Frank Agbat

That is, without a doubt, the best view of DCM I've seen to-date. Thank you. I'm not sure it is a sidearm, but it could answer (quite easily) the question I had which was: "if he's using a radio in the other photographs, where did it go?" Walkie-Talkies from that era were substantially larger than today's, and were not as easy to conceal. If one was pocketed or belt-clipped under the jacket, it could very easily look like this. No question, though, there is something under that jacket (other than the DCM himself)!

Wim, If I'm following you correctly, you do not believe that Virgiolio Gonzalez is the short tramp. If so, I must agree with your conclusion. The overall face/head shape is the same, but the hairline and hair texture are notably different. Not the same person, to my eye at least.

Bill, Operation Anthropoid was the plot that resulted in the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during WWII. It involved Czech resistance and British agents, if memory serves me correctly. The car was poorly escorted (Heydrich was in a hurry), and had to make a sharp corner near a bus station. One of the assailants jumped into the road to open fire. The gun jammed, but the car was forced to stop. Another resistance fighter got a grenade into the car which caused fatal wounds to Heydrich.

Autodesk, the makers of both 3ds Studio Max and Maya have some options for those interested in pursuing higher-end animation software. They have a 30-day free trial of 3ds Studio Max (although if one is unfamiliar with the parlance of animation, this might not even be enough time to get over the learning curve). Another possibility is the "Personal Learning Edition" of Maya. It is designed for people who want to learn about animation, etc. It apparently uses a special file format and watermarks its animations. However, for evaluation and learning, this might be a decent way to dip one's foot into the higher-end animation tools. Be advised, though, that these tools are not for the faint of heart (nor for the faint of processor computers out there!). They are exceedingly powerful, but they are complicated. You do need a reasonably up-to-date video card to take full advantage of some features, too. Lastly, Jack's GIGO point is well taken. From my understanding, Myers animated what he was asked to animate. Warner Brothers animated any number of things that violated the laws of physics, but this no more invalidates physics than Myers' animation proves the SBT...

Trent, Welcome to the forum -- and what a great post to start with! Thank you for sharing that very sensible, level-headed explanation. I think it is valuable to explore the reasonable before launching into wild speculation. It should be noted that since these painted areas are common, this does not *exclude* their use as a sighting aid, as described by Thomas Purvis. It does seem to reduce their existence, though, to a more "serendipitous" event for the shooters than one specifically designed for it -- if, in fact, they factored at all into the shooting scenario.

A megahit to say the least, and probably one of the only ways remaining to force the issue of Mr. Bolden's innocence. I'm one of the people who believes that Mr. Bolden got railroaded, and deserves the opportunity once-and-for-all to clear his name. Unfortunately, I'm also of the opinion that he will not get this opportunity if "traditional channels" are utilized. There is still enough mis/disinformation machinery to make sure that these channels will be duly closed (or manipulated). I suspect that if the general public learns the details, they will become appropriately agitated. America, in general, loves an 'underdog' and loves seeing wrongs righted. Our ability to handle the truth is much greater than our Government believes it to be...

Craig, You've done some some very nice photographic work. I enjoyed looking at both sites. /sarcasm on Well, since I'm not qualified to even have an opinion, I really can't say what I just said, can I? Now, on the other hand, if I thought that 25+ years of photographic and imaging experience actually sufficed to allow me to have an opinion, I'd say something like, "You've done some very nice photographic work." /sarcasm off

John, Another very interesting and informative post -- thank you. If the postulate that a 'forced power change' was in the works as early as 1960, I don't think that any *one* Kennedy policy can be said to be "the one." I'm more inclined to hypothesize that the timing of the events in Dallas may have been forced by LBJ's growing legal problems and the rumors that JFK would change running mates in 1964. These events, if allowed to flow to fruition, might de-rail the plans of 1960 (or before) for quite a while -- perhaps indefinitely. It would not be hard to envision a scenario (based on your original idea) wherein JFK is "allowed" to serve nearly a full term and is bumped off during the campaign trail -- not dissimilar to what happened to RFK.

I'm not exactly sure what to make of it, but the yellow areas seem damned irregular. Looking at several films, there don't appear to be marks visible on Main or Commerce. Unless the view of the north side of Elm is blocked at the right times, there also don't appear to be any on the north side, either. I also noted from the Hughes film that the stoplight post out in front of the TSBD is also painted yellow part way up. Within the limited scope of the films and stills available, this was the only one I noticed painted as such. While this might have been normal procedures, I thought it should be pointed out.

Any questioning eye cast in the direction of LBJ is, in my estimation, well deserved and appropriate. In the sphere of police work, it is completely normal and accepted practice to consider who would benefit from a given crime. It is also normal practice to consider one's associates and past reputation (although this is not sufficient in and of itself from a logical point of view, it is frequently used as a justification to explore by law enforcement). In this high-profile case, the most obvious recipient of gain was none other than LBJ. I mean, after all, he merely inherited the single most powerful position in the world... Many have killed for far less gain... I find LBJ a very logical starting point once the "vaguely motivated lone nut" theory is appropriately dismissed. It is an astonishing demonstration of power, however, that very little due diligence has been given to this line of reasoning. Apart from theories and a handful of books, LBJ has largely escaped the veritable magnifying glass that has peered at the likes of Castro, Oswald, MIC, Big Oil, Righties, and the CIA. It is possible that we're looking too far down the food chain, and thinking too short-term in understanding motives and planning. Perhaps all the various motivations we have pondered are merely chaff, with the wheat escaping our view. The ODA, the Bay of Pigs, "softness on communism", "mafia crackdown", and the many other theories, may be convenient smokescreens; events and conflicts WILL happen during the course of a presidency. No planning is necessary -- the smokescreen is assured just by the nature and complexity of the office and the responsibilities thereof. If the roots of the plot are deeper (and, perhaps ultimately simpler), perhaps all that was necessary was waiting until the desired confusion was reached -- reached WITHOUT being directed by the actual players... (thus no trail, no linking, no easy to track evidence. Thus, 42 years of tire-spinning...) As was said in "JFK": "There's smoke, but there's some fire, too." This thread needs to stay alive and active. You may very well be on to something, John.

Just for the record, John, I have also verified that Bill's gif is correct. I recall your posting on this subject as well. I suspect that in no time, you and I will be branded "Lancer Disinformationalists" or "Bill Miller Flunkies" or be informed that we're "not qualified to have an opinion" or something of the like... No wonder the case hasn't been solved 42+ years later.

Jack, Instead of attacking the source of the question, next time post all the bloody relevant information. Otherwise, expect to be questioned. And trust me, I'm perfectly qualified to ask legitimate questions, and plan on continuing to do so. I would expect the same from you had I posted a similar statement. Thank you for clarifying that.

Jack, I find it highly unlikely that the paint on the preserved shoes would undergo color changes from age at a rate identical to an outdoor curb (subject to rain, oxidation, pollution, physical wear-and-tear, etc) to the point where the color would still be considered the "same." Yeah, perhaps both are still "yellow" but I can't imagine them being spectrally the "same."

...and one who never adjusts and re-tests their hypothesis when evidence directs them to do so is not a researcher that is employing the scientific method...

Robert, You can go into "My Controls" (in the "Manage Attachments" function) and delete attachments from older messages to reclaim space. Alternatively, you can request additional space from Mr. Simkin, although I do not know how strapped for space the overall forum might be...

Dawn, Well said! I'm so bloody sick and tired of the mud and bile being thrown around here, I'm seriously considering taking my leave from this forum. We're fighting with each other over politics, z-film alteration, photo analysis, researcher's motives, etc, etc. THIS IS ONLY HELPING THE CASE REMAIN UNSOLVED. Sure -- we do not all have to agree all the time, and professional disagreement (when properly handled) can lead to advancements. But the vitriolic, ad-hominem, paranoic exchanges that seem inevitable on virtually every thread lead us nowhere. Just my 2 cents.

The chapeau in question... Sorry -- quality is not very good and not suitable for micro-details. Perhaps I can come up with something better... will keep trying.

The police officer is *clearly* making a motion with his right hand, but it is hard to determine what that might actually be. The adjusting of hat/visor or the lighting of a cigarette are certainly possible and plausible explanations. Honestly, the first thing I thought when taking a quick glance at the Bell film was that he might be talking into a microphone in his right hand. There is no solid evidence of this, nor any correlated film or stills to support that notion. Likewise, we should be sure that he is, in fact, a police officer (although I'm reasonably certain of this based on the hat) and that he is wearing a trench/rain coat. There is the possibility that a portion of the "long coat" appearance is a false-attachment with a gentleman standing behind him. I do remember, also, from a previous post that someone noted the significance of a "white hat" vs. "black hat" amongst Dallas PD officers. If I recall correctly, the white hat signified higher rank or status. The "cop with gun" in Couch had a white hat. Is there any chance this is the same officer?

Hi Jim and welcome to the forum! The picture that was posted of "raincoat cop" is from the end of the Bell film. This is about the best full shot of the people of which you are speaking. Not too long after the frame in question, he does walk right in front of Mark Bell, but only his cap is showing, and then only the very top for a brief period of time. I'll have to see if he shows up in any of the other films taken from the same general vicinity.

I’d just like to point out, that many of the so called Neocons today, had democratic or socialist roots once! It seems to me that many Americans would like the Democrats to be a bit more conservative and the Republicans to be a bit more liberal but such a profile would not survive an election because the campaign only offers black or white. George George, A very astute observation about the current campaigns offering only black or white, and one with which I wholeheartedly agree. If one references the graph from your "Political Quiz" thread, American politics is distinctly narrow and relatively centrist compared with the overall range of the chart. Scores in the "3" range (in any direction) would be considered rather extreme from an American political perspective. Compared, however, to the overall scope of the graph, these scores are hardly extreme. Nevertheless, to someone scoring -10, +3 is going to appear extreme... Robert, I most decidedly agree with your last paragraph. The political bickering that takes place on this forum is, to a point, interesting and thought provoking. However, I feel that it frequently degrades to the point of being counter-productive to the overall goal. A thread on a JFK-research site dedicated to the political views of *one* member falls decidedly in this category. When Tim G. presents information, it should not be summarily dismissed merely because his political views are different than the majority of this forum. Likewise, opines from the "lower left" political quadrant should not be tacitly accepted merely because of shared views. In all cases, proper scrutiny should be applied and veracity checked. In spite of the blinders frequently worn on the subject of politics, no one political philosophy holds a monopoly on common sense, morality, or enlightenment.

John, Excellent, as usual! I have obtained access to some items (which I will photograph) that may help demonstrate how these curved objects project onto a 2D surface. I'll post them to my photobucket page as soon as my schedule permits (work has been consuming far too much of my 'free time' recently).

1) What was the size and format of the image to which Duncan applied equalization? 2) Does anyone know its "provenance"? ie -- has it been stored in a lossy format, has the palette depth been reduced, etc, etc. 3) Was it scanned from a source that induced palette reduction or other forms of loss? 4) Do you know *exactly* what occurs when this equalization algorithm is run? For the umpteenth freaking time... (yeah, I'm getting a little frustrated) It is POINTLESS to take a JPG (lossy) scan of a halftone (lossy) image that has been digitally enlarged (lossy) and draw conclusions in what could be called the microscopic realm... Yeah, the images have been altered -- at the very least by the very process used to print/scan/save the image. These images are useful ONLY for considering macroscopic items (location of vehicles, etc) and are NOT useful for finding people hiding in bushes, people back in the deep shadows, etc. Microscopic items, especially those that could be influenced by even the grain structure of the original film, require a very high resolution scan (done properly, incidentally) saved in a lossless format before digital techniques can be applied. Anything else is, quite frankly, a waste of time. Instead of those in the research community who are interested in photo analysis constantly lobbing bile-filled missiles at one another (which rarely accomplishes anything), we need a consolidated effort to: A. Establish and maintain a repository of the highest quality images stored in lossless formats B. Engender and nurture proper scientific techniques and methods (including all the things that are frequently thrown about on these forums, such as correlation, false-attachment avoidance, peer review, etc, etc) in a positive manner throughout the photoanalysis group. C. Work collaboratively D. Learn to disagree professionally Until this is done, most of these threads will continue to be mostly wastes of time that serve only to divide the research community. /rant off

Thomas, An interesting series of posts. One thing I'm having a bit of trouble with, though, is accounting for all the wounds. Could you clarify this? I know you advocate a one-shooter scenario, but if I read you correctly, the timing precludes the use of a M-C as the weapon. Could you elaborate on this a bit, also?

How tall is Marilyn Sitzman? How tall was Mr. Zapruder? Not to be rude, but she looks, well, amazonian if the lines outlining her are correct.

I'm going to take this opportunity to get back on my soapbox on the subject of photographs... The research community needs a repository of high-quality, high dpi, lossless-format scans of original photos, negatives, etc. What we have now is largely a distributed repository of jpegs (lossy, in some cases badly so), half-tone magazine scans, etc. We also need the same thing for the motion pictures. (Even the DVD versions suffer from compression artifacting, etc. DVD uses a lossy format, too...) While these current collections are appreciated and are useful for understanding the "macroscopic" aspects of the events, they are not useful for the type of analysis people want to perform and that newer digital image processing is capable of. The end result is people finding and seeing "shapes" and "faces" which are probably nothing more than jpeg (or mpeg) artifacts or crapola introduced by the halftone process. Honestly, I believe these efforts are well-intended but end up as tire-spinning -- or worse -- venom soaked exchanges of barbs between researchers. This would not be a small undertaking, and there would be hurdles to cross. Storage requirements would be non-trivial since high-dpi scans in lossless formats take storage space like crazy. Distribution would be an issue as well (bandwidth), so perhaps a data DVD or 3 full of images might be a better way to go. I'll throw my hand in the air as willing to work on this if there is serious interest. (I know at least one other local researcher, albeit one that does not participate in forums, that would be willing to work on a repository) I believe that this is the ONLY way to eliminate or seriously reduce or eliminate the source quality of the image as being an issue. Of course, it won't eliminate process errors, lack of correlation, etc....