Oscar Pistorius Defense

[dingbat]

It is another aspect of why this situation is so very sad, OP has been an icon, if not a hero, in south africa, held in such high esteem its difficult to find comparisons. The closest i can think of would be David Beckham in the UK.

So the people of S Africa have so much to lose if he is (found) guilty, and that is more heartache which can be laid at his door.

Personally he only came into my radar a couple of years ago and I disliked the way he won the right to compete in the Olympics and yet still took part in the para olympics. I thought it showed a very real selfishness on his part, and then when he lost and had the nerve to suggest the winner had cheated he added to my opinion of him as a very very spoiled selfish low life.

Because of this i find it hard to be open minded, something makes him angry he reacts and then gets away with an apology, probably has done his whole life, only this time a young women is dead. If he was really sorry he would put his hands up and confess his guilt rather than trying to save his own backside.

Just sharing my unbiased opinion!! :floorlaugh:

:jail:

 

[AJ_DS]

Personally he only came into my radar a couple of years ago and I disliked the way he won the right to compete in the Olympics and yet still took part in the para olympics. I thought it showed a very real selfishness on his part, and then when he lost and had the nerve to suggest the winner had cheated he added to my opinion of him as a very very spoiled selfish low life.

Hi all…. newbie writing !

I totally agree with this… why would someone want to participate in the Olympics AND the Paralympics ??

In Beijing 2008 : after lengthy and expensive proceedings to be allowed to compete, Oscar did not even manage to attain the minimum qualifying time. Oscar Pistorius claimed that his ability to train sufficiently had been hampered by the scientific testing and court proceedings.

In London 2012 : Oscar finished 16th !

It was only hubris that led Oscar down this futile and expensive judicial appeal because Oscar and his coach knew that his 400 m times where nowhere good enough to seriously compete against able-bodied athletes…

...it was only a publicity stunt to grab headlines and remain relevant.

 

[AJ_DS]

Oscar Pistorius was not a sociopath… many individuals that had a close relationship with him describe him, for lack of a better term, as completely normal.

Yes, he had a few personality traits that were somewhat undesirable and that surfaced in very specific circumstances… but who doesn't ?

These undesirable personality traits were probably exacerbated by the fame that was bestowed upon him… but that is to be expected… what star does not exhibit some form of entitlement and arrogance ?

The facts is that Oscar Pistorius was for all intents and purposes a well adjusted, successful, healthy, normal individual.

It is far to easy to deconstruct an individual with hindsight and so call 'discover' a latent propensity that could explain a punctual dramatic event.

I do not believe that a single event caused Oscar Pistorius to shoot and kill Reeva on 14 February 2013… suggesting that after a few months of dating, a mere argument between them could escalate in a matter of 2 hours or so into a murderous rage is not very reasonable or believable.

Something more profound and fundamental had to be plaguing Oscar for some time… Like all individuals, it is a plethora of things, big and small alike, that shape our behaviors throughout our lives.

I believe most would agree with the following statement : Oscar's professional athletic career was the keystone of his identity.

Oscar's hard work and training led to :

1- Performance, success, etc.
2- Fame, glory, self-respect, self-esteem, respect and esteem by others, etc.
3- Personal financial security, lifestyle, material wealth, etc.

One can use Maslow's theory on the hierarchy of needs to get a sense of how Oscar's athletic career was an fundamental part of his identity, his motivations, his behaviors and his personality.

Since his disappointing performance and embarrassment at the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, Oscar Pistorius was contemplating the harsh reality that his professional athletic career was rapidly coming to an end and furthermore, that it had ended on a rather sour note.

I believe one can find MANY unmistakable clues in support of this fact.

Oscar Pistorius realized that he was past his prime and that the advantages which promoted his earlier successes were rapidly fading.

At the end of 2012, beginning of 2013, Oscar Pistorius was confronted with a profound existential decision :

Option 1 - Voluntarily stop training and subtract himself from further competition… gradually loose the lime-light, sponsorships and product ambassadorships revenue streams… start contemplating what he would do next for the rest of his life which would certainly be far less glamorous.

Option 2 - Keep training and competing… attempt to end his career on a high note… but with an ever growing risk of disappointments and embarrassments which would further sour his athletic legacy… eventually but inevitably being steered into option 1 reluctantly.

Neither of these options were appealing to Oscar… Psychologically, he was between a rock and a hard place :

- Option 1 meant a drastic life-altering change... giving up the only thing he had known for his entire adult life and going into uncharted waters.

- Option 2 meant possibly waisting his time and energy training, risking his legacy and fading out of relevance pathetically.

This immutable reality was tremendously straining for Oscar Pistorius.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

I love this part of the nagging thoughts that bother most people and his sense of humour.

Thank you for sharing cotton.

BTW, RE the mugs, Lisa may have said one did come up on a pic on the pedestal, not sure if right or left? Don't quote me on that, just trying to go by memory. Might hunt around for it later.

I mean to have seen the mug to the left, but not 100% certain. While searching google pics, there is only one photo with perhaps mug on the night table. The website is not available, unfortunately. There the mug seems to be on the right side. - I'm sure: this was no help for you. :blushing:

 

[cottonweaver]

:wagon:

Some new opinions - great!

I must say I don't know enough about his sporting career but you raise a lot of interesting points really well.

We're off the topic of the thread here but it's the only one still limping on til trial re-starts.....

Definitely not going to nit pick with a new poster, especially one who appears to know their stuff re the sports career, but what do you think about the notion of him being at the stage in his career (a bit like Beckham years ago) where he could reap the rewards of his celebrity even though he was nearing the end of his athletic peak?
(He had made quite a few statements in late 2012 about him looking forward to a great 4 year phase running up to 2016 Olympics)

Don't you think 2012 London ( despite 16th result) was a huge PR success for him regardless of the result? (And incidentally he would be well aware a higher profile GF like Reeva would be a further asset like Posh & Beckham?)

Re your earlier point - unfortunately men kill their gf all the time often after the most insignificant triggers.

 

[Deleted member 102539]

Cottonweaver...I'm looking for the roll eyeballs icon in response to all those psychobabble irrelevant articles you linked to......I yi yi yi.

:facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Did you meant this little thing? I have found it and offer it to you! :fence:

 

[AJ_DS]

I mean to have seen the mug to the left, but not 100% certain. While searching google pics, there is only one photo with perhaps mug on the night table. The website is not available, unfortunately. There the mug seems to be on the right side. - I'm sure: this was no help for you. :blushing:

Hi Germany,

Most people saw the mug on the left-hand side nightstand (sofa side)… BUT there is also a mug on the right-hand side nightstand (balcony side)

So 2 mugs, one on each nightstand

 

[AJ_DS]

:wagon:

Some new opinions - great!

I must say I don't know enough about his sporting career but you raise a lot of interesting points really well.

We're off the topic of the thread here but it's the only one still limping on til trial re-starts.....

Definitely not going to nit pick with a new poster, especially one who appears to know their stuff re the sports career, but what do you think about the notion of him being at the stage in his career (a bit like Beckham years ago) where he could reap the rewards of his celebrity even though he was nearing the end of his athletic peak?
(He had made quite a few statements in late 2012 about him looking forward to a great 4 year phase running up to 2016 Olympics)

Don't you think 2012 London ( despite 16th result) was a huge PR success for him regardless of the result? (And incidentally he would be well aware a higher profile GF like Reeva would be a further asset like Posh & Beckham?)

Re your earlier point - unfortunately men kill their gf all the time often after the most insignificant triggers.

Hi cotton,

When analyzing Oscar's performance at 2012 London, one can clearly see that IF he was going to compete in Rio 2016, he would probably not win any medals.

No on the huge PR in 2012… 4th in 100m, Silver in 200m (with the accusation that the Brazilian was cheating with long prosthetics)…

...and Gold in 400m which is not as prestigious as the 100 or 200m events… a lot of athletes choose to not even participate in this event…. Oscar finished 3.46 seconds ahead of the 2nd place… so not really a competition.

 

[cottonweaver]

:facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm: :facepalm:

Did you meant this little thing? I have found it and offer it to you! :fence:

Thanks FromGermany but when she wanted the rolling of the eyeballs it was to signal a bored response so unfortunately the fence sitting icon is not right.

But thankyou for the offering though.

 

[AJ_DS]

It is a well documented and known fact, that on average athletes peak and reach their prime at around 25 years of age. It is a combination of the 3 elements that coincide and coalesce to produce maximum performance :

1- Dividends of about 10 years of intense training and competition.
2- Physical aspects... a body at its best, i.e. hormones, recovery, strength, stamina, etc.
3- Mental aspects… experience, strategy, mental toughness, etc.

Oscar Pistorius started his athletic career as a runner very late : January 2004 at age 17. This training 'handicap' was somewhat mitigated by the fact that Oscar had been involved in sports most of his life… but that alone cannot mitigate the lack of specific professional training.

Oscar was basically 18 years old when he participated in the 2004 Athens Paralympics and he had only trained for 9 months.

So how can one explain Oscar's success at his first Olympics ?

A- Paralympic athletes must have a disability : this represents a very small cross-section of the population to begin with. As with able-bodied individuals, only a very small percentage of disabled individuals pursue and dedicate themselves to a professional career in sports. These 2 factors represent an extremely narrow cross-section of the population, much narrower than the Olympics. This is narrowed even further because Paralympic athletes compete in distinct sport classes according to the nature and the severity of their disabilities. In Paralympic athletics, individuals are classified into 19 different classes.

B- Paralympic athletes do not attract nearly as much sponsorships as Olympic athletes do (number of sponsors and dollar amount of sponsorships). Consequently, fewer disabled individuals choose to pursue a professional career in sports and those who do, sometimes pursue other means of professional remuneration outside the field of sports. Oscar Pistorius was not burdened by these financial concerns and therefore could dedicate himself entirely on training and competing.

C- Financial means and performance are closely related : coaches, physiotherapists, equipment, facilities, training partners, travels, training camps, etc… all these things are expensive and certainly contribute to an athletes performance. Oscar Pistorius had the means to have the best at his disposal. This fact is ultimately embodied by the development and use of his famous carbon fiber running blades.

These 3 factors gave Oscar Pistorius an edge and explains his success in 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing).

But these advantages which promoted his earlier successes were rapidly fading… also, he was at his prime in London (2012) at age 26… Oscar Pistorius would be far past his prime in Rio (2016) at age 30 !

 

[Hatfield]

Oscar Pistorius was not a sociopath… many individuals that had a close relationship with him describe him, for lack of a better term, as completely normal.

Yes, he had a few personality traits that were somewhat undesirable and that surfaced in very specific circumstances… but who doesn't ?

These undesirable personality traits were probably exacerbated by the fame that was bestowed upon him… but that is to be expected… what star does not exhibit some form of entitlement and arrogance ?

The facts is that Oscar Pistorius was for all intents and purposes a well adjusted, successful, healthy, normal individual.

It is far to easy to deconstruct an individual with hindsight and so call 'discover' a latent propensity that could explain a punctual dramatic event.

I do not believe that a single event caused Oscar Pistorius to shoot and kill Reeva on 14 February 2013… suggesting that after a few months of dating, a mere argument between them could escalate in a matter of 2 hours or so into a murderous rage is not very reasonable or believable.

Something more profound and fundamental had to be plaguing Oscar for some time… Like all individuals, it is a plethora of things, big and small alike, that shape our behaviors throughout our lives.

I believe most would agree with the following statement : Oscar's professional athletic career was the keystone of his identity.

Oscar's hard work and training led to :

1- Performance, success, etc.
2- Fame, glory, self-respect, self-esteem, respect and esteem by others, etc.
3- Personal financial security, lifestyle, material wealth, etc.

One can use Maslow's theory on the hierarchy of needs to get a sense of how Oscar's athletic career was an fundamental part of his identity, his motivations, his behaviors and his personality.

Since his disappointing performance and embarrassment at the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics, Oscar Pistorius was contemplating the harsh reality that his professional athletic career was rapidly coming to an end and furthermore, that it had ended on a rather sour note.

I believe one can find MANY unmistakable clues in support of this fact.

Oscar Pistorius realized that he was past his prime and that the advantages which promoted his earlier successes were rapidly fading.

At the end of 2012, beginning of 2013, Oscar Pistorius was confronted with a profound existential decision :

Option 1 - Voluntarily stop training and subtract himself from further competition… gradually loose the lime-light, sponsorships and product ambassadorships revenue streams… start contemplating what he would do next for the rest of his life which would certainly be far less glamorous.

Option 2 - Keep training and competing… attempt to end his career on a high note… but with an ever growing risk of disappointments and embarrassments which would further sour his athletic legacy… eventually but inevitably being steered into option 1 reluctantly.

Neither of these options were appealing to Oscar… Psychologically, he was between a rock and a hard place :

- Option 1 meant a drastic life-altering change... giving up the only thing he had known for his entire adult life and going into uncharted waters.

- Option 2 meant possibly waisting his time and energy training, risking his legacy and fading out of relevance pathetically.

This immutable reality was tremendously straining for Oscar Pistorius.

I havent commented in awhile.

I enjoy everyones opinions and would like to reply very respectively to this post since you did touch on some things I agree with but also disagree with.

I agree it was probably a culmination of many things involving OPs inner emotional turmoil that brought him to the point of using his gun on her, but I do think it was an argument/fight he had with her and he "lost it" during that argument.

It has been documented that OP had temper issues. There is no debate he had serious temper/anger issues based on previous examples of him losing his temper in public. So I do not think it is far fetched that a bad fight with Reeva made him lose his temper to the point he just decided to off-her.

Combine his self-views with people around him that supported his self-higher view of himself which was higher than reality as he became less prominant, and he most likely felt he could literally get away with murder.
I honestly think that during the fight he thought through the aftermath and felt he would have people around him to get him out of any trouble.

Lets look at who he immediately called after shooting her. He called his personal friends. He expected them to jump right in and help him devise a way to get out of any trouble.

The points you made towards the end are valid, however, those issues he was dealiing with regarding his career are nothing that any one of us also deal with as we get older and realize we are going to be phased out of our normal career and be forced into retirement of some sort. So I am not going to ever feel sorry for him or cry a river for him because he should have been able to deal with the changes that were coming regarding his career. Those were NORMAL issues. The only thing abnormal was how he dealt with them and the fact he still had much more opportunity than most all of us.

 

[cottonweaver]

These 3 factors gave Oscar Pistorius an edge and explains his success in 2004 (Athens) and 2008 (Beijing).

But these advantages which promoted his earlier successes were rapidly fading… also, he was at his prime in London (2012) at age 26… Oscar Pistorius would be far past his prime in Rio (2016) at age 30 !

Very interesting analysis on the three factors, thanks.

So do you think all the guff about him feeling he was heading into an exciting new phase was his PR spin/delusion? (I need to find a link to that article which I read months ago.)
Plus, totally accept he was already past his prime already in 2013 but don't you think he was confident he could build on his lucrative celebrity, charity endeavours etc and carve out a new career extending the national hero profile?

 

[AJ_DS]

I havent commented in awhile.

I enjoy everyones opinions and would like to reply very respectively to this post since you did touch on some things I agree with but also disagree with.

I agree it was probably a culmination of many things involving OPs inner emotional turmoil that brought him to the point of using his gun on her, but I do think it was an argument/fight he had with her and he "lost it" during that argument.

It has been documented that OP had temper issues. There is no debate he had serious temper/anger issues based on previous examples of him losing his temper in public. So I do not think it is far fetched that a bad fight with Reeva made him lose his temper to the point he just decided to off-her.

Combine his self-views with people around him that supported his self-higher view of himself which was higher than reality as he became less prominant, and he most likely felt he could literally get away with murder.
I honestly think that during the fight he thought through the aftermath and felt he would have people around him to get him out of any trouble.

Lets look at who he immediately called after shooting her. He called his personal friends. He expected them to jump right in and help him devise a way to get out of any trouble.

The points you made towards the end are valid, however, those issues he was dealiing with regarding his career are nothing that any one of us also deal with as we get older and realize we are going to be phased out of our normal career and be forced into retirement of some sort. So I am not going to ever feel sorry for him or cry a river for him because he should have been able to deal with the changes that were coming regarding his career. Those were NORMAL issues. The only thing abnormal was how he dealt with them and the fact he still had much more opportunity than most all of us.

Hi Hatfield,

Don't get me wrong… I also believe that an argument that night escalated into a murderous rage that led OP to killing Reeva.

What I was suggesting is that it was not just about an argument… OP was battling many inner demons in the beginning of 2013 and the argument that night was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I too feel no pity for OP… BiB I agree totally !

 

[Hatfield]

Hi Hatfield,

Don't get me wrong… I also believe that an argument that night escalated into a murderous rage that led OP to killing Reeva.

What I was suggesting is that it was not just about an argument… OP was battling many inner demons in the beginning of 2013 and the argument that night was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I too feel no pity for OP… BiB I agree totally !

Thanks for replying back as I better understand where you were coming from. I too definitely agree that a culmination of his inner turmoil contributed to him losing it that night.

 

[AJ_DS]

Thanks for replying back as I better understand where you were coming from. I too definitely agree that a culmination of his inner turmoil contributed to him losing it that night.

No problem

 

[AJ_DS]

Paralympics 100 m

2004 Athens - Bronze - 11.16 seconds (Gold was 11.08)

2008 Beijing - Gold - 11.17 seconds

2012 London - 4 th - 11.17 seconds (Gold was 10.90)

One can see that Oscar stagnated at 11.17 seconds… he got lucky in 2008 with poor performances by others athletes and his time was enough to secure him a 1st place. In 2012, the Gold medal was snatched by a 19 year-old with a time of 10.90.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, one can reasonably say that Oscar Pistorius at age 30 would certainly not achieve any better in the 100 m… I even suspect that he would either decide not participate or he may not be able to achieve the required qualifying time.

Paralympics 200 m

2004 Athens - Gold - 21.97 seconds

2008 Beijing - Gold - 21.67 seconds

2012 London - Silver - 21.52 seconds (Gold was 21.45)

One can see that Oscar Pistorius was consistently shaving down his time but in 2012, the Gold medal was snatched by a 20 year-old at 21.45.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Oscar would be past his prime at age 30 whereas other younger athletes would be in their prime…

Paralympics 400 m

2004 Athens - Did not participate

2008 Beijing - Gold - 47.49 seconds

2012 London - Gold - 46.68 seconds

This was Oscar's best event by far : he finished 3.49 and 3.46 seconds ahead of the second place in 2008 and 2012 respectively… so no 'real' competition in this event.

The fact is that many athletes do not participate in this event because it is not as prestigious as the 100m and 200m.

Oscar Pistorius petitioned to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes in November 2007. Based on the results of scientific tests Oscar's petition was denied. Oscar retained the services of the law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf and scientist in the USA to challenge this ruling and in May 2008 his appeal was heard and granted.

Olympics 400 m

2008 Beijing - Failed to achieve the Olympic qualifying time - 46.25 seconds

2012 London - 16 th - 45.44 seconds

One can see the 'slap in the face' Oscar received in 2008 : after lengthy and expensive proceedings to be allowed to compete, Oscar did not even manage to attain the minimum qualifying time. Oscar Pistorius claimed that his ability to train sufficiently had been hampered by the scientific testing and court proceedings.

On can see the second 'slap in the face' Oscar received in 2012 : now with no excuses and in his prime, Oscar finished 16th !

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, one can reasonably say that Oscar Pistorius at age 30 would most likely not even be able to qualify must less compete. Oscar Pistorius' pipe dream of competing and winning a medal against able-bodied athletes was over.

 

[Hatfield]

Very interesting analysis on the three factors, thanks.

So do you think all the guff about him feeling he was heading into an exciting new phase was his PR spin/delusion? (I need to find a link to that article which I read months ago.)
Plus, totally accept he was already past his prime already in 2013 but don't you think he was confident he could build on his lucrative celebrity, charity endeavours etc and carve out a new career extending the national hero profile?

Hello Cotton...
Sorry to jump in the discussion so abrubtly but this case is really fascinating to me. I was late followed it, but caught the 2 weeks right before the break. It has been fascinating.

Regarding the bolded part, I think maybe you hit on a key point there. Perhaps he could not see what you described there and most everyone would have been able to do just that. Maybe he had tunnel vision and did not recognize that was all he needed to do.

Or maybe he just did not want to accept that, and was rejecting it internally because he did not want to accept that approach to his life changes that were coming.

 

[AJ_DS]

Hello Cotton...
Sorry to jump in the discussion so abrubtly but this case is really fascinating to me. I was late followed it, but caught the 2 weeks right before the break. It has been fascinating.

Regarding the bolded part, I think maybe you hit on a key point there. Perhaps he could not see what you described there and most everyone would have been able to do just that. Maybe he had tunnel vision and did not recognize that was all he needed to do.

Or maybe he just did not want to accept that, and was rejecting it internally because he did not want to accept that approach to his life changes that were coming.

BiB…totally agree with that

OP's self-worth was linked to training, competing and winning… his tunnel vision prevented him from accepting reality and seeing alternative.

I'm pretty sure his coach, his manager and his agent must have told him about these realities… but I suspect OP refused to accept them… as he refuses to accept responsibility for his actions… he seems to be set by default on denial !

 

[Hatfield]

Paralympics 100 m

2004 Athens - Bronze - 11.16 seconds (Gold was 11.08)

2008 Beijing - Gold - 11.17 seconds

2012 London - 4 th - 11.17 seconds (Gold was 10.90)

One can see that Oscar stagnated at 11.17 seconds… he got lucky in 2008 with poor performances by others athletes and his time was enough to secure him a 1st place. In 2012, the Gold medal was snatched by a 19 year-old with a time of 10.90.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, one can reasonably say that Oscar Pistorius at age 30 would certainly not achieve any better in the 100 m… I even suspect that he would either decide not participate or he may not be able to achieve the required qualifying time.

Paralympics 200 m

2004 Athens - Gold - 21.97 seconds

2008 Beijing - Gold - 21.67 seconds

2012 London - Silver - 21.52 seconds (Gold was 21.45)

One can see that Oscar Pistorius was consistently shaving down his time but in 2012, the Gold medal was snatched by a 20 year-old at 21.45.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Oscar would be past his prime at age 30 whereas other younger athletes would be in their prime…

Paralympics 400 m

2004 Athens - Did not participate

2008 Beijing - Gold - 47.49 seconds

2012 London - Gold - 46.68 seconds

This was Oscar's best event by far : he finished 3.49 and 3.46 seconds ahead of the second place in 2008 and 2012 respectively… so no 'real' competition in this event.

The fact is that many athletes do not participate in this event because it is not as prestigious as the 100m and 200m.

Oscar Pistorius petitioned to be allowed to compete against able-bodied athletes in November 2007. Based on the results of scientific tests Oscar's petition was denied. Oscar retained the services of the law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf and scientist in the USA to challenge this ruling and in May 2008 his appeal was heard and granted.

Olympics 400 m

2008 Beijing - Failed to achieve the Olympic qualifying time - 46.25 seconds

2012 London - 16 th - 45.44 seconds

One can see the 'slap in the face' Oscar received in 2008 : after lengthy and expensive proceedings to be allowed to compete, Oscar did not even manage to attain the minimum qualifying time. Oscar Pistorius claimed that his ability to train sufficiently had been hampered by the scientific testing and court proceedings.

On can see the second 'slap in the face' Oscar received in 2012 : now with no excuses and in his prime, Oscar finished 16th !

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, one can reasonably say that Oscar Pistorius at age 30 would most likely not even be able to qualify must less compete. Oscar Pistorius' pipe dream of competing and winning a medal against able-bodied athletes was over.

Thanks AJ-DS for this summary.

Its pretty obvious his aspirations were to do better in the regular Olympics.

I suspect he never truly appreciated his good ParaOlympic results which were very good by anyone's standards.

I actually ran track in grade school so I have some memories of how tough track sports can be when it comes to training and preparation.

 

[cottonweaver]

Hello Cotton...
Sorry to jump in the discussion so abrubtly but this case is really fascinating to me.

Jump in - it's a forum.

Perhaps he could not see what you described there and most everyone would have been able to do just that. Maybe he had tunnel vision and did not recognize that was all he needed to do.

That's interesting - hadn't occurred to me that way round. Tunnel vision certainly seems to fit temperament - and s'pose any athlete needs that in any case.
If i follow through with that view maybe he also couldn't stand the notion of being just a celeb and his destiny as a future reality tv contestant, clothes horse, gracing the covers of SA Hello magazine and the like......! Not very macho- Arnold might not approve.
Being more serious now - no I still haven't convinced myself on that point.
Looking forward to trial re-start and some new witnesses, psych testimony etc etc.
Agree with you - fascinating side issues BUT prefer trying to unravel the nitty gritty of the court testimonies.
Not rubbing my hands with glee at prospect of anyone spending 20+ years in an SA jail but if he got off with Culpable Homicide (what do you reckon - 5% chance after the Defence case so far?) I would be livid!