Black Watch: Today’s Top Stories

Black Watch: Today’s Top Stories

Reports today focused on Joan Maida, the Black secretary who couldn’t keep her story straight as to who packed the boxes and for what reason and when. There was also the troubling question of who or what Conrad Black was pointing at in the video. The sinister implication: his pointing at the camera somehow betrays a guilty conscience. Maida, ever the loyal adjutant, suggested another possible explanation: “It looks like he’s pointing at me.” She later recanted. “You know what, I don’t know.” Had she added the words “and I don’t care,” my guess is she’d have received a spontaneous standing ovation.

Still, even as the trial slouches toward the dog days of summer, the prospect of one last paroxysm of apocalyptic insanity rests just over the horizon. Chaos, thy name is Trump. The New York Post, in a story slugged “Exclusive” in bold caps, reports that Donald Trump will arrive at Room 1241 on Monday as a witness for the defence (The Wall Street Journal law blog, which lost interest a while ago, immediately posted this news under the headline “You’re innocent!”). But what’s he going to say? Does it even matter?

Reports the Post: “‘It’s going to be bedlam,’ one source said of the celebrity factor hitting the trial.”

Those magic words signal that, should Trump actually show up, the trial will enter, however briefly, that part of the collective brain stem that sorts and separates what is genuinely base and vulgar from the merely rude or titillating. We will enter the realm of O.J., Jacko, Paris and their ilk. The prospect renders me mute.

Trump set to take stand on Black’s behalf [NY Post]“You’re Innocent!” [Wall Street Journal]’Black did not know what was in boxes’ [Guardian]Where was Black pointing while removing boxes? [Chicago Sun-Times]Lord Black ‘took office boxes as favour to aide’ [Times of London]Black’s parties ‘useful’ to Post: Whyte [Toronto Star]Document questions fluster assistant [National Post]Loyal aide appears confused about files [Globe and Mail]