Michael Hastings – “Foul Play Or Not” – Do you have a plausible theory?

reply to post by WanDash


Thanks for the video link. It was interesting. I wished she would have done a better job filming the details of the ground and path of car. The video mentioned something about a crater. Was she referring to that gouged out looking area in the pavement? It must have been minor. It was not impacting traffic flow.

Based on watching the video of Mercedes overlap accidents I have been puzzled by the seeming lack of recoil from MH car away from tree as it pivoted. I know there are differences. The type of object impacted, lawn versus smooth floor, wheel separation versus crumpling under but not coming off. I have speculated that the explosion observed on the surveillance tape propelled the car back forward into the tree. I wonder if that mark in the pavement could be evidence of explosives?

I wonder how Biggs was able to get parts of the car? He is not family. Doesn't seem he would have any more rights to them than anybody else. I sure hope they contain answers.

I am curious as to what type of actions you could take if you were in LA?

Another strange location for a object.



That object is from the front of the car.



Why is it only a few feet away?

reply to post by barabajagal

As to the "crater" -- I don't know what she was talking about...unless, as you say, it was "that gouged out looking area in the pavement".

As to differences between the "crash test video" and what happened in this case... ...for example 'lack of recoil' while pivoting - I believe part of the difference will lie in "the speed of impact".
I think the CT-video shows the rear-end "starting" to leave the ground - and - if the speed had been significantly greater, I believe it would have definitely left the ground (at least, in a more pronounced fashion).
But, also - from the "tire path" (what appears to be the tire path) in the 5a55yfish video, it looks as if a bigger chunk of the front end met with the tree, than did in the CT-video.
If the latter speculative observation is correct...the driver-side of the front end served to anchor (pinch) around the tree...
On the other hand - if that tire/wheel path is correct...I DO NOT SEE how the engine pushed its way through the grill (though torn) with enough momentum/force to launch and fly...without encountering the tree. I am still not seeing the physics on this one. It seems that too much of the front end was in direct contact (involvement) with the tree, to have allowed an open path for the apparent trajectory, and with enough residual momentum...

Good questions about Biggs. Almost two months have passed, though, since he made the announcement - and I've heard no news. Don't see how it could take that long...if he was able to get it to a "testing" facility (wherever that is) soon after Aug. 27...or so.

The only actions I would take, if going to L.A. - would be to certify distances (measurements); attempt to get video copy from Pizzeria Mozza during daylight hours; go to businesses north of Santa Monica' on North Highland Ave. in attempt to get video from that night (to determine the route, when his speed accelerated, and some other possibilities); verify the location and situation of the apartments he lived in... (did they have surveillance cameras?) ...possibly interview certain persons. And - I'm sure, If I were to take the trip, I would come up with a little longer list of "to-do's".

Before taking it upon myself to make such a trip...I would, no doubt, make every possible effort to contact family &/or friends who might be able to lay such questions to rest - and/or find out what they may already be privy to, that we are not.

reply to post by JBA2848

Just a guess...
Perhaps, since it is of a slight substantial mass, and because of it's odd-shape (easily snagging on other objects), it might have ricocheted on/against something, that significantly thwarted forward/outward/otherword progress...

reply to post by WanDash


I have been trying to decide what kind of angle he hit the tree at. Think I found two pieces that show the correct angle.









Seems the under body shields were knocked off during the accident. But they are undamaged? So it makes you wonder about the bottoming out part of the story. I think it disproves explosives under the car also.



He did bend the frame though? Fuel pump was also under that shield showing it was not damaged from bottoming out.

reply to post by JBA2848

The way (direction) the passenger-side front tire is turned, in the photos on the LoudLabs video...suggests that the driver-side front tire/wheel was impacted at an angle that would have turned said driver-side wheel "out" (toward the east).
This is precisely what the crash-test video showed.
Oddly, however, enough of the driver-side frame was "past" or "outside" the palm tree...to have remained 'around' the tree, even after the car went through its swing/pivot.
The surveillance video from Pizzeria Mozza substantially proves (imo) that the car's rear end went into the air, and moved in a "right/west and downward" motion prior to the explosion. The evidence is in the "residual light" I have noted at various times in this thread.
A difference in the results of the crash-test video ("CTV") and this actual crash ("AC") is found in the fact that the CTV's "immovable object" extended well past the edge of the car - whereas in the AC, the edge of the car went past (outside) the tree.

reply to post by WanDash


I wonder what the water pressure of that pipe was when it first broke? The cap pressure it had to be very high. After all ten minutes after it broke it was still shooting water four feet high. I wonder what the pressure was when the cap broke and blasted the bottom side of the car in the first seconds? Enough to break the shields off the bottom of the car? That could be one of the objects that did so much damage but was gone by the time the camera showed up?

JBA2848
reply to post by WanDash

 

I wonder what the water pressure of that pipe was when it first broke? The cap pressure it had to be very high. After all ten minutes after it broke it was still shooting water four feet high. I wonder what the pressure was when the cap broke and blasted the bottom side of the car in the first seconds? Enough to break the shields off the bottom of the car? That could be one of the objects that did so much damage but was gone by the time the camera showed up?

edit on 28-10-2013 by JBA2848 because: (no reason given)

I wouldn't expect the water pressure to have been significant enough to cause damage to the underside shield...unless the shield had already been loosened and damaged in the bottoming-out sequence/s (and possibly - mounting the curb).
I do agree with you - that the shield made it with the car...to the tree... And - you may be correct that the angle of impact is somewhere in the vicinity of how the shield fell to the ground.
If the shield came off upon impact (prior to the rear end rising to smash the hood/roof into the tree), we could virtually lay money on "that" (the way it lay) being the angle of impact/collision. If it didn't come off until the roof hit the tree...then, the angle could be almost anything.

Did you ever notice that in the Coroner's report - under Body Examination - when the clothing were identified...only "a white sock and black/gray tennis shoe" for the left foot...were observed/noted...?
They stated that the toes of the left foot could be "seen from the bottom of the shoe, due to burning effect".
Was this notice/mention given to allow readers to come to their own conclusion/s (conspiracy theories?) about the right foot ---- and/or, whether it had (or had not) been clad in similar fashion...?
Yet - later - after the Anatomical Summary of the Autopsy Report...under "EXTERNAL DESCRIPTION:", they stated "Also some sneakers."
Are we to conclude that there was one sneaker (and sock) on the left foot?...or...that there were "sneakers" (and socks) on both feet...but they only highlighted the one where the sole had been burned badly enough to allow sight of the toes inside?...or...that a second sneaker (that should have been on the right foot) was delivered along with the body and burned & tattered clothing to the coroner?
Follow-up questions could ensue, depending on which of the above possibilities (if any) are/is correct...

Back to your question/comments regarding the DHS (et al) emails regarding Michael Hastings...and OWS.
I'll get back to that later... Had something to comment, but am being drawn away temporarily.

JBA2848
...What do you make of this document. I am curious if you have seen it or not? ...
...
Seems DHS, FPS were contacting him on OWS?
Department Of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service, Occupy Wall Street?

I am guessing that this is pretty-much the same chain of emails...taken from different persons' accounts.

Michael Hastings was the Subject-Line in one from Peter Boogaard, dated February 28, 2012 (7:50 PM)...
The entire body text was redacted under "(b) (5)".

Next - from Peter Boogaard, dated Feb 28, 2012 (8:46 PM) - Subject Line "Michael Hastings"...
Most of the body text was redacted under the same "(b) (5)".
This, however, seems to be in direct relation to another series of emails, with Subject-Line "Statement"...which appears to have regarded Rolling Stone magazine publishing a link to "Report" on the Occupy Wall Street movement...with the Department of Homeland Security's logo on it.
They seemed to be upset that the document was published without their consent, permission &/or a request (that could be denied).
Further - it looks like Caitlin Durkovich...was the one to suggest, calling Michael Hastings...
At the time, he was working with Rolling Stone...so - they may have considered his ties (marital) to afford a soft spot in the magazine's esteemed staff.
So - they went back and forth (a number of times)...on what the Statement should say...
And then - at one of the "group" members, said "I think this is pretty good."...and followed it with my favorite line - "Is it accurate?"

So - you have 8 highly-situated government service agents...conspiring together, to determine "what to do" about one of their reports being made public...and agreeing that they want to approach Michael Hastings...and further conspiring to write (compose/construct) a Statement...and then...one piping in to spoil the party (jk) by asking if they're telling the truth.

Funny how it was only a few months later that the FBI was looking into Hastings & Rolling Stone...hoping to find improper "data-gathering" methods.

Interesting that they continued to Redact one "participant's" name in the Recipient list, beginning on Page 36.
The last name should begin with a "D" (and alphabetically follow "Davis"), or with an "E", and alphabetically precede "Epley". I, obviously, don't know who that would be...but...if someone did...they might be able to reason "why" said name was redacted, when all the other participant-names...were not.

reply to post by WanDash


My best guess.
Kristina V. Dorville
media.lehighvalleylive.com...

www.fbcinc.com...

Kristina Dorville
Program Manager, Cybersecurity Awareness Programs, National Cyber Security Division, National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Kristina V. Dorville serves as the Program Manager for Cybersecurity Awareness Programs in the National Cyber Security Division of the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As part of this, she serves as the lead for the planning and execution of the annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month and for the implementation of the National Cyber Security Awareness Campaign, Stop. Think. Connect.T

Prior to taking on this role, Ms. Dorville served as a Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Protection and Programs Directorate. As a Deputy Chief of Staff, Ms. Dorville directly supported and advised the Deputy Under Secretary on general Directorate mission area issues, as well as Directorate management activities. Based on the Deputy Under Secretary's focus area, Ms. Dorville was most actively involved with the Department's cyber mission areas.

Ms. Dorville served as a key member on the transition team for the Preparedness Directorate's reorganization that resulted in the creation of the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) and continued her role as Special Assistant in the new Front Office for Under Secretary Robert Jamison. She was directly involved in the initial development of what is now the Comprehensive National Cyber Initiative and served as the primary liaison between the Office of Cyber Security and Communications and the NPPD front office.

Previously, Ms. Dorville worked in the former-Preparedness Directorate Office of the Under Secretary as a Special Assistant. In this role, her portfolio was the Department's Grant Programs. She served as the subject matter expert and advisor to the Deputy Secretary, DHS and Under Secretary for the Department's grants programs and played a key role in the coordinating and drafting of the FY2007 Grant Guidance.

Prior to becoming a Federal employee, Ms. Dorville worked for Booz Allen Hamilton during the standup and creation of DHS and had nearly three years of on-site consulting experience. As a consultant, Ms. Dorville worked on coordinating and managing support for FEMA's then-Exercise and Evaluation division and played an active role in the National Exercise Series and the Senior Officials Exercises. Based on her involvement and training under the National Exercise Programs, she was also selected for deployment for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts with Emergency Support Function-2 operations and provided direct support to the Principal Federal Official at the forward operating post in New Orleans. Ms. Dorville also worked on the inaugural Project Management Team supporting Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8: National Preparedness and assisted with the initial development of the DHS State and Local Fusion Center guidelines.

Ms. Dorville is a native of Bethlehem, PA and received both her undergraduate and masters degrees from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She is also the Head Swim Coach at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, VA as well as Ft. Myer Officer's Club Swim Team.

I guess this is the document they were worried about?

www1.rollingstone.com...

JBA2848
My best guess.
Kristina V. Dorville
media.lehighvalleylive.com...
... www.fbcinc.com...

Kristina Dorville
Program Manager, Cybersecurity Awareness Programs, National Cyber Security Division, National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security...

...I guess this is the document they were worried about?
... www1.rollingstone.com...

If she is Ms. ReDact... Why?
What's so much more special about her than the other participants on that list...whose names were not redacted?
Did you see/find (anywhere) who or what the "(b) (5)" referred to?

You are correct about which document they were referring to.
Aside from its lopsided tilt, it was fairly innocuous.
Very much what you might expect from the "Official" propaganda machine.

reply to post by WanDash


White House Visitor: Kristina Dorville
Appointment Start Date
12/22/2009 12:30
Appointment End Date
12/22/2009 23:59
white-house-visitors.findthedata.org...

So what is special about visiting the White House that day?

Howard Schmidt was chosen to be Cyber-Security Coordinator of the Obama Administration

en.wikipedia.org...

And he sits on the ISC2 board. ISC2 is the agency in charge of giving everybody there hacking certificates. Like the CISSP. CISSP is the certificates given for government hackers that hide behind the name Anonymous. It is required to be a official government hacker contractor. Once the contractor is given this certificate and given a job to do the government issues them a VPN to use to hack the internet.

CISSP® - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
www.isc2.org...

So what is her connection to the White House hacking Team?

JBA2848
...White House Visitor: Kristina Dorville
Appointment Start Date
12/22/2009 12:30
Appointment End Date
12/22/2009 23:59
white-house-visitors.findthedata.org...
...So what is special about visiting the White House that day?
...Howard Schmidt was chosen to be Cyber-Security Coordinator of the Obama Administration
en.wikipedia.org...
...And he sits on the ISC2 board. ISC2 is the agency in charge of giving everybody there hacking certificates. Like the CISSP. CISSP is the certificates given for government hackers that hide behind the name Anonymous. It is required to be a official government hacker contractor. Once the contractor is given this certificate and given a job to do the government issues them a VPN to use to hack the internet.
...CISSP® - Certified Information Systems Security Professional
www.isc2.org...
...So what is her connection to the White House hacking Team?

If she is the Mis-RedAct -- what would be her 'necessary' role in the tag-team response to such a minimal 'breach' of DHS's propaganda mill?
Seems "the White House" is flashing through quite a few curtains in this story.
In the thread about Det. White saying no-one would be seeing her final report...I responded to another member - seandean - about a link to another report about car cyber-hacking. Stephan Savage was again, on display, and, in said 'report', it was stated that the work 'Savage' (et al) had been doing (when hacking control of a car more than a thousand miles away), was at the behest of "the Obama administration".
I saw your response on another thread regarding Brennan, too. ... ...

JBA2848
...White House Visitor: Kristina Dorville
Appointment Start Date
12/22/2009 12:30
Appointment End Date
12/22/2009 23:59
white-house-visitors.findthedata.org...
...

Question...
Did she leave the White House at 1 minute before midnight...?
Or, did she leave earlier...but was never actually logged-out (appropriately)...?
Or - was she still in the White House at the end of the day (23:59)?...and...if so...when did she really exit the premises...?

All-in-all - it leaves one wondering at the accuracy and reliability (truthfulness) of the White House guest logs.

I have started another thread regarding a recent interview (published Nov. 4, 2013) with Michael Hastings' brother - Jonathan...here.

The subject matter of the interview centered and swirled around the brother's perception/s of Michael...touching only lightly on the days and events preceding the fiery car crash.

This is the brother that was already in L.A., and which had been the one that spoke to LAPD when they moved from the scene of the accident to the residence (apartments).

I started the thread elsewhere, as it is news...and...it really doesn't give much more information directly related to the gist of this thread.
Should you care to discuss it (or anything related thereto) here...please feel free to.
Thanks.

Should anyone happen across this post, please note that I continue to pursue answers to the questions that persist in the story that surrounds the death of Michael Hastings…and…that does not mean there is anything wrong with you for not doing the same.
As stated in the post above, I began another thread regarding an interview with Michael’s older brother, Jonathan Hastings.
I found little in said interview to help resolve the persisting questions…and, would like to post some views & observations regarding the same – here – since – only those who’ve been interested-enough to follow this thread are in a position to weigh the merits (or lack, thereof) of said observations. (in my humble and very inconsequential opinion – “imh&vio”)

1st – we find that Michael Hastings had only two siblings…and he was the “middle” of the three. They were each, brothers, and the eldest – Jonathan (3 years older) – was “the family member” that had arrived in the last day or two prior to the accident, and Jeff (2 years younger) was *reportedly* scheduled to arrive later on the day of the accident.

(PR – is the interviewer, calling himself/themself “Paleo Retiree”, and JH – refers to Jonathan Hastings, Michael’s elder brother)

…PR – I know you flew out to check on Mike just a day or two before the crash.
JH – As I told the police out in L.A., a few days before he died, Mike called me and I got the impression that he was having a manic episode, similar to one he had had 15 years ago which he had referred to in his writing. At that time, drugs had been involved, and I suspected that might be the case again. I immediately booked a flight to L.A. for the next day, with the thought that maybe I could convince him to come back to Vermont to dry out or (less likely) get him to go to detox /rehab there in L.A. When I got to L.A. and saw him, I immediately realized that he was not going to go willingly. I started to make arrangements with our brother to fly out and help me possibly force Mike into checking himself into a hospital or detox center. I’d thought that I had at least convinced Mike to just stay in his apartment and chill out for the next few days, but he snuck out on me when I was sleeping. He crashed his car before anyone could do anything to help him…

With no intent of attempting to minimize or discount the observations and views of ShadellacZumbrum’s earlier comments regarding circumstances surrounding the family’s attempted Intervention…but, rather, to address this “newer” information, and place what we know into a context that accurately reflects the same…
“This was a spur of the moment attempt…at an Intervention…AND…it was based not on a full family consensus…but rather, upon one family-member’s interpretation/perception of a phone conversation…within less than 5 days of the ‘Grand Finale’.

Now, in drawing attention to this – please understand that I am not concluding that this means JH was wrong in his interpretation/perception of what was going on in the life/psyche/mind of his brother…but, it does tend to place asterisks around said interpretation…especially in light of…the following:

…PRWhat was college like for Mike?
JH He went to Connecticut College for a year, and I got the impression he partied a lot. And that led to him leaving school and the beginnings of his mental health issues.
PR Was he ashamed of it?
JH That’s a tough question. On the one hand, he was open about it, referred to it in his writing, and he even wrote a memoir all about it. He wasn’t afraid of people knowing – he wanted people to know, but, of course, he wanted people to know on his terms and from his POV.
PR – When and how did the mental difficulties come on?
JH – The summer after his first year he had a really bad manic/delusional/paranoid episode. It was probably brought on by drug use, but by the time he was in the middle of it, it was going on its own power. He ended up in detox/rehab for most of the summer, and he didn’t go back to Connecticut College.
PR – Was he generally unstable when he was young? Did he cause the family some anxiety as a kid?
JH – He was definitely a worry even before his college breakdown. He partied in high school, and I guess everyone does. But he had come close to being expelled and getting into serious trouble a few times. There was some relief from my parents when he went off to college. But that environment turned out to be really bad for him. He started using all sorts of drugs and it triggered a kind of manic episode. When he went home for summer after his first year of college, he wasn’t in good shape and ended up crashing a car, getting arrested, and going to detox/rehab. Though later he told it as a kind of gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson-style adventure, it was a really traumatic experience for him and my family. But he was always looking for risks: even after he sobered up and got his life on tract and had his career underway he still wanted to push the envelope, such as having himself assigned to Newsweek’s Iraq bureau.
PR – What did he finally do for his degree?
JH – Once he got sober he took some continuing ed. classes around Burlington, at UVM and at the local community college, and then he finally moved to NYC with me and finished his degree at NYU. Once he got sober, he was a really conscientious student. It helped that he was only taking classes he was interested in – journalism, writing, media studies, video editing, etc…

I have an elder sister and a younger brother… All three were born within 3 ½ years of each other.
In my experience and observation/s…elder siblings (especially of the same sex) rarely pay much attention to the youngers once the social scene (puberty) enters the equation (with a few exceptions).
I won’t move that thought much further, and rather, leave it to weigh against/with your own experience & observation…

In some regards, the entire interview seems to come off as sibling rivalry…and little more.

Among the Comments that followed said blog/article, JH responded to a question regarding the observations of Jeremy Scahill regarding Michael’s demeanor as of 5 days prior to the crash, as follows:

…Jon Hastings says:
November 7, 2013 at 9:38 am
I don’t know Jeremy Scahill, and only barely know Ali Gharib. I’m not sure how long they knew Mike or what they knew about his history. People who had known Mike for a long time had been concerned for at least a few months (though until that last weekend, it didn’t seem like it would turn into a crisis). However, I think Scahill is probably right that Mike seemed full of life. He was in the early phases of a manic episode — “full of life” doesn’t contradict that at all.
I had spoken with Mike on the phone about two weeks beforehand. He was calling me to talk about the work he was doing on John McTiernan’s story, and we really stuck to talking about “just business”. (We also talked about Barrett Brown’s case at that time). …

Of course – JH could be right… Could be that Jeremy Scahill & Ali Gharib didn’t know Michael well enough, or for long enough…to be capable of judging his demeanor &/or mindset better than his own brother…and “people who had known Mike for a long time”…
On the other hand…as was offered (for possibility) earlier in this thread…the “affiant” appears to be in the very vulnerable position of “having to defend their actions”…in addition to attempting to make certain that blame does not fall on (rest with) them, their actions or their “intellectually superior” observations.
Now – who, of Michael Hastings “long-term friends & acquaintances”, were around him through the last “few months” of his life?
Hmmm… Seems to me that he was a “long way from home”.
Further…one MUST consider the apparent disconnect between…
• People who had known Mike…had been concerned for at least a few months…
…and…
• …Scahill is probably right that Mike seemed full of life…[being] in the early phases of a manic episode.
…and also…
• …until that last weekend, it didn’t seem like it would turn into a crisis.
Was it only “after the fact” that these “long-term friends & acquaintances” came forward with their observations?
What a bunch of chicken sh*t friends and acquaintances…if the first anyone said anything about these observations (that had been apparently piling up for a few months, at least) was in consolation to the brother that…from all we know now…could be the primary agitator… ? ? ?

Through the interview, quite a bit of space is dedicated to demonstrating that Michael Hastings WAS NOT!!! the kind of writer/journalist/PERSON that should be held in any regard, as…he had no agenda higher than personal promotion.
Yet – such sentiments are far more idealistic than the reality of modern life will allow.

And…back to the statement – “When I got to L.A. and saw him, I immediately realized that he was not going to go (to rehab/detox) willingly.”
A “manic episode”… Hmmm… Doesn’t this generally go hand-in-hand with – Manic Depressive / Bipolar Disorder…?
According to my understanding…such a condition is characterized by PERIODIC episodes of Manic followed by Depressive phases. (…with “periodic” being the focus of this observation…)
To have been as active as Michael was in social media (Twitter, for example – giving televised interviews, for another)…such a condition would surely have surfaced, and become evident in/through the last months of his life… Or – at least – I would expect it to…
Yet – the only reports we have of such exceptional behavior coming from one brother, and from the hosts of a weekend “concert getaway” two months before…
His Twitter feed betrayed no sense of “losing grip”. His video interviews, while showing animated emotion, regarded subject matter that he was becoming more intimately invested in…
Yet – we are to believe that…between June 12th and June 14th, 15th or 16th…he went from being able to FOOL someone (Jeremy Scahill) that he spent the entire day with…and an illustrious group of professional associates (in a friendly quasi-domestic setting)…to…losing his grip SO BADLY, that he bolted like a spoiled brat…and killed himself in the process…?
…and…all of this…after sending the email to colleagues…and a bcc to someone he hadn’t communicated with for 4 to 6 months… ? ? ?

I’m sorry, but…all the insights given by Jonathan Hastings have done, for me are…to intensify the mystery.
Is it possible that he was correct?
Of course it is.

I’m sure, I’ll be back.

Another thing…
Those claiming that Michael Hastings simply flew too high, and crashed and burned…and who sling their hosts of dispersions at anyone questioning said claims…have been awful quiet when it comes to “setting the record straight”.
It seems that ALL we’ve really been offered is – “I knew him better than you – and this is what happened… He went off his rocker…and died as a result”.

If it (his apparent descent into delusion or some manic/depressive episode) was both observed and obvious…when did it begin?
Was it just after moving to L.A.?
Did it start before moving to L.A.?
Did it coincide with his prescription for PTSD?
Did it coincide with news of the NSA/(et al) going after investigative journalists and their sources?

Okay – let me try to describe my frustration more succinctly…
The family (in all honesty – the only family member we know of, in this case – is the elder brother, Jonathan Hastings) says – “You didn’t know him like I did… Yeah – I was the one that concluded he’d gone off his rocker…and…Yeah…I’m the one that decided he needed to go into rehab/detox…before he did our family’s (MY) reputation anymore harm… That undeserving little fart… So… What?!!!! Are you gonna question me!?!?!? I KNEW HIM… YOU DIDN’T… YOU DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHO HE WAS BEFORE HE DIED… I was trying to save him… What did you do?... So… There! What are you going to say to that?”
Well…honestly…I’d like to know what convinced you?…so I can weigh your apparently subjective observations against the other facts surrounding his death.
If you are correct…and his demeanor and actions, etc of those last few days were evidence of a descent into delusion or ascent into mania…WHY(!)...would you not want to set the questions to rest?
Are you just hoping to “draw this out”…and see if there might be a pot of gold at the end…?
If it is OBVIOUS…WHY NOT LET THOSE INTERESTED, KNOW?
It’s not like you’ll destroy his legacy or reputation ANYMORE than you already have…!
…
… … … … ….

Please… If it is as cut and dried as you propose (that Michael Hastings simply went off the deep end and didn’t resurface)…would you please give us the evidence…or…give us authority (legal authority, as in “Limited Power of Attorney” for the Estate of'…would be a consideration) to set the matter to rest…as…it appears that the LAPD doesn’t care enough about this matter, to even publish a Final Report… (?)

I know --- it seems as if I’m contesting… And… I guess, I am… It is, however, not with an antagonistic bent…but rather, with a sincerely pleading and honestly inquisitive intent.
Sincere Regards!

reply to post by WanDash

Almost couldn't sleep last night for the restlessness that comes with the kind of rhetoric I directed at JH in the above post.

I do not care to prove him wrong...or to lay blame on his doorstep - and I hate it that that is almost exactly how it may seem.

He and others have posed the question - (not to me, personally - but to any questioning 'the official story') - "why do you care?"... And, in part, I understand the question.

In this case - for me (being - someone who didn't know Michael Hastings, and knew very little of his work prior to his tragic death) - if he died in a simply tragic accident, I will simply wish his family, friends and acquaintances my deepest condolences --- but, if that is not the case...and he was 'taken out' by the government, or some rogue agency, etc...etal..., I don't want to sit idly by saying - "That doesn't happen...or...It'll never happen to me or anyone I care about".

If I (&/or you) don't know that a lion is snatching people from the edge of the village...I won't prepare a defense...or, to defend myself. I will not be as alert to my surroundings...as I would be with such knowledge.

I WANT TO KNOW if I should be on the lookout.

If the facts we've been presented...don't answer the questions surrounding the case...resoundingly enough, and/or with the appropriate weight applied...appropriately - it does not matter how emphatically you label "conspiracy theorists" as morons and imbeciles...the many derivatives of this story will continue to morph and grow for years and possibly decades to come.

Anyway - - - kind of a go-nowhere post, here...but...

...see ya 'round.

reply to post by WanDash


Anyone with half a brain knows why you (and I among others) want the questions answered. It won't go away no matter how many articles are published to try and influence public opinion:

(noticed this article link from SSG Jow Biggs twitter account and he ain't buying it either)
Investigative journalist Michael Hastings whose death in a fiery car crash sparked conspiracy theories had battled with his mental health, alcohol and drugs

and judging from the few comments underneath no one is buying it (well I don't know what Guy Montag was trying to say twice..)

But please, do not lose sleep over venting your frustration at the JH interview.... Even JH admits, Michael "escaped " from his brother in the night... and if he hadn't felt the need to , might still be alive! THERE, I SAID IT!

I for one have nothing but admiration for your passion and strongly feel Mr Hastings would appreciate it too !
peace my friend,
x

reply to post by bowaconstricta

Thanks for the consolation, bowaconstricta.

I went to the article @rambobiggs tweeted...
In the comments, afterward - he was not a happy camper.
For the most part, I appreciated some "new info", but ultimately, it was a fail (imo).

In the spirit, however, of never letting new info go to waste, here are some excerpts and a few thoughts regarding the same...

From "Who Killed Michael Hastings..."

...On Saturday the 15th [of June], he [MH] called Matt Farwell, his writing partner, and said Farwell might be interviewed by the FBI. Farwell was unsettled. "He was being really cagey over the phone, which was odd, very odd"...said Farwell.

The article goes on, saying that Farwell said MH would not discuss whatever it was that he could/would not disclose over the phone - so, Farwell arranged a lunch date for Michael and a female friend of Farwell's for the following Thursday (June 20th)...such that MH could pass whatever information he had, to her...and she would deliver it back to Farwell (in Virginia) when she flew back.
Of course - the lunch meeting didn't take place.

We are already generally familiar with the following...but, it adds just a bit that I don't want to miss...

Sgt. Joe Biggs...hadn't spoken to Hastings in three months...but Hastings bcc'd him on the infamous email.
Biggs said "I tried calling him when I got that email...'cause I felt so #ing scared, because it didn't seem like him."
Biggs says he emailed BuzzFeed, too...and kept emailing them...but...they never responded...

Furthermore...(the article says)...Hastings had sent one of his I'm-being-investigated emails to WikiLeaks lawyer Jennifer Robinson.
Don't know if the article's author had another source than I have been privy to...or...what - but, the only information I have previously seen on this, was that MH called Jennifer Robinson.
This may not be important...but...if it is true - does this mean that Ms. Robinson was one of the Sendees on the list of Associates & Business Acquaintances in the same email Sgt. Biggs received? Or, was said "email" sent to her separately? (Again - presuming that this information is accurate.)

The week before his death, he told [Dave] Cullen (a friend & fellow writer) he was close to a deal to write a big book about Hollywood. He'd just finished a screenplay treatment based on another Rolling Stone piece he'd done, called "The Spy Who Cracked Up in the Cold," and his co-writer, Justin Kremer, spoke to him at eight o'clock the evening before he died. "He'd heard from his agent and was ready to go, and he was excited about portraying that world as he'd seen it onscreen," Kremer says.

In the end - we see that neither Farwell or MH's younger brother, Jeff, believed that he was in a state of mind to end his own life...

"I've deliberately rammed my truck into a stationary object to seek some quietus," says Farwell, who's written about his own post-Afghanistan struggles with PTSD, "and I know the emotional state he was in, and he was not in that state."
Jeff Hastings agrees: "One thing I will say with as much certainty as one person can have: He did not commit suicide. Mike wasn't planning on dying."

Will let this information simmer a while, before further comment.
Thanks AGAIN!