An expected verdict expected FOR WEEKS resulting in an expected over-reaction with the expected knee jerk reactions from media and social media on all sides with NO REAL CHANGE to result. That is, until the next “crisis” erupts to hold our attention so we that we can continue to have something to say around the water cooler, via our mobile social networks, blogs, or in the media but ultimately, do nothing about it. The real irony is that the verdict was no surprise, the riots and violent protests were no surprise and was even clamored for by the media’s focus on its possibility, and the outrage was no surprise and fell predicatably on both sides of this complicated issue that highlights a much bigger problem of Police disdain and abuse of the residents of Ferguson. The fact that we continue to fall predictably into a well tread popular narrative framed by the media, cast by poor, disenfranchised communities anywhere, and consumed voraciously by the disposable Internet generation is what is still surprising and shocking to me. Real issues, which are the linchpin of all of these cases, get systematically buried and ignored by everyone, no matter the agenda. The media dance of mind control continues…..