#Police Inspectors' Association

[tenth-sentence]

"It is a privilege to be associated with you in the handling of a case," said the inspector, warmly.

"The Illustrated Sherlock Holmes Treasury" - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

[secretmellowblog]

Les Mis Hidden Name Meanings: Jean Valjean

Every Les Mis character’s name is either a pun or has some deep symbolic meaning– or both at once! Jean Valjean’s name has a ton of layers so let’s dive in.

When we’re first introduced to him, Hugo tells us that his name is quote “a contraction of voilà Jean, or “here is Jean.”” We’re told that he was named after his father, and that his family name probably began as a nickname.

The word “Jean” in french sounds like the word “gens,” which means “people.” So his last name is a pun meant to make you think “viola les gens”/ “here are people.”

The most obvious layer to his name is that Jean Valjean is basically John Doe. He is the anonymous Everyman. His sister’s name is Jeanne, so she’s basically Jane Doe. They aren’t special or exceptional or unusual; they’re just behold! The regular people.

In fact his name is so common-sounding that it's a plot point. Champmathieu, the man who is mistaken for Jean Valjean, has a name that the police connect with his. Javert theorizes that "Champ" is a version of "Jean" in a specific accent, while Mathieu was actually Jean Valjean's sister's maiden name. ("Champ" is also the French word for "field.") The fact that Jean Valjean is a peasant everyman makes it easy for others in his position to be conflated with him.

But the other layer is that this is all an elaborate pun biblical reference!

When Pontius Pilate presents a bound Jesus Christ to the crowd before his crucifixion, he says the words “ecce homo” or “Here is the man!”/”behold the man!”

“Voila Jean” or “here is Jean!”/”behold Jean!” is meant to be a reference to that.

During his death scene Jean Voila-Jean even references the “Ecce homo” line explicitly, gesturing at a crucifix and saying:

“Voilà le grand martyr.”

Which Isabel Hapgood translates as “behold the great martyr.”

At another point in the same scene Marius says to Cosette:

“He has sacrificed himself. Viola l’Homme. Behold the man.”

But more references to that biblical moment appear throughout the novel; Jean Valjean is associated with it constantly, all the time. It’s one of his defining biblical allusions. He’ll be trying to live anonymously, or under an alias– and then suddenly his true name and criminal past will be revealed, he’ll be revealed to be ���the man,’ and some great horrible act of martyrdom will follow.

Sometimes Jean Valjean is the one revealing his own identity, but sometimes Inspector Javert is put into the role of Pontius Pilate. Javert himself explicitly makes that comparison– Jean Valjean as Jesus, Javert as Pontius Pilate– when he’s contemplating suicide.

And this ties into one of the largest differences between the book and the stage musical.

In the musical, “prisoner 24601” is the name that represents Jean Valjean’s dehumanization–while “Jean Valjean” is the name he uses while standing up for his own humanity. He will be called 24601, and proudly declare that “my name is Jean Valjean” to assert he’s still a person.

And while this is a great storytelling choice, it’s almost the opposite of how the name “Jean Valjean” is handled in the book.

Because in the book…. Jean Valjean IS the name that dehumanizes him. Jean Valjean is the name that he’s running from. The name that Javert uses when he’s insulting him, the name that bigots use when they’re threatening him, the name that ignorant people use when they’re mocking him – it’s not 24601, it’s Jean Valjean.

And there’s a special kind of agony to that.

The name that is being used to torture, humiliate, and dehumanize him isn’t 24601– it’s his name.

He thinks of it as a “fatal name,” as a punishment. Living under that name is living in hell. When Jean Valjean is living under one of his aliases, concealing his identity, he thinks:

That which he had always feared most of all in his hours of self-communion, during his sleepless nights, was to ever hear that name {jean Valjean] pronounced; he had said to himself, that that would be the end of all things for him; that on the day when that name made its reappearance it would cause his new life to vanish from about him, and—who knows?—perhaps even his new soul from within him.

It’s no wonder that he ends up internalizing the way society views him, and developing so much fear and hatred of himself. He’s grown to see his name as just….well, ecce homo, behold the man. His name is just the two words people say before they violently punish him.

Names and namelessness are a major theme in Les Mis, and he’s the character who has the most complex relationship with his own names. He has a legal name, but it’s used to torture him, and he has a series of false names he uses to escape torture.

If I were to describe Jean Valjean– one of the most complex characters in all of literature, in one word, that word would be “grief.”

The criminal justice system takes everything from him, including things he wasn’t aware he was able to lose. His name, the last connection he had to his family and his old identity, gets warped into this thing needs to view with fear and horror. The thing society despises isn’t 24601, isn’t a number they’ve placed on him – the thing they despise is Jean Valjean, some intrinsic inherent part of himself. He isn’t hated for what he did, he’s hated for what he is, and that is something he can never escape.

{But speaking of complexity we’ve actually barely scratched the surface of how Jean Valjean reacts to names, because he spends most of the novel living under a series of nicknames aliases. And guess what! Each of these names also has some elaborate symbolic meaning! If you’re interested in more posts covering his different aliases, feel free to leave a comment in the replies!}

[thanks for reading! For more in-depth analysis, check out the @lesmisletters readalong or join our discord server!]

[hannie-dul-set]

[is this an interrogation, or is this a blind date]. “ricky shen. shen quanrui. shim cheonye. wow. you have quite the collection of names, mr. shen. which are you most comfortable with?”

you voice echoes against the soundproofed walls of the interrogation room— painted black, dimly lit, exceedingly and uncomfortably cold. you let the police file rest atop your laptop keyboard to adjust the length of your sleeves, but it seems like your junior colleague sitting next to you isn’t all that bothered with the temperature in comparison.

“just ricky, please.”

the current…person of interest doesn’t seem all that bothered either. in fact, for someone being interrogated as a suspect for multiple criminal infractions, he looks awfully calm sitting in front of you from across the table; gaze wandering around as if he’s visiting a tourist attraction, two fingers tap, tap, tapping against the table as if he’s trying to replicate the elevator music humming through his head, and lips pursed into a curious pout as he stares straight into one of the four security cameras in the corner with sparkling eyes.

you feel a nudge from your left. assistant inspector park gunwook seems to be excited to witness his first interrogation. “all right, ricky,” you hum, smiling. “on the ninth of january, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.— do you mind walking me through what you did during that time?”

“oh!” ricky exclaims. you feel something spiritual rattle your bones. gunwook’s hands start typing. “january nine...i was at the gym from six to eight, or maybe until eight thirty? oh, and after that i stopped by at artisan— the bakery daehak-ro— and stayed there until nine, i think i’m not really sure..”

“artisan on daehak-ro,” you repeat. gunwook is typing every word exchanged. “i hear their milk bread is very popular.”

“it is! they taste very good.”

every syllable, every stutter. “the ones at boulange are better though,” you say, and you hear the typing stop for a moment. you feel your junior’s eyes on you. “soft. always fresh. served straight from the oven.”

“really?” ricky replies. “i’ve never been there before.”

your face brightens. you beam at him. “then, would you like to join me sometime this—”

a nudge from your left. you turn to see associate inspector park looking at you with a deeply confused and troubled expression. seonbae? his furrowed brows seem to ask. you assure him with a nod, a calm smile, then return your attention to the interrogatee. 

“ahem,” you clear your throat. “moving forward. after visiting the bakery, what did you do in the period between nine and ten?” ricky shen narrates the scene— that afterwards he bought a box of macarons to go then went straight home to watch some dramas. you interrupt him there, eyes scanning your records. “you say you went back to your apartment?”

gunwook copies the conversation onto his screen. “um, yes. i think so.”

“but according to a classmate of yours, miss shen xiaoting, she saw you walking along the sidewalk in hyewa-ro at around nine-forty-five, ricky.” your gaze flits back up to him. he blinks at you. he blinks at you with those sparkly, big, brown eyes. you continue to smile. “isn’t that a little too far from your address?”

“oh,” he says. “then she must be right. sorry, i can’t really remember.”

the sound of typing ceases. you feel an expectant gaze drilling into the left side of your cheekbone. you ignore gunwook’s avid enthusiasm at the opening ricky shen just made. you fold your laptop to a close. you bring your elbows to the table and let your chin rest on interlocked hands. 

“that’s okay,” you start. “we all forget things sometimes,” you continue, and this sends your younger colleague into a state of alarm.

“seonbae,” you hear him whisper, rather pressingly. you pretend that you did not.

“can you tell me what your relationship is with miss xiaoting?” you ask. ricky shen continues to sit very politely from across the table “just classmates? friends? maybe she’s your—”

“let’s— let’s take a five minute break!”

before you could even hear a response from ricky, who seemed to have no problems nor reservations in humoring your question, you’re shoveled out of the interrogation room by a very confused, very vexed, very alarmed park gunwook. “seonbae. inspector,” he exasperates. it’s a little hot outside the room. you uncross one of your arms to fan yourself in the face— not for too long because your junior starts to grab onto your shoulders. “please. please get a grip.” 

you look at him. deadpanned. he swallows. “i am getting a grip,” you reply, swatting his hands off your clothes. “getting a firm grip on this man because after years of being single thanks to this god damned job sucking the life out of me, my ideal type is finally being handed to me on a silver platter.”

“seonbae,” gunwook releases a breath. “he’s under investigation for charges of destruction of property and arson. seonbae, he might have burnt someone’s house down.”

“ah. well. i think he’s more cute than hot.” you peek into the one-sided window, showing the scene inside the interrogation room. your suspect is looking around and drumming his fingers against the table again. “there isn’t even probable cause to detain him for tonight. that’s a shame. i’m working overtime too.” 

through the window’s reflection, you could see gunwook’s expression— perplexed, confused, probably wondering how the hell did the scales of criminal justice fall into the hands of someone like you. you press your lips into a smile.

“five minutes over. time to get back to work.”

[1tbls]

some rambling thoughts on shivers (red bolding mine throughout):

so shivers says this to harry after he has a dance-induced seizure in the church, right:

YOU - But who am *I*? Why are you talking to me?

SHIVERS - YOU ARE AN OFFICER OF THE CITIZENS MILITIA. *AGENTES IN REBUS*, WHEN YOU WEAR YOUR COAT, YOU WEAR MY SOUL.

SHIVERS - YOU MOVE THROUGH MY STREETS FREELY IN MOTOR CARRIAGES AND ON FOOT. YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE HIDDEN PLACES. YOU ALSO CIRCULATE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE HIDDEN.

here's wikipedia on "agentes in rebus":

"The agentes in rebus were the late Roman imperial and Byzantine courier service and general agents of the central government from the 4th to the 7th centuries."

"Being outside the control of the provincial governors, some agentes ... were appointed as inspectors ... for which they gained a reputation as a secret police force. As their routine assignments brought them into contact with matters of great concern to the court, and as they reported back to the court on everything they saw or heard on their varied missions, the agentes can be seen to have had an intelligence function ... This role, as well as their extraordinary power, made them feared: the 4th-century philosopher Libanius accused them of gross misconduct, terrorizing and extorting the provincials, "sheep-dogs who had joined the wolf pack". Nevertheless, the vast majority operated quite openly, and the claims of the agentes operating as a modern-day secret police are certainly exaggerated."

hey shivers. why are you invoking the RCM as your secret police, via a term not just associated with collection of information, but with corruption and manipulation of power.

and, if you fuck up the dance check and call kim a slur, she says:

"SHIVERS - BY THE WAY, APOLOGIZE TO YOUR PARTNER AT ONCE. UNITY AMONG THE RANKS IS PARAMOUNT."

which sticks out to me, because earlier we have this encyclopedia check with noid:

NOID - "A life is true if it's free from fear and internal division among oneself. And others -- mankind has seeds of greatness in it. A germinal will come, a return to trueness. It will be hard core."

YOU - "How would you go about *returning* to this true life?"

NOID - "Beats and bright lights to shatter falsehoods. Nerve impulses for the collective body. We are very much alike in basic structure. A hard enough beat would awaken everyone to a truer calling -- in unity!"

ENCYCLOPEDIA - Rejection of the right-left axis, emphasis on *unity*, appreciation of some primordial mode of being -- what does that remind you of?

YOU - "Sort of like fascism then?"

now, i don't think either noid or shivers are outright fascist :p but i do think the purpose of this encyclopedia line is to highlight how those criteria are flawed and damaging, how they are red flags, whatever the intention.

some comparisons:

1. return to trueness. le retour. the return of... what? in both cases, truly quite vague except for the idea of some dramatic upheaval of the current order, the idea of "returning" to some idealized past state or event.

2. nerve impulses. shivers. "appeal to nature" type fallacy, appeal to a baser instinct... invocation of physical reactions as metaphor for political reactionism, perhaps?

3. unity. on the surface, shivers telling harry to make things right with kim is touching, certainly. but specifically "unity among the ranks" is an interesting framing 🤨 as though the crucial thing is that their forces are not divided for what's to come, regardless of kim's feelings, regardless of harry's potential racism.

likewise, noid's call for unity addresses... nothing at all. simply that everyone would be awoken from their petty, false divisions into unity. neither this nor his criticisms of left vs. right acknowledge that the division is not equal, that one side in most social power conflicts is invested in stripping the rights of the other... because that is simply not on the radar when the priority is unity above all else. in its way, unity is authoritarian where it does not abide difference or dissent in the interest of the of the stasis/power of the institution.

this is all to say. hey. let's talk about the inherent nationalist nature of la revacholiere, my problematic wife ♥️

[cliozaur]

It’s always amusing to read fanfics where Javert rides a horse. Where does this idea come from? Is it inspired by the 2012 film? Hugo was quite clear in his reluctance to have any of his characters ride a horse. Myriel rides a donkey, and when horses are mentioned, they are usually working animals, falling and dying. Riding a horse was something associated with the higher classes. Even at the peak of his political career, Hugo himself did not own a horse. The only significant horse-riding scene is in the Waterloo digression. In Les Misérables, people don’t ride horses—they walk a lot, like Jean Valjean and Fantine crossing the countryside, or everyone else navigating Paris. They also use public transport or rent carriages. Javert is no exception—he’s just a modest police inspector, not entitled to ride a horse.

[genderkoolaid]

The Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (TWEET) Foundation, which runs Asra Shelter Home in Gurugram's DLF Phase 3, said that a police inspector from Uttar Pradesh barged into the shelter home wearing his uniform on 1 September at around 12:15 pm. Accompanying him were his wife, his elder son, and two unknown persons. The phones of Sehgal and Gomes were also snatched and they were not allowed to contact their lawyers or other officials associated with the non-governmental organisation (NGO). Put in the vehicle, the transmen were also beaten and "threatened," as they were asked to reveal the location of the police official's son. They were then taken to DLF Phase-3 police station and beaten there as well, TWEET alleged. They also said that the local police did not do anything to prevent the four men from thrashing the transmen.

[black-rabbit-razumikhin]

Raz Reads Les Mis (XXIV)

Marius - The Noxious Poor

From the title alone, I think I need to re-look at my thoughts on the previous chapter

Marius is lovesick and misses Lanoire/Ursula/(Cosette?) and not even partying with his friends will help him

On a walk, he bumps into two girls, sending the letters they were carrying tumbling

He takes them and reads them, because they weren't sealed so obviously he can

Marius that's not how that works

All the letters are begging letters, signed with different names, but the same handwriting, paper and cadence

Which could just mean they're all transcribed by one person helping the illiterate

But the addresses of the benefactors aren’t on the letters either, so he doesn’t understand how to return them

Enter evening, enter eldest daughter of his neighbor, the Jondrettes

She is - honestly a bit of a force of nature, I like her more on paper than I would in real life

She proves that she can read and write and wants food - going so far as to eat moldy bread

She’s also the author of the letters

So there goes that scribe idea

She tells Marius how her family is always hungry (she’s also dressed in rags and is not looking the greatest) and the letters are for people that her family knows are rich in order to beg for help

She calls Marius a very pretty boy

From descriptions I can agree, but I need to warn her that his logic leaves much to be desired

Especially in chases of people he’s infatuated with

I know Marius gives her five francs and I know somehow Leblanc and Lanoire end up visiting the Jondrette family as one of their benefactors, but how we got from point a to point b I cannot remember

This was a long chapter, I should have made notes while I was reading

But we move on, Marius is peering through a gap in the upper part of the dividing wall that he didn’t know existed

And has also never heard anything through the paper-thin walls until it was imperative to the plot that he did

Not your best work, Hugo. But I’m invested so I’ll let it slide

Marius, upon knowing that Lanoire/Ursula/(Cosette) is right there!! right on the other side of the wall!! he can’t help but try follow her to her address

But he’s not dressed in his best clothes at the moment and the cab driver refuses him a lift unless he pays in advance

Marius has given most of his money away to the Jondrette daughter, he can’t pay, he can’t follow

Curse his charitable heart!

Why have Leblanc and Lanoire gone? Leblanc is getting Jondrette more money to pay his rent

But what’s this? A plot on the other side of the wall? A plot that Marius would have missed had he been able to follow the infatuation of his heart?

Jondrette wants to employ the bandits of Patron Minette to set up an ambush for Leblanc

And if Marius had followed them he would never have known, never have been able to take measures to protect his precious Ursula

Bless his charitable heart!

Immediately off to the police station we follow Marius, who wants to speak to the chief inspector, but he’s out so his associate will have to do

They devise a plan wherein Marius will pretend he’s gone out, but instead be very quietly hiding in his apartment, listening to the goings-on of the Jondrettes and their hired hands and the goings on of the ambush

Once these are set and an agreement culminates (which, as a lawyer, surely Marius will recognize) he will shoot a pistol shot into the roof of the apartment

That will be the sign for the police raid

So as long as Marius does exactly what is required of him, the Jondrettes and bandits will be apprehended and his precious Ursula will be safe

Obviously events don’t go like that because (1) this is Paris and (2) someone entrusted Marius with something important

The hour comes, everything is in place (it's only Leblanc, the girl has not come with this time) and a reveal is made

Jondrette recognizes Leblanc

And, what's more, Jondrette's real name is Thernadier

Leblanc, who has to be Valjean, is completely unphased

Marius, on the other hand, is shocked. So much so that he forgets his one job

Thernardier? The brave, bold Waterloo fighter who his father has told him to defend with his life? This is the Thernardier who has put the wellbeing of his crush in jeopardy? Has called an ambush on this man? The Thernardier upon whom Marius himself has set the police?

Marius is torn between his heart and the responsibility he is meant to uphold on his father's grave

Never a dull moment with this man, is there?

Thernardier says that Leblanc can keep his daughter, the Lark, but he wants 200 000 francs

A small sum for a pseudo-bourgeois such as Leblanc/Valjean, surely

I know this has to be Valjean, but I don't think Hugo has said so explicitly in this chapter

Overcoming his shock, Marius comes up with a plan in order to release his conscience from two bad decisions

The eldest daughter who visited him, Eponine (an amazing name, really, my favorite name so far), she left a writing sample

A writing sample that looks like code for a means of quick escape in this situation

He bundles up the sample and chucks it through the hole in the wall, everyone thinking it must have come from the window

There is a commotion

A lot happens in the commotion, and the whole scene is more suspenseful than the action I've seen in most blockbuster movies

The lack of coordination, the fact that everyone is trying to save their own skin but also nobody knows whose side anybody is on anymore

They end up deciding to draw lots to see what order they all get to leave

(Anyone remember where Valjean is in all this?)

And then

The best intro of this whole book

Who could it be but Javert (!!) who swaggers in to the door, takes his hat off his head and offers it out with a smile to let them draw lots from his hat

It shows how much I dislike Thernardier if seeing Javert made me happy

Or that was just an incredible entrance

Genuinely well done, man knows presentation

The Thernardiess tries to throw a whole paving stone at Javert, but she misses

Needless to say, Javert and the rest of the police are successful in capturing everyone save one man

And the rope ladder Valjean used to escape hasn't even had time to stop swinging yet

The chapter closes with a little boy looking for Thernardier

And only now as I've typed that have I realised that he's their neglected son from way back when

This was a long, long chapter to work through, but it all felt worth it. It was so exciting! I've condensed a lot of it or we'd be here all day, but that's Marius's book over? That was too short. I feel like there's so much more to be learned about his character that hasn't been covered yet. Also I won't be getting over that Javert reveal any time soon. That was exquisite.

[athena5898]

(RNN) —

According (https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/uk-police-raid-home-seize-devices-eis-asa-winstanley) to Electronic Intifada, "British counterterrorism police on Thursday raided the home and seized several electronic devices belonging to The Electronic Intifada’s associate editor Asa Winstanley. (https://electronicintifada.net/people/asa-winstanley) "Approximately 10 officers arrived at Winstanley’s North London home before 6 am and served the journalist with warrants and other papers authorizing them to search his house and vehicle for devices and documents." The police claimed that he was being investigated under the 2006 Terrorism Act, stating that the investigation was related to his social media (https://x.com/asawinstanley) posts. Asa was not charged, but his devices were seized. This is the latest in a series of repressive acts targeting pro-Palestinian voices, organizations, and individuals, especially those in support of the resistance (a right enshrined in international law), among the most recent of which being Samidoun's designation as a "terrorist entity," (https://ift.tt/Zw70BiY) the detention of journalists Richard Medhurst, (https://www.palestinechronicle.com/political-persecution-journalist-richard-medhurst-arrested-under-uk-terrorism-act/) Richard Lofreddo, (https://t.me/RNN_Prisoners/2305) and Scott Ritter, (https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/fbi-raids-home-of-ex-un-weapons-inspector-scott-ritter/3298680) Meta's restrictions (https://t.me/PalestineResist/60598) on the 🔻 emoji and the word "zionist", (https://t.me/PalestineResist/48117) NYU making "zionist" a protected trait, RNN's ban (https://t.me/PalestineResist/54275) in the EU, and many others. It is worth noting that the raid comes a few days after Asa's article: "How Israel killed hundreds of its own people on 7 October," (https://electronicintifada.net/content/how-israel-killed-hundreds-its-own-people-7-october/49216) discussing the zionists' use of the Hannibal Directive.

[bending-sickle]

i love how Chief Inspector Japp stands up for Poirot whenever people try to be dismissive of his detective friend

for example:

Japp: Poirot, this is Federal Agent Burt. May I introduce Hercule Poirot, the private detective, and his associate, Captain Hastings.

Poirot: [shaking Burt’s hand] The American crime buster.

Burt: Japp, I hope you are not so short of manpower, you're hiring a shamus... What are they good for? Chasing lost dogs. This is a matter of international security we're dealing with here.

Japp: [coldly] I have no intention of hiring anyone, Burt. And if you must know, Mr. Poirot here has an outstanding reputation.

Burt: Oh! [to Poirot, with a mock bow] A gumshoe…of distinction.

- “The Adventure of the Cheap Flat” (2x07)

and

Japp: He has his own methods, Sir Bernard.

Sir Bernard: I don’t want method, I want action.

Japp: I’ve never known him to fail yet.

and in the same episode

Japp: [on the phone] Well I couldn’t agree with you there, sir. [person on the phone replies] No, he’s not slow, he’s thorough. […]. [hangs up; to Poirot:] Guess who he was talking about.

Poirot: Modesty forbids, Chief Inspector.

- “The Kidnapped Prime Minister” (2x08)

but the best so far is this praise:

Japp: [giving a talk to an audience] The professional private detective, ladies and gentlemen, is not the glamorous figure of fiction. He is a man who, failing in more worthy walks of life and being of meddlesome and troublemaking disposition, finally comes to rest in a dingy office over the chip shop, where he plies for hire in the sordid world of petty crime and divorce.

[Poirot, spying in the wings, turns to leave, ashamed]

Japp: Except, I have to say, for one. I have been fortunate in my career, in that many - in fact most of my cases have been shared with the most extraordinary of private detectives and, if I may borrow a word from his own native tongue, that doyen of the Belgian police force, Monsieur Hercule Poirot. I think I may say without fear of contradiction that Hercule Poirot has one of the most original minds of the 20th century. Intelligent, brave, sensitive, devastatingly quick, Hercule Poirot stands head and shoulders above any other detective of my considerable experience

[Poirot smiles, pleased, and leaves]

- “Double Sin” (2x06)

[tieflingkisser]

Al Jazeera office raided as Israel takes channel off air

Israel's government has moved to shut down the operations of the Al Jazeera television network in the country, branding it a mouthpiece for Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the cabinet agreed to the closure while the war in Gaza is ongoing. Police raided the Qatari broadcaster's office at the Ambassador hotel in Jerusalem on Sunday. Al Jazeera called claims it was a threat to Israeli security a "dangerous and ridiculous lie". The channel said it reserved the right to "pursue every legal step". Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said equipment had been taken in the raid. A video posted by the minister on X shows police officers and inspectors from the ministry entering a hotel room. A BBC team visited the scene, but was prevented from filming or going into the hotel by police.

[...]

The shut down of Al Jazeera in Israel has been criticised by a number of human rights and press groups. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) said they had filed a request to the country's Supreme Court to issue an interim order to overturn the ban. The group said that claims that the broadcaster was a propaganda tool for Hamas were "unfounded", and that Sunday's ban was less about security concerns and more to "serve a more politically motivated agenda, aimed at silencing critical voices and targeting Arab media". The Foreign Press Association (FPA) urged the Israeli government to reconsider its decision, saying the shut down of Al Jazeera in the country should be "a cause for concern for all supporters of a free press". The FPA said in a statement that Israel now joins "a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station", and warned that Mr Netanyahu has the authority to target other foreign outlets that he considers to be "acting against the state". The Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna echoed the same concerns, saying: "The Israeli cabinet must allow Al Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime." The UN's Human Rights office also called the Israeli government to reverse the ban, posting on X: "A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza." Foreign journalists are banned from entering Gaza, and Al Jazeera staff there have been some of the only reporters on the ground.

[sloshed-cinema]

Le cercle rouge (1970)

Silence may be golden, but it’s also a key driver of tension in Jean-Pierre Melville’s heists. The simple pleasure of a complicated heist pulled off never gets old, as evidenced in everything from Ocean’s 11 to The League of Gentlemen and beyond. But few balance the effort on a knife’s edge better than the jewel heist at the climax of Le cercle rouge. While little more than a cursory casing of the joint clues us in on the security obstacles—cameras, a locking mechanism on the wall, electronic safes for jewel cases—there is still an intricacy to the burglary. The film cues us into this sort of tension building early on as we witness the prisoner Vogel manage to pick the lock of his handcuff and escape his train transport. Every sound or stray movement could clue the inspector escorting him on this journey that something is afoot and botch the escape attempt in an instant. We grit our teeth as he clutches the opened cuff perilously, undoing one of the bunk supports before taking the leap. Sure, he’s evading justice for a mystery offense, but it’s so damn fun to see it pulled off! The same applies later as Corey and Vogel cut the glass of the window to get into the jewelry boutique. Any stray noise could alert the guard and spell doom for their mission. Sound design feeds in with immaculate choices in editing: when to linger, when to switch to a perspective shot, at what points to push in close or take in a whole space, all of these decisions have an effect in the way that the audience experiences the excitement of the sequence. The actions carried out may be the clinical work of experts, but they should be conveyed in an engaging way. Though there’s still room for the human touch in actions here: marksman Jansen has been overcoming alcoholism during the course of planning this heist, checking his hands for shaking and fighting off monsters. In the heist, he brings along a tripod to aim at the wall lock, but in a sudden passion he aims himself and fires his specially formulated bullet successfully unassisted. This is the kind of feel-good moment we crave in a burglary!

After Inspector Mattei is tasked with capturing the man who escaped him at the start of the film, his superior officer notes that all men are criminals, that nobody is truly innocent after birth. While its conclusion ensures that nobody “gets away with it,” what transpires in its duration is more morally grey than that punchline. Corey spends the film pursued by his former associate Rico, who is driven by revenge after his heavies are killed by Corey and Vogel enforcing his will in what begins as a sort of marriage of convenience. He pursues them illicitly, but also has the option to use the police force as an arm of that revenge. Meanwhile Mattei, while he dotes on his kitties at home, has his own machinations: trying to get local club owner Santi to spill on the criminal underworld, he orchestrates for his son to be picked up on trumped-up marijuana charges. That quickly spins out of control, showing that Mattei is both less impeccable at his game than he believes and more amoral than he would like to think. He gets his man in the end, but at a great cost.

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says 'job'.

A gun is holstered.

A round red object appears in frame.

BIG DRINK

A wipe transition is used in the edit.

Someone is introduced in a scene by reaching into frame.

[rising-psyche]

One of Jeffrey's greatest peculiarities when he was finally discovered was certainly how he collaborated with the investigation to find all of his victims. Initially, the idea was suggested by Patrick Kennedy and Dennis Murphy as his way of showing that he truly regretted what he had done — which he readily appreciated and accepted.

"This lightened the mood and he took my notebook, writing that he wanted to talk to me and Murphy. He would contact Mr. Boyle later. He then signed and dated his statement. I left the room and returned to the conference room where the chief and company were still discussing the matter, handing my notebook to Boyle. After reading it, he looked at me disdainfully and showed it to the inspector. "Is that how it is going to be?" The inspector shook his head and said, "Detective Kennedy, we have decided to allow the attorney to speak to your client. Since he's already here and he was hired by the defendant's father, I think he should be allowed in." Boyle walked past me into the interrogation room, asking Murphy to leave and closing the door behind him. Murphy and I stood together as the commanders huddled and talked. Murphy confided to me that Gerald Boyle was a high-powered defense attorney who had run for district attorney and had been a close ally of the police in the past. "I just hope we convinced Jeff to stay with us," he whispered. A moment or two passed and Boyle re-emerged from the interrogation room looking stressed and disgusted. He was holding a waiver form stating that he had advised his client not to talk to us; however, Dahmer had told Boyle of his intention to complete the task of identifying all the victims. Jeff signed the waiver despite Boyle's advice not to. Boyle looked directly at Murphy and me and said, "Okay. Look, guys, he wants to cooperate, but I want one of my associates in the room with you while this is being done. I'm sending one of them to sit in on the sessions." He left and Murphy slapped me on the back, telling me we had done it, and the two of us walked back to the interrogation room. We opened the door to the room and found Dahmer smoking contentedly. "Well, what's going on?" he asked. "It's all right," Murphy said with a smile, patting him on the shoulder. He sat down next to Dahmer. "Now we can take all the time we need to identify each victim." Dahmer seemed taken aback by Murphy's display of masculine bravado and was clearly uncomfortable with the term "victim." I asked Dahmer about the nature of his discussion with Boyle. "Well, what did you say?" I asked. Dahmer took another cigarette from the pack, lit it, and said, "I told him everything we talked about last night, Pat. I told him that I had already told him all of my crimes. That I felt that the only way to show the world, my family, and myself that I was truly sorry for what I had done was to cooperate with you. I told him I wanted to keep talking to you two until we found everyone." We all sat in silence for a moment. Murphy smiled widely and Dahmer seemed to be happy that we were satisfied with the outcome of the situation". (Grilling Dahmer: The Interrogation Of "The Milwaukee Cannibal – Patrick Kennedy and Robyn Maharaj).

[retrotariotr]

The Pink Panther is an American media franchise primarily focusing on a series of comedy-mystery films featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The franchise began with the release of the film The Pink Panther in 1963. The role of Clouseau was originated by and is most closely associated with Peter Sellers. Most of the films were written and directed by Blake Edwards, with theme music composed by Henry Mancini. Elements and characters inspired by the films were adapted into other media, including books, comic books, video games and animated series.

[twistedtummies2]

Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes - NUMBER ONE

HAPPY EASTER! TIME TO CELEBRATE WITH THE MOST NON-EASTER-Y THING EVER! Welcome, everybody, for the final entry of “A Gathering of the Greatest Gumshoes!” Throughout this month-long event, I’ve been counting down my Top 31 Favorite Fictional Detectives, from movies, television, literature, video games, and more! We’ve finally come to the end of March, and the time has come to unveil my topmost personal pick.

SLEUTH-OF-THE-DAY’S QUOTE: “Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

NUMBER ONE IS…Sherlock Holmes.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation is one of the most frequently adapted, reimagined, and referenced characters in the history of English literature. I think the only other pieces of literature who can compete are Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and possibly Lewis Carroll’s “Alice” stories. Therefore, while so many other characters have carried the title in their universes of “the World’s Greatest Detective,” it’s no surprise most people still associate that phrase with Holmes, and it’s no surprise that Holmes takes the top spot. Through sheer universal appeal and constant reinvention, he’s clearly earned the rank. If Edgar Allan Poe invented the modern detective story with C. Auguste Dupin, then Doyle’s Holmes perfected the formula, and created the icon that pretty much every famous detective character since then has tried to emulate or push against since then.

It's not entirely clear WHY Conan Doyle made Holmes. I’ve heard multiple different accounts and explanations for how the concept came into Doyle’s mind, and what prompted him to create the great detective. However, if the reasons for his creation are unclear, what IS clear are Holmes’ origins. Doyle was chiefly inspired by a former teacher of his, Dr. Joseph Bell; a slightly eccentric surgeon who was one of the first forensic experts in history, and would eventually gain some recognition when helping the police on the infamous Jack the Ripper case. (He also may have taken some inspiration, according to at least one source, from the real-life Scotland Yard Inspector Richard Tanner, who worked on the slightly-less-well-known Franz Muller case - the first recorded murder committed aboard a train.) Mingling this inspiration with various unique qualities that seemed to stem from his own imagination, Doyle created the ultimate detective: the first Private Consulting Detective in fiction, and easily the most renowned.

It is humorous, in hindsight, to then realize that Doyle didn’t actually care that much for Holmes, overall. A bit like Agatha Christie with her own much later creation, Hercule Poirot, Doyle came to feel dissatisfied with Holmes. This wasn’t so much because of Sherlock’s personality or motivations, but simply because Doyle saw the Holmes stories more as a sort of lucrative hobby than anything else; he sensed that other works of his, which he felt far more passionately about, were being sidelined by this strange gumshoe. Doyle, like Christie, attempted to kill off Holmes…but unlike with Christie and Poirot, Doyle could not keep the detective dead. After a few false restarts, he finally brought Holmes back for good, and really didn’t stop writing for the detective till 1927, only three years before the end of his own life. The reason for this was simply money: Doyle came to realize that Holmes was what paid the bills, and what everybody wanted most to read. So, for all the other great things he created (Holmes was far from Doyle’s only literary claim to fame), it would be his contribution to crime fiction for which the good man would forever be best recalled. For better or worse, Doyle had created a character who truly seemed immortal.

The Sherlock Holmes stories set the benchmark for just about every famous detective to come. All of the classic tropes are basically here. Eccentric main character with multiple layers? Check. More mundane sidekick who provides an anchor for the audience? Check. A touch-and-go relationship with the official police, riding a fine line between rivalry and amiability? Check. Ability to solve crimes that no one else can seem to figure out? Obviously check. It all begins with Sherlock Holmes, before and beyond anything else. Nearly every character on this countdown up to now would not even EXIST if Sherlock Holmes had not been created, and had not been a success. He is the first great, true hero of literary fiction, I would argue: yes, there’s mythology, folklore, and other such things, but in terms of something with defined roots in what can be classified as resembling contemporary times, Holmes was the one who started everything.

Obviously, there have been way too many interpretations of this character to even ATTEMPT to list. I mean, for God’s sakes, I did a whole countdown – much like this one – where I listed no less than forty-one separate interpretations, including the honorable mentions. And even that one couldn’t cover EVERY version of Holmes I know and have some fondness for. He’s EVERYWHERE. He’s fought Dracula, Jack the Ripper, and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde almost as often as he’s tackled his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty. He’s been depicted in stories that are romantic, comedic, “edgy,” and every other tone you can think of. He’s made it into just about every medium there is, and has been portrayed excellently from seemingly all four corners of the globe. (Which is especially impressive, because a globe shouldn’t HAVE four corners!) From his roots in England, to America, to Russia, and even to Japan: Holmes is inescapable. Whether he’s focused on playing the violin, pumping cocaine into his veins, dealing with a three-pipe problem, or engaging in fisticuffs or even swordplay, he’s always on the move and always up to something odd, and we love him for it. I don’t think anyone would disagree with me when I say that, for sheer recognizability above all else, Sherlock Holmes more than earns my recognition for being My Favorite Fictional Detective. “It’s Elementary, My Dear Watson.”

Thank you all for joining me! Were there any famous detectives you like that didn’t make the cut? Any in particular you’d have placed higher or lower? Feel free to let me know! Take care, everyone, and make sure to get a clue. ;)

[beardedmrbean]

Arsonists caused extensive damage to a synagogue in the city of Melbourne on Friday in what Australia’s Prime Minister Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned as an antisemitic attack.

“There is no place in Australia for an outrage such as this,” Albanese told reporters in the city of Perth after the Adass Israel Synagogue was engulfed in flames. “To attack a synagogue is an act of antisemitism, is attacking the right that all Australians should have to practice their faith in peace and security.”

A witness who came to the synagogue for early morning prayers saying they saw “two individuals wearing masks” spreading a liquid accelerant with brooms inside the building, Detective Inspector Chris Murray of Victoria Police told reporters at the scene.

He added that quickly fled the scene after starting the blaze, but did not comment when asked about a motive for the attack.

About 60 firefighters with 17 fire trucks responded to the fire.

Amir Maimon, Israel’s ambassador to Australia, also condemned the attack on X, describing the attack as “heinous.”

Maimon also noted that dozens of pro-Palestinian activists staged a three-hour protest outside The Great Synagogue in downtown Sydney on Wednesday, demanding sanctions against Israel, according to the Associated Press. Worshippers were prevented from leaving the synagogue during the demonstration.

Jacinta Allan, the premier of the state of Victoria, pledged $100,000 AUD ($64,278 USD) for the synagogue's reconstruction.

Promising to increase the police presence at significant locations including schools and public gathering spots like local shopping centers, she said in a statement that she condemned "this act of cowardice, hate and fear. We condemn violence, hate and antisemitism.”

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria has expressed their solidarity with the victims and their families in these times, offering prayers for their speedy and complete recovery. Additionally, they have extended their support to the wider Jewish community as it begins towards healing from this tragic incident.

"We were absolutely shocked, but not surprised, to hear that a synagogue here in Melbourne had been attacked overnight." the CEO of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, Naomi Levin said in a statement.

Similarly, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association, Robert Gregory, said in a Facebook post that he was "outraged but not at all surprised by the attack."

“We have spent over a year warning the Albanese Government that its actions were fueling antisemitism and leading to attacks on Jews.” he said.

[cliozaur]

It's Javert's chapter today!

This POV shift in the Brick is one of the most intriguing. Now we see everything that happened to Valjean after his initial escape from jail through Javert’s eyes. Since we won’t meet Javert again for quite a while, today I indulge myself in posting a lot about our inspector.

We discover how Javert was summoned to Paris by his patron, M. Chabouillet, to recapture Valjean. He succeeded that time, a detail we missed in previous presentations of events.

Hugo makes us think that Javert has forgotten Jean Valjean after that; he puts it so wonderfully: “the wolf of to-day causes these dogs who are always on the chase to forget the wolf of yesterday.” However, Javert’s subsequent actions and reactions suggest otherwise. He appears obsessed: “he was afraid of being deprived of his convict” (I will come back to some other peculiar phrases later). He took trouble to go all the way to Montfermeil to check an incident with the abducted child because he remembered the name of the child’s mother too well and associated it with Valjean. And he also recalled that Valjean was getting into the coach to Montfermeil. Despite knowing that Valjean is dead, Javert still goes there to check. Absolutely healthy attitude, I would say. It’s also amusing that it was the “respectable and extremely reassuring name” of Lambert (made up by Thénardier) that calmed Javert down.

However, he hasn’t forgotten about Montfermeil and the abducted girl and connection of this story to Valjean. And, of course, Paris is such a small city that a rumour about a man in a yellow coat living with a girl from Montfermeil reached Javert and piqued his interest. Seeing the face, which he almost recognized as Valjean’s, shocked him, but it was not enough to make him sure; Javert needed to hear his voice and for that reason he moved into the Gorbeau house (but still didn’t have a chance to hear Valjean’s voice).

And then the hunting begins, and Javert goes into predator mode. In this chapter, he is likened to a spider, a tiger, a cat, a dog, and a huntsman.  So much is going on: “when Jean Valjean believed himself to be the most secure Javert’s eye had been on him”—there is something very intimate in this. Javert “began the game,” he “experienced one ecstatic and infernal moment,” “enjoyed himself,” took “delight in strangling.”

Hugo provides an interesting detail about the public sphere controlling the police: "the free press embarrassed it," keeping them in check. Even though Javert always plays by the rules, he additionally should consider this oversight. Valjean and Cosette are fortunate that Javert is overly cautious.

Well, after this chapter I can say that Javert is almost effective in his law-and-order duties, organizing the hunt and pursuing a convict. If only he were chasing a dangerous criminal, not an old man with an exhausted and scared child.