It is noteworthy that he was declared dead on Tuesday, though the date of death was Wednesday...perhaps it was just a typo or possibly it is one of those accidental "ghosts" which arise from inconsistent use of wordprocessing software. Basically, a person inserts the date which is automatically updated; in some places using the day plus date for automatic update and in another location typing in the day of the week and using the automatically updated date. Consequently when it is printed, in the first location the day of the week remains the day it was written while the date changes; in the later both change resulting in an unnoticed inconsistency. This process would require that there be some foreknowledge of the report writer that ken Lay would die (?) the next day.

It is noteworthy that he was declared dead on Tuesday, though the date of death was Wednesday...perhaps it was just a typo or possibly it is one of those accidental "ghosts" which arise from inconsistent use of wordprocessing software. Basically, a person inserts the date which is automatically updated; in some places using the day plus date for automatic update and in another location typing in the day of the week and using the automatically updated date. Consequently when it is printed, in the first location the day of the week remains the day it was written while the date changes; in the later both change resulting in an unnoticed inconsistency. This process would require that there be some foreknowledge of the report writer that ken Lay would die (?) the next day.

Background:

(From Bloomberg News, July 5th, 2006)

Enron's Founder Kenneth Lay, 64, Dies in Colorado (Update9)

July 5 (Bloomberg) -- Kenneth Lay, who built Enron Corp. into the world's largest energy trader and was convicted of the fraud that led to its collapse, died today near Aspen, Colorado. He was 64.

``Ken Lay passed away early this morning,'' his spokeswoman Kelly Kimberly said in a statement. ``The Lays have a very large family with whom we need to communicate. Out of respect for them we are not releasing any more information at this time.'' Lay's defense lawyer Mike Ramsey said through a spokeswoman that his client died ``from what appears to have been a heart attack.''

Lay and his successor as Enron's chief executive officer, Jeffrey Skilling, 52, were convicted May 25 of spearheading the fraud that plunged Enron into bankruptcy in December 2001. Lay and Skilling were scheduled to be sentenced in October. Lay, who was also convicted of bank fraud, was facing the rest of his life in federal prison.

Ill-Gotten Gains

Lay's death will complicate the government's bid to recover Lay's any ill-gotten gains, said David Irwin, a former federal prosecutor who is now a white-collar defense attorney in Towson, Maryland. Lay testified at trial that he was broke, Irwin said. The government has said that it believes he still had more than $40 million left.

``Prior to his death, the government could just say: `Hand over $40 million,''' Irwin said. ``Prosecutors are now going to have to show that individual assets they want to seize were bought with funds illegally received from Enron. It's going to be a lot more work for them now.''

The government will have to go after Mr. Lay's estate to see if there's anything recoverable, Irwin said. Shareholders with lawsuits against Lay face the same challenge, he said.

``The shareholders will still try to get a judgment against Mr. Lay's estate and then track down assets to enforce the judgment,'' he said.

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Trusted news and editorial sites:

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KenLayIsAlive.org in the news:

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Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram

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Also check out:

www.kenlayisalive.com

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Transcript of our email interview with the Houston Chronicle:

Questions with Answers:

1. What is Americans for Equal Justice,and why did you develop kenlayisalive.org?
2. What was your reaction to news of his death?
3. When was the site developed, and what is the purpose of the site? What do you want visitors to get out of it?

Americans for Equal Justice came into being the morning Ken Lay's death was first reported. We are a diverse group of five people who collectively work on the site and answer emails on our down time. As we are a fairly new group brought together by this farce, we don't have a stated objective yet, but I think that as American discourse spins out of control, we will try to be a voice for the little guys against the "we make our own truth" Karl Rove set. This is definitely a non-commercial, do-it-ourselves enterprise.

As for the day it started, someone opened up Google News and there it was, "Ken Lay Dead at 64". It seemed like a joke. There was an instantaneous and widespread emotional reaction of "Bullshit" that caused us to immediately purchase the website name and create the site that morning. For us, it just seemed like another chance at justice had disappeared. One more example of Karl Rovian "truth" carried to the extreme. I think it took 24 hours for the site to actually hit the web, but it was conceived immediately. I mean, he was a poster boy for everything gone wrong in corporate America. His company caused blackouts in California for profit. We were really excited when he looked like he was going to have a long sentence. But, if he is going to escape justice by being dead, we wanted to play a small part in keeping his memory alive a little longer while we trashed it. As the day went on and the reports came out about how his family will keep all of the money and his conviction is basically meaningless, we started to feel less worried about hurting anyone's feelings.

As for what we want people to get out of it, I would say to keep the issue alive, to bring down what is still being said in Lay's defense (At his funeral, well attended by the Houston business elite, the Reverend recently compared him to Jesus and Martin Luther King...), and have a good laugh at a bad man's expense. In part, we also hope that this site gives the real victims something to smile about while they are planning their civil suit.

4. What has general reaction been to the site?

The reaction has been good. A lot of people send in submissions (some of which are a little "too much" to publish). I would say that 80% of the content is comes from submissions, not us. I mean, we haven't been praised or vilified really, nothing past "I like your site" or "you are morons". But the proof that people are interested are that the submissions keep coming in.

5. What is your response to people who criticize the site for mocking Ken Lay?

Well, we haven't had any critics write-in with that argument, although we are conscientious of the fact and can see why it is a criticism. To them I would say that what we had in Ken Lay was an unapologetic man who was convicted of really great crimes, who has now, for all intents and purposes, escaped earthly justice. Had he plead guilty and started a fund giving back the ill-gotten gains, we would have a different attitude. Other than that I would say that we don't generally like to be mean to people, but seeing as how he helped ruin so many hard-working peoples lives we will make an exception in this case. I wouldn't say that what we say is any more or less wild than comparing him to Jesus and Martin Luther King.

We would make fun of Jeffrey Skilling as well, but from everything we have read, that guy is on the verge of a major nervous breakdown anyway.

6. Do you honestly believe he is alive, and, if so, what?s your best guess as to his location?

We are not sure if he is alive. If he is we would like to play a small part in catching him by keeping it on people's minds. In the end, we are publishers, not private investigators. We will post any information and try to coordinate the effort, but someone else is going to have to find him.

Thank you so much for your time,

David Grillio
Democratically-Elected Director of Americans For Equal Justice

 

 

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And here is a transcript of our email interview for our (aborted) NY Post article:

 

It is a pleasure to write to you today, my name is Dave Grillio, Director of Americans for Equal Justice.
 
That said, let's get down to your questions:

>First of all what is "Americans for Equal Justice"? (When did you start,
>what do you do, how many people?)

Americans for Equal Justice came into being the morning Ken Lay's death was first reported.  We are a diverse group of five people who collectively work on the site and answer emails on our down time.  Two of us are in Brooklyn and two in Los Angeles.  I split my time between Oklahoma and Rockaway Beach.  I don't know why I get the title of director, but that is how we worked it out.

>Why did you guys decide to put up the Ken Lay Web site? How long has it
>been up?

As for the day it started,  someone opened up Google News and there it was, "Ken Lay Dead at 64".  It seemed like a joke.  There was an instantaneous and widespread emotional reaction of "Bullshit" that caused us to immediately purchase the website name and create the site.  For us, it just seemed like another chance at justice had disappeared. One more example of Karl Rovian "truth" carried to the extreme.  I think it took 24 hours for the site to actually hit the web, but it was conceived immediately.  I mean, he was a poster boy for everything gone wrong in corporate America.  His company caused blackouts in California for christsake.  We were really excited when he looked like he was going to have a long sentence.  But, if he is going to escape justice by being dead, we wanted to play a small part in keeping his memory alive a little longer while we trashed it.  As the day went on and the reports came out about how his family will keep all of the money and his conviction is basically meaningless, we started to feel less worried about hurting anyone's feelings.

>Is anyone involved in the project an actual direct victim of Ken Lay?
>Former Enron employee? If so, I'd especially like to talk to them.

No, we don't have anyone who was really affected by Enron's scandals.   In part we hope that this site gives the real victims something to smile about while they are planning their civil suit. 

>Does the site get any real 'tips'? How many? Funniest? Least credible?
>Most believable?

We would certainly post any real information that we got, and if it was serious enough we would devote the site to it.  But we are just publishers, we are not private investigators or anything.  In the meantime we are going to post what we get, draw a little attention, and keep the issue alive.  Really, we are not so concerned with "The Man" Ken Lay as with the type of bloated, wealthy, crooked man he typifies.  There seems to be an epidemic of incompetence, arrogance, and unbounded greed in the generation that grew up after World War Two.

We get some things we don't post as well, maybe because they don't really look right or are blatantly racist, homophobic, or come from reactionary web sites that have Bill O'Reilly advertisements.  Sorry folks, you'll have to make your own web sites.

>Was the "Howard Hughes" one really sent in by a reader or made up by
>you? Are any of the drawings and sightings currently on he site real?
>(That is, sent in by readers, not necessarily based on reality)

We only made the hairstyle and plastic surgery pictures.  Everything else has been sent in by our great cadre of readers.  We do some of the captions, but everything else is sent in by readers.  We are really amazed at the response.  Some of the pictures are so great.  People will have to judge for themselves which are funniest, but Ken Lay running with the bulls is my personal favorite.  We really couldn't do this without our reader's submissions. 

>Whose money keeps the site alive?

Web sites are so incredibly cheap.  This is all done for less than 32 cents a day.  Between five people, it is really nothing.  It is a new and amazing element of free speech in our democracy.  Of course, like always, business interests and their friends in Congress are putting it under attack by repealing such fair-minded philosophies like net neutrality.

>Where do YOU think Ken Lay is?

If he is alive, we hope he is in hiding, at least away from his family or something.  And we hope he had to have some painful plastic surgery.  If he is alive, We REALLY hope he would get caught.  We basically hope he and all those who benefit from his actions are unhappy.  We don't generally like to be mean to people, but seeing as how he helped ruin so many hard-working peoples lives we will make an exception in this case.


Well, I guess that is it.  Please let us know when you expect the story will run.  We are really excited.

Thanks so much,

Americans for Equal Justice

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2006 by "Americans for Equal Justice" or whoever sent in the photo. This site is presented as a public service. This site is intended as a mean-spirited jab at a mean-spirited man. It is a perverted tribute to the twisted greed of Dr. Kenneth L. Lay.

information@kenlayisalive.org

sightings@kenlayisalive.org

 

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