Simon Barrett

Our weekly review of news and politics. Topics TBA

Our weekly look at the world of bail bonds. Joining me this week General Agent for Palmetto Insurance and owner of Surety 3, Rod Dowston. Bondsman and recovery agent William Cobra Staubs. Recovery agent Matthew Todd. As always there are no end of topics to talk about. I found this news item of great interest http://fox40.com/2014/11/27/thanksgiving-busy-for-bail-bonds-companies/  

Imigration, Benghazi, Furguson, Iran, you don't have to be a rocket scientis to find interesting subjects in the news this week.

This week on the panel will be General Agent for Palmetto Insurance and owner of Surety 3, Rod Dowston. also joinigg us will be Bondsmen William Cobra staubs and Matthew Todd. Topics on the menu? Who knows, with this group you never quite know what is going to happen. I am not a gambling man, but if I were, Id bet a $1 that at least one will call in while rushing down the highway to get to a case!

Matthew Heines has just published a wonderful book Killing Time In Saudi Arabia. It details his 18 months in the country working as a contractor teaching English to the Saudi Arabia National Guard. The book is one that I greatly enjoyed, there is a surface layer of humor but when you dig there is a much more serious layer. It is all about trying to reconcile western customs with those of the guest country. There is little room for error, and errors can be costly. In Matthew's case not only was he faced with the culture shock of the country, but the culture shock created by his employer.

A conversation with William Cobra Staubs about recent events in the case.

We have a red tide in DC. What does it all mean? Little or nothing? The butting of heads has already started, Immigration, Obamacare. Threats of another government shutdown, the Keystone pipeline, oh the list goes on and on. But, couuld the red tide be hurting themseves? It is not clear to me that the voter voter for, more they voted against. The next two years provide an oportunity to make progress, but that seems somewhat unlikely.

By itself it seems harmless enough, a man in distress calling for help. However it is the start of a very curious case. The 911 call came in at 6:35 am on Friday Oct 3rd. A canoeist in distress caused the Coast Guard and other Law enforcement agencies to leap in. Although Mr. Price had not given his exact location his phone had provided the needed coordinates. No sign of either John Charles Price or the canoe was found. Oh, at this point I should mention that the following Monday he was due to appear in court charged with 50 counts of possessing Child . Each charge carried a maximum sentence of 5 years. If you do the math, found guilty Mr. Price was facing a serious vacation. He was on a $255,000 bond, a bond secured by his mother using equity in her home. Join us today to hear what is mappening in this case.

This week on the program, The midterm elections, what can we expect in the next two years? Action or the usuaL DC gridlock? North Korea releases Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller, is this a move to try and repair relations with the US or is there a different agenda in play? The Berlin wall fell 25 years ago, but are we headed for another Cold War?

This week on the program we will be talking about some of the more colorful aspects of the world of Bail Bonds. Last week Aris Chris Varellan was finally captured after a a hunt that had lated for months. It is a very interesting story. This is just one of several recent cases that we will be discussing. There was also a very curious court ruling made in New Mexico this week on the subject of Bail Bonds, You will not want to miss that segment.

Much to the excitement of music fans worldwide, UK rock quintet Winter in Eden release their highly anticipated third album COURT OF CONSCIENCE on October 16, 2014. Recorded in Holland during 2013, the album contains eleven new songs which builds and further refines the unique style that is Winter in Eden. Featuring compelling vocals, muscular riffs, memorable hooks, swirling keyboards coupled with pounding bass and thunderous drums, the result is powerful, modern and balanced.

The world of Bail Bonds is a complex one. This week on the program we will be looking at several aspects. Sonoma California has decided to change the rules, if these changes are replicated in other areas there could be seious implications to the industry. Joining the panel this week will be Dale Miller, owner of Romelli Bail Bonds in Somona to offer his views. If I was a cynic, I might be tempted to think that in some ways this move is tied to the Pre Trial Release initiative, Another subject up for discussion is state to state extradition. Lets face it, its a mess.  

Rockin The Wall tells the story of the colappse of the USSR from a different perspective than is taught in history clases. The wall fell because of many reasons. Often overlooked is the role that rock music and Blue Jeans played in bringing down a super power. The film by Larry Schweikart and Marc Leif is based on Schweikart's book “Seven Events That Made America America.” It shows how music become a liberating force  behind the Iron Curtain and helped give strength to the anti-communist revolution. 

The midterm ellections are just over a week away. At stake is control of the Senate. But many voters are appathetic, does it really matter? Regardles of who is in control it is unlikely that much progress will be made in Washington for the next two years.

The world of a Bailbondsman is certainly an interesting one. Joining me on air will be Recovery Agents William Cobra Staubs and Matt Todd together with Bail Bond Agent Nancy Kelly. The industry seems to be in a state of flux, There are some that fear that state initiatives such as Pre Trial Release may be marking the Death Knell of the industry. This makes no sense for tax payers, it makes no sense for law enforcement, and it makes no sense for many people caught up in the PTR system. From a cynical point of view, it might be viewed as guilt without due process.

Once again Ebola seems to be the lead story in the news this week. Doctors Without Boarders have treated over 2000 cases in west affrica with only two healthcare workers becoming infected. Here in the US there is a very different story, one case, and two healthcare workers infected.There is someting wrong with this picture. How can doctors working in tents be more successful that our sophisticated isolation wards? Ebola has now become a hot item for the midterm elections, some are claiming that it will cost the Dems the Senate. Ted Cruz was on tadys Sunday morning talk shows demanding that flights from the infected area be stopped. While this sounds sensible, it is not, to the best I can see there are no direct flights to the US from the region.

We have a star studded cast lined up for todays program including ,Alan Seidenberg, Matt Todd, Nancy Kelly, Rod Dowston and William Cobra Staubs. This week we will continuing our debate on Pre-Trial Release. Also covering a strange situation in Florida, tune in and discover how Ebola has effected the Bail Bond world.

Much to the anticipation of prog fans worldwide, keyboardist/composer Leon Alvarado will be releasing his third album '2014, Music from an Expanded Universe' on October 30, 2014, the first under the Melodic Revolution Records banner. For this mini-LP, Leon enlists the guitar skills of Trey Gunn (King Crimson), the masterful drumming of Jerry Marotta (better known for his work with Peter Gabriel, as well as Orleans and later Hall and Oates) and the ambient music duo better known as “Cyber Zen Sound Engine.”  

Ebola, a game every country can play. New rules for people flying into the US from infected areas. You have to have your temp taken and fill out a form promising that you you have not been playing with any ebola infected people. The mid terms loom, millions of dollars will be spent. But does the voter care? Most people view this as a huge yawn. Does it matter if the senate becomes republican? NOPE, it will still be gridlock.

This week on Americas Most Unwanted the program that takes the listener inside the world of Bail Bonds we will be discussing the somewhat controversial subject of Pre-Trial Release. One view is that by someone entering the program it is a de-facto admission of guilt. Others grumble that  while the basic premise of the program was well meaning, a way to assist indigent people who cannot afford a bail bond avoid pre-trial jail time, over time the system has become overused, misused and a huge burden on the taxpayer. Joining me to discuss this subject are Bond Recovery Agents William Cobra Staubs and Matthew Todd. Rod Dowston Managing general agent for SURETY three and Palmento insurance Corporation. Mark A. Heffernan- National Managing General Agent, Surety Corporation of America..