Saturday, June 29, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Quote of the Day
“Good police work has nothing to do with dressing up in black and breaking into houses in the middle of the night."
Found here.
Found here.
"Not For the Squeamish!"
"Bizarre Violence...Explicit Sex!"
That would be the 1971 novel Spargo by Jack Denton Scott. Those are actual blurbs on the back cover of the novel, by The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Francisco Examiner, respectively. Back in that 1971 time period when I was a pre-pubescent boy in Florida I found the novel in my dad's bedside table and decided to read it:
It all began with a quiet dinner in New York and an espionage assignment - - to the pleasure palaces of Rome, the exotic brothels and back alleys of Hong Kong, and the mist-shrouded mountains of Tibet...
It was a mission to suit the taste of Spargo - - an epicure, sensualist, knife virtuoso - - sent to shadow-box with danger, to challenge an unknown enemy in the stronghold of the mysterious Himalayas!
LOL.
The novel was by Jack Denton Scott, who at one time wrote for Sports Afield, was their hunting dog editor, as a matter of fact. The novel features an "About the Author" page, which has this to say about Scott:
Jack Denton Scott was born in West Virginia, of Northwest Highland Scots, and is an adventurer who has been around the world fifteen times. His preference is for the offbeat and obscure places beyond the boundaries of the usual tourist experience. He will not write about an area unless he has been there - - Indian jungle, Asian or African mountain peak, Arctic tundra, or tropic ocean floor.
He served as a combat correspondent for Yank magazine in World War II and has written twelve books and more than one thousand magazine articles. He wrote an adventure column for the New York Herald Tribune with a worldwide assignment. His skills as a writer are complemented by his experience as a field naturalist and expert chef, the latter being recognized by the award of the coveted Commandeur Associé, Commanderie des Cordons Bleus de France. He presently lives in Washington, Connecticut, with his wife, Maria Luisa, who is the pasta expert of the family.
Spargo. He Brings a Knife To Every Gun Fight.
I quite enjoyed the book, which is why I bought this old used paperback. Wanted to read it with adult eyes and see if it holds up forty years later. It was probably responsible for my knife fetish; Spargo, a globe-trotting spy in the James Bond tradition, uses a throwing knife as his weapon of choice. Here on my desk as I type this I count 11 knives of various types. And a tomahawk. Oops, twelve knives. And a gun. There are more knives in the desk drawers. Over to my right, standing in a corner, is a Mosin-Nagant M38 carbine. Zombie Apocalypse? I'm ready.
Anyway, that's my reading material for this weekend.
That would be the 1971 novel Spargo by Jack Denton Scott. Those are actual blurbs on the back cover of the novel, by The San Francisco Chronicle and The San Francisco Examiner, respectively. Back in that 1971 time period when I was a pre-pubescent boy in Florida I found the novel in my dad's bedside table and decided to read it:
It all began with a quiet dinner in New York and an espionage assignment - - to the pleasure palaces of Rome, the exotic brothels and back alleys of Hong Kong, and the mist-shrouded mountains of Tibet...
It was a mission to suit the taste of Spargo - - an epicure, sensualist, knife virtuoso - - sent to shadow-box with danger, to challenge an unknown enemy in the stronghold of the mysterious Himalayas!
LOL.
The novel was by Jack Denton Scott, who at one time wrote for Sports Afield, was their hunting dog editor, as a matter of fact. The novel features an "About the Author" page, which has this to say about Scott:
Jack Denton Scott was born in West Virginia, of Northwest Highland Scots, and is an adventurer who has been around the world fifteen times. His preference is for the offbeat and obscure places beyond the boundaries of the usual tourist experience. He will not write about an area unless he has been there - - Indian jungle, Asian or African mountain peak, Arctic tundra, or tropic ocean floor.
He served as a combat correspondent for Yank magazine in World War II and has written twelve books and more than one thousand magazine articles. He wrote an adventure column for the New York Herald Tribune with a worldwide assignment. His skills as a writer are complemented by his experience as a field naturalist and expert chef, the latter being recognized by the award of the coveted Commandeur Associé, Commanderie des Cordons Bleus de France. He presently lives in Washington, Connecticut, with his wife, Maria Luisa, who is the pasta expert of the family.
I quite enjoyed the book, which is why I bought this old used paperback. Wanted to read it with adult eyes and see if it holds up forty years later. It was probably responsible for my knife fetish; Spargo, a globe-trotting spy in the James Bond tradition, uses a throwing knife as his weapon of choice. Here on my desk as I type this I count 11 knives of various types. And a tomahawk. Oops, twelve knives. And a gun. There are more knives in the desk drawers. Over to my right, standing in a corner, is a Mosin-Nagant M38 carbine. Zombie Apocalypse? I'm ready.
Anyway, that's my reading material for this weekend.
Something That Needs To Be Mentioned
Y'all are probably following the Zimmerman trial fairly closely, right? Have you thought about what might just happen all over the country if Zimmerman is acquitted? Mike at Sipsey Street Irregulars has.
Think about it, and prepare. You don't want to be the next Reginald Denny:
Think about it, and prepare. You don't want to be the next Reginald Denny:
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Quote of the Day
"I don't mind civil unions. That's basic contract law. But the purpose of a sliding board is, after all, to get to the fucking bottom. All slopes are slippery, and they all end in the dirty clay at the bottom of the slide, or the gutter."
Found here.
Found here.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Armed Citizen Captures Robber...
...in Mount Pleasant, SC.
About 7:19 p.m., two men with rags covering their faces walked into the Kangaroo store at the BP station at U.S. Highway 17 and S.C. Highway 41. They showed a gun to a clerk, took an undisclosed amount of money and fired a shot as they left the store.
A passerby with a gun saw what was happening and challenged the two at gunpoint. One man got away, and the other gave up and was arrested when police arrived.
Well done.
About 7:19 p.m., two men with rags covering their faces walked into the Kangaroo store at the BP station at U.S. Highway 17 and S.C. Highway 41. They showed a gun to a clerk, took an undisclosed amount of money and fired a shot as they left the store.
A passerby with a gun saw what was happening and challenged the two at gunpoint. One man got away, and the other gave up and was arrested when police arrived.
Well done.
If Your Mama Robbed a Bank For You...
...would you rat her out?
BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. The FBI says a Michigan man who recognized his mom in surveillance photos of a bank robbery called police to turn her in. Authorities say 53-year-old Dee Ann Sanders of Martin was charged Tuesday with robbing a Bank of America branch on June 18.
Her arraignment is scheduled Thursday in Grand Rapids.
A teller says the robber handed her a note demanding $2,500 for her children and grandchildren. She got $1,092.
Surveillance photos show a woman wearing a bright red T-shirt with a large American flag on the front.
Man, that's just...sad.
Let's have a poll about it:
BYRON TOWNSHIP, Mich. The FBI says a Michigan man who recognized his mom in surveillance photos of a bank robbery called police to turn her in. Authorities say 53-year-old Dee Ann Sanders of Martin was charged Tuesday with robbing a Bank of America branch on June 18.
Her arraignment is scheduled Thursday in Grand Rapids.
A teller says the robber handed her a note demanding $2,500 for her children and grandchildren. She got $1,092.
Surveillance photos show a woman wearing a bright red T-shirt with a large American flag on the front.
Man, that's just...sad.
Let's have a poll about it:
Should We Invite Our Cousin the Violent Felon To the Birthday Party?
Uh...NO.
Unfortunately the violent felon cousin took it badly:
A 33-year-old Gainesville man with previous felony convictions, who had a warrant out for his arrest, is back in jail after sheriff's deputies say he took four shots at his cousin Tuesday in revenge for not being invited to a birthday party for children.
Alachua County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call by Loria Blair reporting that Birnard Larkin Jr. was threatening to shoot her 31-year-old son and chasing him around the neighborhood in the 300 block of 257th Street in Newberry, according to a Sheriff's Office report.
Deputies learned that Larkin had called Blair around 7 a.m., demanding to know why he had not been invited to the party, which had been held the day before at her home for several 1- and 2-year-olds.
Blair explained she did not invite him because she knew there was a felony warrant out for his arrest and she didn't want law enforcement coming to her home during the party. To this, she told deputies, Larkin responded with profanity-laced threats against her son. He also asked for a plate of food from the party.
In an attempt to appease him, Blair's son prepared a plate of hot dogs and cake and rode his bike to deliver it to where Larkin was residing.
Larkin was waiting outside for him and shoved him off his bike onto railroad tracks, deputies said. According to the report, Larkin then pulled out a black revolver from his waistband and stated, "(Expletive) you and your mama, I should kill" you.
Then he is accused firing two shots at the victim's head.
What a useless piece of shit. At this point, frankly, the only thing he would be good for is an organ donor.
Unfortunately the violent felon cousin took it badly:
A 33-year-old Gainesville man with previous felony convictions, who had a warrant out for his arrest, is back in jail after sheriff's deputies say he took four shots at his cousin Tuesday in revenge for not being invited to a birthday party for children.
Alachua County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call by Loria Blair reporting that Birnard Larkin Jr. was threatening to shoot her 31-year-old son and chasing him around the neighborhood in the 300 block of 257th Street in Newberry, according to a Sheriff's Office report.
Deputies learned that Larkin had called Blair around 7 a.m., demanding to know why he had not been invited to the party, which had been held the day before at her home for several 1- and 2-year-olds.
Blair explained she did not invite him because she knew there was a felony warrant out for his arrest and she didn't want law enforcement coming to her home during the party. To this, she told deputies, Larkin responded with profanity-laced threats against her son. He also asked for a plate of food from the party.
In an attempt to appease him, Blair's son prepared a plate of hot dogs and cake and rode his bike to deliver it to where Larkin was residing.
Larkin was waiting outside for him and shoved him off his bike onto railroad tracks, deputies said. According to the report, Larkin then pulled out a black revolver from his waistband and stated, "(Expletive) you and your mama, I should kill" you.
Then he is accused firing two shots at the victim's head.
What a useless piece of shit. At this point, frankly, the only thing he would be good for is an organ donor.
I'd Kill That Man That Give Me That Awful Name
That would be "Bamboo Flute," NOT "Sue."
An 18-year-old Gainesville man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after deputies say he stabbed his 54-year-old father in the chest with a pocketknife because he wondered what it would be like to kill a person.
Bamboo Flute Blanchard was in his family home in the 2000 block of Southeast 49th Drive in Gainesville on Tuesday evening when, without warning, he attacked his father, who had been lying down in his bedroom, according to a report released by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
Bamboo Flute has a younger brother, apparently a minor, since he isn't named in the article. God only knows what his sobriquet is.
An 18-year-old Gainesville man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after deputies say he stabbed his 54-year-old father in the chest with a pocketknife because he wondered what it would be like to kill a person.
Bamboo Flute Blanchard was in his family home in the 2000 block of Southeast 49th Drive in Gainesville on Tuesday evening when, without warning, he attacked his father, who had been lying down in his bedroom, according to a report released by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
Bamboo Flute has a younger brother, apparently a minor, since he isn't named in the article. God only knows what his sobriquet is.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Who, Exactly, Is the Enemy?
Victor Davis Hanson, in his latest column, suspects that President Obama believes it's Republicans, not Al Qaeda or the Taliban:
Imagine if Obama declaimed of the Iranians in Tehran that “those aren’t the kinds of folks who represent our core American values,” in the manner he once attacked John McCain for calling for border security in 2008. Could not a worldly Obama at least go after the intolerant Saudis for spreading Wahhabi-hatred worldwide and for sending subsidies to radical Sunni terrorists, in the detailed way he once deconstructed rural conservative voters of Pennsylvania? He might have taken apart these dogmatic religious absolutists in the following manner: “It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” All such invective seems to sum up current Saudi society far better than it does the people of Pennsylvania. Could not the president finish by noting that their madrassas encourage divisions and discourage cooperation, just as he boldly lectured an Irish audience about the problems with Catholic parochial schools?
As far as these hyper-rich Persian Gulf sheikdoms go, could not the fearless Obama urge these “fat cats” to share their riches with poorer countries, in the manner he once sermonized to Americans in no uncertain terms: “I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody”?
Click the link to read the whole thing.
Imagine if Obama declaimed of the Iranians in Tehran that “those aren’t the kinds of folks who represent our core American values,” in the manner he once attacked John McCain for calling for border security in 2008. Could not a worldly Obama at least go after the intolerant Saudis for spreading Wahhabi-hatred worldwide and for sending subsidies to radical Sunni terrorists, in the detailed way he once deconstructed rural conservative voters of Pennsylvania? He might have taken apart these dogmatic religious absolutists in the following manner: “It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” All such invective seems to sum up current Saudi society far better than it does the people of Pennsylvania. Could not the president finish by noting that their madrassas encourage divisions and discourage cooperation, just as he boldly lectured an Irish audience about the problems with Catholic parochial schools?
As far as these hyper-rich Persian Gulf sheikdoms go, could not the fearless Obama urge these “fat cats” to share their riches with poorer countries, in the manner he once sermonized to Americans in no uncertain terms: “I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody”?
Click the link to read the whole thing.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Meanwhile, In Charleston, South Carolina...
...a man who was threatening to jump off of the city's iconic Arthur Ravenel Bridge was coaxed away from the edge by a fresh pepperoni pizza.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
They Just Needs More Free Stuff Paid For With Tax Dollars
That'll keep 'em from killing each other, sure.
There's one killed and another injured among the Usual Suspects™ down in Chester, SC:
It was supposed to be Tee Sanders' 17th birthday celebration —the last big bash her mother would throw her before she started her senior year in high school. It ended in gunfire and tragedy early Sunday when Tee Sanders' best friend —her "brother"— was gunned down near her front yard.
Kendall Maureece Culp, 18, of Chester, died sometime after 12:30 a.m. when shots rang out at 786 Old York Road, where about 100 teenagers gathered for a birthday party that started Saturday night and went past midnight.
To be fair to the people at the scene, I should mention that they had adult chaperones on site and actually announced a curfew point. It apparently got out of control when the numbers at the party grew beyond those originally invited to include friend of friends; also, no effort seems to have been made to check arrivals for weapons.
What caused the shooting, then? According to one of the chaperones, it was the government's fault: With no widespread recreational outlets or work programs available for Chester youth, "these are the results," he said.
If that's the case, why is it that you don't see the white youths of Chester killing each other at the same rate? And before you start pointing and hooting about blacks being an oppressed minority, the demographics of Chester, South Carolina are: 62.26 black, 36.37 white, the remainder other races. Whites are the minorities in Chester, yet aren't noted for killing each other in such random fashion. It has to be cultural. Too many single-parent families, too many role models who advocate violence in their music, too few learning moral behavior at home or at church; the fruits of the Great Society have ripened.
update: And here is a another clue to the culture I'm talking about: where a pair of tennis shoes is worth more than a human life.
There's one killed and another injured among the Usual Suspects™ down in Chester, SC:
It was supposed to be Tee Sanders' 17th birthday celebration —the last big bash her mother would throw her before she started her senior year in high school. It ended in gunfire and tragedy early Sunday when Tee Sanders' best friend —her "brother"— was gunned down near her front yard.
Kendall Maureece Culp, 18, of Chester, died sometime after 12:30 a.m. when shots rang out at 786 Old York Road, where about 100 teenagers gathered for a birthday party that started Saturday night and went past midnight.
To be fair to the people at the scene, I should mention that they had adult chaperones on site and actually announced a curfew point. It apparently got out of control when the numbers at the party grew beyond those originally invited to include friend of friends; also, no effort seems to have been made to check arrivals for weapons.
What caused the shooting, then? According to one of the chaperones, it was the government's fault: With no widespread recreational outlets or work programs available for Chester youth, "these are the results," he said.
If that's the case, why is it that you don't see the white youths of Chester killing each other at the same rate? And before you start pointing and hooting about blacks being an oppressed minority, the demographics of Chester, South Carolina are: 62.26 black, 36.37 white, the remainder other races. Whites are the minorities in Chester, yet aren't noted for killing each other in such random fashion. It has to be cultural. Too many single-parent families, too many role models who advocate violence in their music, too few learning moral behavior at home or at church; the fruits of the Great Society have ripened.
update: And here is a another clue to the culture I'm talking about: where a pair of tennis shoes is worth more than a human life.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Torpedo ME, Would You?
Think I'll just give you a taste of my keel.
A UK merchant ship captain who rammed and sank a U-Boat during WWI after it attempted to torpedo him won the Distinguished Service Order medal, which is now being auctioned.
John Bell DSO.
A UK merchant ship captain who rammed and sank a U-Boat during WWI after it attempted to torpedo him won the Distinguished Service Order medal, which is now being auctioned.
Ain't That Par For the Course For a UK Cleric?
He thinks that individuals with terminal illnesses would take more comfort in Jackie Collins novels than the Bible.
He suggests that the Bible's talk of sin, judgment and eternal damnation could be unsettling for those living with a terminal illness and recommends reliving romantic highs instead.
Mr Gregory said: 'When people are told they are dying reading the Bible might be the last thing they want to do.
'But they shouldn't be afraid to read a rude or lively book... something a bit saucy.
'The subject of death is still a bit taboo, like sex used to be, so why not?
'It might trigger some happy, joyful, rude memories.'
There's just not much religious fervor left in Anglicanism; UK is increasingly a secular society, at least among those professing a nominal Christianity. The same can't be said for the minority Muslim population; mosques are full. This doesn't bode well for the future of the country.
As for the terminally ill: yes, if the individual has little affinity for religion, (s)he should take comfort wherever (s)he can find it, and if that is in a trashy novel, so be it.
He suggests that the Bible's talk of sin, judgment and eternal damnation could be unsettling for those living with a terminal illness and recommends reliving romantic highs instead.
Mr Gregory said: 'When people are told they are dying reading the Bible might be the last thing they want to do.
'But they shouldn't be afraid to read a rude or lively book... something a bit saucy.
'The subject of death is still a bit taboo, like sex used to be, so why not?
'It might trigger some happy, joyful, rude memories.'
There's just not much religious fervor left in Anglicanism; UK is increasingly a secular society, at least among those professing a nominal Christianity. The same can't be said for the minority Muslim population; mosques are full. This doesn't bode well for the future of the country.
As for the terminally ill: yes, if the individual has little affinity for religion, (s)he should take comfort wherever (s)he can find it, and if that is in a trashy novel, so be it.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Good Intentions, Anyway
That would be the gunman who opened fire in a law practice and then a Wal-Mart.
Lawyers and Wal-Mart patrons. Good way to start thinning the herd.
Lawyers and Wal-Mart patrons. Good way to start thinning the herd.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Pointy Arrivals
Shown in the pic are a Cold Steel Tru-Flight throwing knife with sheath (I removed the paracord wrapped around the handle); a Swiss K31 bayonet; an Opinel #8 with ebony handle; and a Roselli Carpenter model puuko made of UHC steel.
Monday, June 17, 2013
He's Lucky He Didn't Blow His Nuts Off
Charleston, SC police arrested a teenager after he accidentally shot himself:
Charleston police on Friday arrested a 17-year-old accused of accidentally shooting himself in the leg at his ex-girlfriend’s home.
Thomas Ancrum is charged with second-degree burglary, unlawful carrying of a firearm and discharging a firearm within city limits, jail records show.
A 40-year-old woman at the apartment told officers that her daughter’s ex-boyfriend walked into their home uninvited and shot himself after family members asked him to leave.
Investigators found a semi-automatic pistol at the home and a spent 9mm shell casing, an incident report states. The gun had been in Ancrum’s waistband when it discharged, police spokesman Charles Francis said.
Probably a striker-fired plastic pistol, Glock most likely, and carried Mexican-style. Usual Suspects™ are willing to spend thousands of dollars on gold teeth grills and clothing, but won't shuck out $100 for a holster.
Charleston police on Friday arrested a 17-year-old accused of accidentally shooting himself in the leg at his ex-girlfriend’s home.
Thomas Ancrum is charged with second-degree burglary, unlawful carrying of a firearm and discharging a firearm within city limits, jail records show.
A 40-year-old woman at the apartment told officers that her daughter’s ex-boyfriend walked into their home uninvited and shot himself after family members asked him to leave.
Investigators found a semi-automatic pistol at the home and a spent 9mm shell casing, an incident report states. The gun had been in Ancrum’s waistband when it discharged, police spokesman Charles Francis said.
Probably a striker-fired plastic pistol, Glock most likely, and carried Mexican-style. Usual Suspects™ are willing to spend thousands of dollars on gold teeth grills and clothing, but won't shuck out $100 for a holster.
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