>I think Lou Smit is correct in his general assumptions that
>anyone, parent or intruder, would have written the note
>prior to the killing since the excitement level afterwards
>would simply be too high to sit down and write anything at
>all.

That's how I see it. Most likely written while waiting for the family to return from the White's. The fact that the writing implements came from the house, reinforces that theory for me.

>
>Ofcourse one's first question is why leave a note at all?
>The next question is why leave a handwritten note in this
>day and age of a wealth of alternative sources of
>untraceable materials. Then ofcourse why leave such a
>lengthy and absurdly fanciful note?
>
>Some suggestions have been:
>Safer to write a note there than to be caught with a
>prepared text in his pocket if there is a burglar alarm that
>he trips.
>
>Leads a transient lifestyle and has no alternative writing
>materials or place to put them.

This suggestion works best for me.

>
>Wrote the note to while away the time awaiting the family's
>return and had no prior intent to write that note or even
>any note necessarily, simply a whimsical flight of fancy.

I believe the intruder got into his fantasy mode and decided to write a very fancy-ful "ransom note" that had nothing to do with actually collecting a ransom. I think this wing-nut was a movie buff who went into la-la land, seeing himself as the great writer of a ransom note along the lines of what he would think might be written in a movie. There are too many "angles" to this note to be anything other than a flight of fancy. He darts around from one type of "character" to another in his writings as the kidnapper (a member of a foreign faction, a master planner for the exhausting drop, a child-killer without conscience, an expert on law enforcement countermeasures, a tough guy (don't provoke us), etc)

>Wrote the note solely to cause additional worry the next day
>for his 'entertainment'.

I think it was for immediate gratification (entertainment).

>Some have seen two authors, one male one female. Some have
>seen intent to disguise handwriting, some have seen no worry
>about handwriting because he is nowhere near the group of
>people ever likely to be asked to submit writing samples.
>
I think he was not overly concerned about being identified by his handwriting because he is not easily connected to the Ramseys. But, I think he was concerned enough to stick to printing rather than handwriting (script).

>I certainly see no reason to leave a note at all, much less
>such a long and weird one. Parents if they chose to concoct
>a kidnapping scenario would have written a simple 'we got
>your kid, get the money together and wait by the phone, no
>cops or she dies; they would not have written about foreign
>factions and brains and tactics and countermeasures.

I think the writer is not very sophisticated. Possibly immature. The $118,000 is ridiculous with 1,000 $100 bills and 900 $20 bills. He is arrogant with his "grow a brain" remark.

I might call you at 8 or I might call you at 10 or I might call you early if we see you have collected the money. Just how much earlier than 8 AM does he think John might manage to get to the bank and get this money?? Duuuhhhh!