situation... how many others were there?"
"Is this enough?"
"This has to be it...(crying) When I first got to Aruba, I couldn't look at the ocean, I didn't know why....I know why now,"

Peter R. De Vries ends his documentary with a call for apologies for Natalee, her mother, Satish, Deepak and all the people of Aruba.

Natalee Holloway Update 28; Final Questions answered, why did he lie? Beth twitty distressed.

More live translation and summary.

"How did you know she was dead?"
" She didn't move anymore..."
"And Daury, did he check?"
"Yeah, he stood over her and looked at her?"
"That's it? What if she was in coma?"
"Uh...I don't know."
"Why did you say they(The kalpoes) picked you up?"
"Misinformation."

They are laughing about Deepak and Satish for being duped. "Idiots, losers."
De Vries believes that since he wasn't picked up by Deepak or Satish, he might have been picked up by someone else...
De Vries is at the actual location where Natalee died, not where he said she died. In his statements he always picked a spot a few hundred feet to the left. The payphone he used to call "Daury" is only a few feet away..
There is a kind of lurid black and white reconstruction going on now.

Natalee Holloway Update 27; Joran might still be lying according to de Vries. He will not investigate"Daury" to not ruin the police's chances

Joran is being pretty disingeneous in his confessions, dancing around the details of his accomplice, or accomplices. De Vries thinks he's holding back even more. Commercials now, final revelation coming up. Beth Twitty's reaction.

Natalee Holloway Update 26; Joran goes into more detail at van der Eem's request....Accomplice revealed, Daury (last name withheld)

Joran calls Natalee a 'Whore'...'Her friend told me she had shotgun on me. She was fucking drunk. I wanted to take her to her Hotel. But she wanted to see sharks, man, I shit you not.."
"So those guys(the kalpoes) dropped you off?"
"So we were on the beach, I'm kissing her, fingering her, she's in my pants (sic). then she starts shaking, foam on her mouth."
"Like an epileptic attack?"
"I don't know..maybe."
"And then you called...what's his name?"
"Daury Yeah...He showed up after I called him."
"Did you try to..?"
"Yeah, I tried everything.."
"He showed up and..."
"Everything was fucked.."
"He told me he could help."
"I knew he had a boat nearby, he works for one of those banana guys.."
"So we carried her to his boat...and I went home...I dumped the shoes. he told me to just go to school the next day.."
" And you called him later."
"Yeah, we were both nervous, he said he just tipped her over the side."
"And teh Kalpoes?"
"Yeah, I fucked them a bit.... I got them to say they dropped us off. But I never told them shit..."
"So you were fingering her... and?"
"Yeah, I wanted her to give me a blowjob. And then she just died..man."

Natalee Holloway Update 25; Joran more 'relaxed' after confession. "She was just Dead... CPR did not work..."

More live translation of the tapes... Sorry for the spelling, there is a lot going on.
"Aren't you scared he'll rat you out?"
"I've got something on him as well.."

Joran apparently fixed certain details and set up an alibi.

"He offered, I didn't ask him. He didn't know how big it was going to get,"
"And..."
"They haven't even questioned him..."
"How old is he? Your age?"
"No, 25.."
"How did he do it?"
"I don't know, he did it all."
"What is his name?"
"Daury.."
"Daury What?"
"Daury *******" (beeped)

Now Peter is talking about Joran's father's machinations. He apparently got him a phone while in prison. "He such an idiot, bought me a phone, but forgot to buy a lot of credit. There was only 10 guilders on it." This contradicts the story in his book.

Natalee Holloway Update 24; Joran believed himself to be invincible. Confesses to dumping the body, she died 'spontaneously'

Joran believed himself to be completely safe from the prosecutors. Telling van der Eem he woul

"What happened to her?"
"Something happened there. I was lucky, the ocean is huge. I'm fucked if they find her. But It(the body)is gone now. they'll never find her now.'
'Did you swim out?'
'I know people there(Aruba) too. Someone helped me.. I'm not saying who.."
'Why would he do that for you?"
" I know him, have known him for years, he had a boat... I'll never name his name."
Joran claims that Natalee died in his arms, spontaneously, 'she looked normal.."
"This guy, that helped you. He's gold..."
"I'm going to help him financially."
"You didn't know she was a friend of the bushes."
"Yeah, those fuckers, she told me she was rich, but that I didn't know."
Joran van der Sloot concludes with.
"Of the two people here(Holland) you and Him(accomplice with boat)are the only ones I trust."

Peter R. de Vries and Patrick van der Eem now have the task of finding out who this accomplice is.....

Natalee Holloway Update 23; Joran knows something. Where the body is, who killed her, etc. Justice department 'idiots' says van der Sloot

After his release Joran stayed on Aruba for a month. On the 9th of January he returns to Holland and makes an appointment with van der Eem. They outfitted van der Eem's range rover with three cameras and a 'track and tracer' system. So that de Vries and his producers can follow him everywhere.

Live Footage now. Joran is bragging about a fight he had with someone in the holiday inn in casino. His father has already arranged for a settlement. Joran is talking about his father 'arranging' his release.

'I didn't say shit. They have nothing on me anymore. Even if they find her body with my sperm in it, they can't do shit. they're fucking idiots." Joran is negative about the Aruban justice department. Claims that his father wanted the Pauw en Witteman interview to get higher damages. (the same episode with the wine throwing)

Joran Called the Officers who arrested him 'Putas' and is also criticising Deepak and Satish Kalpoe for not 'getting any chicks'.
Van der Eem jumps in and asks Joran about wether or not they're going to find her. "Where the fuck is she?"
"Never to be found."
"A higher power?"
"Yes, powers. I'm done with it. I'm just waiting for the claims."
Peter R. De Vries rushed over to the Pauw en Witteman for the episode. This is what he knew while the episode was going on.

Natalee Holloway Update 22; Patrick van der Eem's background and how he got the confession.

Patrick van der Eem is being interviewed by Peter R. De Vries. Apparently he met Joran at the poker table in Arnhem, at a tournament. He called him 'Maton', Pidgin for Murderer, jokingly. He pretended to be his friend, won his trust. Patrick van der Eem claims that it wasn't hard to betray him. 'Her mother deserves an honest answer. He had this coming.'

He avoided talking about the case, and started communicating with De Vries. He started doing small-time criminal odd-jobs for van der Eem, who pretended to be a very big marijuanan dealer/grower.

Wednesday the 21st of November they prepared van der Eem's car for taping. Unfortunately, Joran was re-arrested before they could tape him. The department of Justice tried, but failed to crack Joran's cool. They had to let him go. But, as soon as there is new evidence, they are allowed to reopen.

Joran's release on the 7th of December has only made him bolder. But now, De Vries' cameras are watching everything. Footage is shown of Joran calling van der Eem and bragging about not saying anything in Aruban dialect.

Natalee Holloway Update 21; Peter's reconstruction of events.

Joran met Natalee at the blackjack table. Joran and Deepak and Satish went to the casino/bar were Joran drank a jello-shot out of her belly button. She leaves with Joran, Satish and Deepak. Her friends ask her to get out of the car. She refuses and is never seen again.

When Joran, Deepak and Satish are arrested a week later, they were probably instructed by Joran's father, a judge in training. Their original story was that they dropped her off at the Holiday inn.

According to De Vries, this story is 'liars-logic' Why would you lie about this, unless you know that you can't be proven wrong? After this Joran claimed that Deepak picked him up at the beach, where he left Natalee, because she was unwilling to go. Deepak declared that this didn't happen.

Joran apparently left his shoes at the beach, according to him. Peter says this is a telling lie. His shoes were only a few feet from where he supposedly left. Unless something else happened to the shoes.

Natalee Holloway Update 20; Peter R. De Vries Slams Joran's book!! Joran knows exactly what happened!!! Confession coming up live on tape!!!

Peter R. De Vries is upset about Joran van der Sloot's book. He claims that Joran is lying, has been lying all along. The introduction to his book Joran wrote that he won't find peace until the case is solved. De Vries sneers and is telling the viewers that he has been doubting Joran's statements since the beginning, and this is why he has set up the hiddencamera action.

Patrick van der Eem claims to have been his friend the last few years, played poker with him, and bought him marijuana (legal in Holland.) They showed a bit of the footage they caught, and then cut to commercial. Patrick van der Eem recieved abot 5000 euros per month for five months. Next one coming up.

Natalee Holloway Update 19; Peter R. De Vries Staring Now!! Joran's Confession Live!!!

Joran's Confession of leaving Natalie on the beach and dumped her body in the ocean. Patrick van der Eem, Peter R. De Vries' operative has more than ten separate confessions, he never rescinded anything. Peter R. De Vries believes that he was not joking, and has been lying all along.

Natalee Holloway Update 18; Still Going Live in 20 minutes with Peter R. De Vries!!!!! Joran Confesses all!!!

Keep checking this space, it's about to get interesting!

Natalee Holloway Update 17; Going Live in 30 minutes with Peter R. De Vries!!!!! Spoilers for ABC's Monday Special!!!!

In 45 Minutes I'm going live again. But here's a quick roundup of the day's Holloway related events. Dutch Tabloid De Telegraaf Reported this morning that They've tracked down the guy responsible for tricking Joran into his confession on tape for Peter R. De Vries.

Joran van der Sloot is apparently in Hiding somewhere, leaving his grandmother's house in a hurry this morning. Joran's lawyer Told the media that he didn't think last night's call to Pauw en Witteman was 'not a smart move'.

Joran's parents have released a statement, declaring that their son is not in hiding and is not being arrested for anything. The Aruban Justice department is waiting for approval to arrest him, sources in the department told de Telegraaf.

Natalee Holloway Update 16: Going Live tomorrow at 21.30 Amsterdam time for The dutch Peter R. De Vries episode On sunday!!! Must -Read!!!!

The headline says it all. Check back here tomorrow for Live summary/translation of the Peter R. De Vries documentary on the death of Natalee Holloway. Natalee iss definitely dead. The Arubans might reopen the case. Joran van der Sloot apparently confesses. Though he has already taken this back in public. New Evidence, new post on Sunday.

Natalee Holloway Update 15:Peter R. responds to Joran on Dutch TV. Chris Cuomo comments on tapes

Peter R. De Vries was just forced (he says) to comment on Joran's previous comments. Last night van der Sloot declared the whole confession caught on tape to be a kind of joke on his part. De Vries responded, saying only; 'He shouldn't have said that.'

Chris Cuomo commented briefly on saying Peter R. de Vries' tapes. 'This might be reason enough for the Aruban Justice department to reopen the case. But we All know it's hard to get a conviction in a homicide case.'

Natalee Holloway Update 14: Joran returns to Pauw en Witeman, claims to have lied in confession, Peter Cuomo flying to Holland

Joran just claimed in the same Pauw en Witteman show that featured Peter R. De Vries yesterday and was the stage for their earlier wine-based frackas, that the confession that de Vries obtained was a lie, that he was just telling the story he thought his 'acquaintance' wanted to hear.

Joran's American lawyers have already responded to the allegations of confession saying that it was obtained by an Aruban employee of de Vries, who was handsomely rewarded for winning Joran's trust and betraying him.

RTL Boulevard reported earlier this evening that the speculation is that Joran may have just helped get rid of the body. They also spoke to an ABC producer that claims that they will see 20-25 million viewers, that Peter R. De Vries' narration of the events will be cut and replaced that ABC anchor Peter Cuomo is flying to Holland for an interview with Peter to replace some of the footage.

Natalee Holloway Update 13; Spooky music etc. Joran lied in various American TV interviews.

God, what a disappointment. Just a bunch of rehashed crap. Yeah, so Joran lied in the ABC interview, so what? Looks like there's nothing good 'till sunday.

Natalee Holloway Update 12; Arubans divided over Joran's possible guilt. SBS 6 special about Holloway case being solved by Peter R. De Vries

The Arubans are apparently only interested in returning to normality. They are divided over whether or not Joran is guilty, but mostly they want the whole thing to go away.

De Vries has stated that he will not know peace until Sunday. The show has been sold to ABC for an astronomical figure. They will air the episode on the following Monday. So far there has been precious little new stuff, it's all mostly recapping etc.

Natalee Holloway Update 11; Psychologist says, Joran is psychotic or innocent. "Joran might have no conscience whatsoever" Wine incident is telling.

Joran has always denied everything, he even published a book. A noted psychologist syas that Joran may well be completely insane or completely innocent, in light of his behaviour yesterday.

Joran claims to have lied about leaving Natalee alone that night, but did not kill her or hide her body. Lying was a way of 'avoiding trouble', but 'apologies were in order', said van der Sloot in an earlier interview.

Natalee Holloway Update 10; Joran spotted in Disco, drinking unconcerned. De Vries stays silent.

Joran was drinking last night in a Disco in Arnhem. Neighbours can't find him. The DJ at the disco talked to him and took a picture with him. He appeared 'relaxed and cool' according to the witnesses. He replied no comment to questions about the case.

Peter R. de Vries still refuses to comment. He said that he doesn't know why Joran is partying. 'Joran can party if he wants.' is all the crime reporter was willing to say. he also refuses to comment on the Aruban Justice department's statement that Joran has confessed.

Natalee Holloway Update 9; Special report starting Interview with possible witnesses to the confession

SBS 6 unveils that they have an interview with two guys who spoke to Joran about the case last night in a disco in Arnhem. Aruban justice department confirms Natalee is dead. This is what their promo just said. The show is on in ten minutes. Watch this space.

Natalee Holloway Update 8; Bandwagon time

My friend and long time collaborator Alex van Ommen has just interpreted this whole media circus as clarion call for the blogging revolution and I can't agree more. Just sitting here and reporting the stuff in the dutch media is beating the crap out of the rest of the world's media.

I'm not saying that this is better coverage, but I don't see why they don't have somebody doing this at some location that's a bit more popular. Well that's it for now. Live updates at six Amsterdam time in 20 minutes.

Natalee Holloway Update 7; Leaked transcript verified. Interview at 18.00 Amsterdam time with possible witnesses.

The leaked transcript of Peter r. de Vries' conversation with Hans Mos, chief prosecutor in the holloway case is genuine, the prosecutor's office confirms today.
SBS 6 claims to have a special report, including an interview with the men in this picture, one of whom may have been a witness to Joran van der Sloot's confession.



Image courtesy of ANP/Nu.nl

Natalee Holloway Update 6:Van der Sloot confession confirmed by Ministry of Justice. SBS 6 special report tonight at 18.00 Amsterdam time. Live Update

The Aruban prosecutors have released a statement regarding Joran van der Sloot's confession. It is confirmed that he has confessed to something, it is unknown if this the murder of Natalee Holloway.

TV channel SBS 6 has stated that they will air a special report with new witnesses to the confession tonight at six. I'll be updating live at that time.

Natalee Holloway Update 5;Van der Sloot's lawyers have not seen new evidence, Arubans still in conference, De Vries likely to have solved case

In Greta von Susteren's On the Wire, Joe Tacopina, Joran van der Sloot's lawyer, has revealed that neither he nor Rosemary Arnold has seen the new evidence. Tacopina went on to decry the Aruban Justice department's behaviour, stating that they 'are acting like clowns'.

Sources in Aruba reveal that the justice department, prosecution lawyers and government officials have been in conference since last night and still have not issued further statements.

Dutch legal expert Theo de Roos claims that de Vries' budget for individual cases with a large media attention value exceed the police budget by ridiculous ammounts. 'The police has the disadvantage that they have to prioritise.' Mr. De Roos stated earlier today.

De Vries is wel known in Holland for being instrumental in absolving the suspects in the Putten Murder Case and the conviction of Louis H. for the murder of his girlfriend's two children, as well as the revelations about Prince Friso's fiancée Mabel Wisse-Smit's criminal associations.

Natalee Holloway Update 4;Van der Sloot's lawyer claims no new evidence in de vries' documentary, rights sold to ABC

Joran van der Sloot's counsel, Rosemary Arnold, claimed that he will not be prosecuted on the basis of de Vries' evidence. The Aruban justice department has not arrested anyone, nor have they found the body. They're sticking to the story that de Vries has been a great help and that they've re-opened the case.

They've also released a statement saying Joran has not made a so-called 'hard confession' to their knowledge. They would be referring to the confession that de Vries has on tape. De Vries has refused to comment on the leaked transcript of his converstaion with the Aruban justice department.

American broadcaster ABC has bought the show for an undisclosed figure from producers Endemol.

Natalee Holloway Update 3: Drug-Suicide rumours resurface. Van der Sloot confessess. Natalee's death accidental

It's 2.30 am here now. SBS 6 just broke the news that Van der Sloot did confess to witnessing Natalee's death, he claims it was an accident. This confirms the earlier rumours. Allegedly, van der Sloot saw her overdosing and panicked. The whole U.S. media is waking up, but no one seems to be able to get Peter R. De Vries talking. I don't think I will be doing this again tomorrow, but it sure was fun. Missing-white-girl-media-circus, you stole my heart.