A Coroner’s Investigator Visits Windsor Castle

Coroner's investigator Windsor Castle

 

Windsor Castle, an official residence of the queen, is the largest occupied castle in the world. It has been a Royal home and fortress for over 900 years.

The Castle Hotel is located near the Castle.

The Crooked House is a coffee/eating cafe. Windsor Castle is a few yards to the left.

Lunch menu at the Crooked House.

Next is a stroll along the side streets near the castle.

*     *     *

Paul Beecroft, has spent a good deal of his life in law enforcement, in England. He’s worked Foot Patrol, Area Car, Instant Response Car and also as a Police Motorcyclist. Paul currently works as a coroner’s investigator and has traveled all over England, Wales, Scotland and even Germany to investigate crimes.

 

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

 

You gave your all to protect and serve us, and for that we are eternally grateful.

Deputy Sheriff Steven G. Netherland

Vernon Parish Louisiana Sheriff’s Office

June 24, 2013 – Deputy Steven Netherland was killed when his patrol car left the roadway, striking several pieces of heavy equipment in a construction zone. Deputy Netherland had worked for the sheriff’s office for one year. He was retired after serving 22 years with the Louisiana State Police. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

*Top photo – Savannah-Chatham Metro Police

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Paula Deen The Butter Queen: Falling Like A Cold Souffle

Paula Deen the butter queen

“Hey, Y’all!”

I know most of you have heard Savannah cooking guru, Paula Deen, utter that phrase at least once while flipping through the channels on your television. Well, apparently those aren’t the only words in her vocabulary. And what started an explosion of nationwide anger was one particular word that slipped from her lips one too many times.

Yes, it seems that Ms. Deen has jumped out of her own personalized frying pan into a really hot fire. A few days ago, the massive empire she’d built from the ground up began to crumble, like the crispy and flaky batter on the fried shrimp that’s served at her brother’s restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s.

First, the Food Network canned her. Next came Smithfield Foods followed by Walmart. Even Caesars is yanking Paula’s name from the buffet line at four of their restaurants. And more companies are keeping a close eye on the events as they unfold. QVC and Target are currently “evaluating” the situation.

So how did this disaster begin? Well, sometime last year, Lisa Jackson, a former manager of Uncle Bubba’s restaurant, filed a discrimination and harassment lawsuit against both Paula and her brother, Bubba Hiers, co-owners of the establishment.

In the filing, Ms. Jackson referenced inappropriate goings-on, such as when Jackson asked Ms. Deen about what she wanted servers to wear for an upcoming wedding party. Ms. Deen allegedly replied, “What I’d really like is for a bunch of little n*****s to wear long sleeve white shirts, black shorts, and bow ties.”

Jackson’s other issues included Bubba Heirs showing her pornography on the office computer, assault and battery, and a hostile work environment.

The Deen camp probably anticipated the fallout from the public hearing or reading the details of the case, so their attorneys asked the judge to issue a gag order back in early 2012. No dice. Chatham County Superior Court Judge Louisa Abbot denied the request. And the snowball began to slowly make its way downhill.

And that’s where we are today, with Paula Deen making bizarre apologies that seem to paint her as the victim in this nightmare situation.

Public reaction to the Deen situation has been mixed. Her diehard fans are rallying behind her. In fact, sales of Deen’s cookbooks are on the rise, and business at her downtown Savannah restaurant still sees long lines of tourists waiting to get inside to try out the “As Seen On TV” fare. Uncle Bubba’s Oyster and Seafood Restaurant on Wilmington Island is also as busy as ever.

However, there are plenty of people who aren’t happy with the Butter Queen’s use of the n-word. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, though, has made the statement that he thinks Paula Deen can be redeemed and he’d like to be the one to help her make amends.

I will say this…Paula Deen grew up in the south and her childhood was in a time and place where things were far different than they were for most people in other areas of the country. I can say this because I, too, grew up in the south and have seen “things” with my own two little pea-pickin’ eyes. In fact, some of the “old ways” continue to this day.

Now, I’m a new transplant to Ms. Deen’s neighborhood, but I can sort of understand the situation and how some of the older generation in this area still live and operate as if time stopped 50 years ago. For example, I needed some help around the house when we first moved in—general labor, yard-raking, etc., so I hired some people I located in the “help wanted” ads.

Well, I and the crew worked our butts off in the southern heat and humidity, and when it came time to break for lunch I invited everyone inside to join me in the a/c, and for sandwiches and something cold to drink. One of the gentlemen, an older fellow, said he’d like to have his lunch in the backyard under the shade of the trees. I wouldn’t take no for an answer, though. It was just too darn hot outside. Besides, have you seen the bugs down here. Holy cow! They’ll make a snack out of an arm or leg in nothing flat.

After we finished lunch and headed back outside, the man called me to over to thank me for lunch and for allowing an old “colored fellow” inside my house. His comment stopped me in my tracks, as you can imagine. Then he went on to say he’d never been inside a white man’s house in his entire life. He’d never eaten a white man’s food. And he’d never in all his life seen a white man invite a “negra'” (his word, not mine) man to enter his house through the front door.

Well, my new friend and I became buddies and he promised to take me fishing sometime in the future. Of course, he’s still a bit wary of the whole thing. After all, he’s never had a white guy in his boat. He even apologized for it being a small aluminum craft with no motor. I assured him that I can operate a paddle with the best of them.

Anyway, it would be nice if we could all put the past behind us, along with hateful words and ugly speech, but I doubt we’ll see that in my time, unfortunately.

But isn’t it funny how we all came from Africa (some of my ancestors were sold as slaves to the Egyptians), which means every single one of us are related, but are now separated by the mere color of our skin.

Personally, I think we should all just go fishing and forget about our troubles, even if it’s only for one day. What do you think?

*By the way, we’ve dined at Uncle Bubba’s and the food was pretty good, especially the shrimp. We did not, however, see a single server dressed in white shirts, black shorts, and bow ties. I’m just saying…

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Watching The Neighborhood: George Zimmerman

Watching the neighborhood

I’m sure that by now you’ve all heard of George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch guy who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a young African American man who was walking home from a local convenience store.

Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self defense, while the prosecution and Martin supporters claim the shooting was a deliberate murder motivated by race.

But what role in this tragic story does the Neighborhood Watch program play? And what exactly is the Neighborhood Watch program? Who sponsors it? And why was George Zimmerman out on patrol? Well…

The Neighborhood Watch program officially began in 1972.

Created and organized by the National Sheriff’s Association, Neighborhood Watch was established to reduce crime. Watch members are groups of citizens who live in the same areas and want to make their communities safer.

Local police agencies work closely with local Neighborhood Watch programs, providing guidance and, as events occur, use information gathered by Watch volunteers to better formulate a plan that best suits the needs of a particular neighborhood (more patrols in a given area, foot patrol instead of vehicle patrol, etc.).

Neighborhood Watch members are also active in providing assistance to the homeless and those in need after a major disaster.

Boris the Burglar is the widely-recognized symbol of the Neighborhood Watch program, and the presence of signs bearing his image is a signal to criminals that the eyes of the community are watching them and that the locals will be calling the police if they sense anything out of the ordinary.

Each “Watch” group should have a police officer liaison whose job is to provide guidance and to assist with the needs of individual communities.

It is the duty of Watch members to be on the lookout for suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. The Watch guidelines offered by the National Sheriffs Association (NSA) defines suspicious activity as “anything that feels uncomfortable or looks out of place. The guide also lists a few “activities” that could be considered suspicious, such as loiterers in places like school grounds or businesses that have closed for the night, and signs of forced entry on homes and businesses.

Watch members are encouraged to report any strange or unusual activity, including suspicious or illegal actions and dangerous situations.

It is important that all Watch members report legitimate concerns and they should do so by calling 911. It is also important that Watch members remain safe, and that includes watching and reporting from a safe distance from where the odd or illegal activity is taking place. In fact, the Watch guidelines spell out a very important safety suggestion for its members. Here’s a screenshot of the reminder taken from the NSA Neighborhood Watch manual:

This somewhat brief notice leaves very little room for interpretation. Actually, the statement is pretty much to the point.

So where does this leave George Zimmerman? He was a Neighborhood Watch member, a leader in his local organization, I believe. He was also well known to members of the police department. In other words, he was no stranger to “how things work.” And, more importantly to this case, he took action.

On the night of Trayvon Martin’s death, Zimmerman was driving through his neighborhood (I understand he wasn’t on duty as Neighborhood Watch). He saw Martin walking through the neighborhood (there had been recent burglaries in the area) and called the police to report the stranger (Martin’s father lived there, but Martin did not).

Martin wore a dark hoodie, with the hood up and on his head, as he made his way to his father’s house. By the way, many criminals, of all races, wear hoodies as part of their disguises—an attempt to mask their identities. However, it was raining, therefore a hood worn over the head would be a natural thing to do. I’ve done it many times, including the night I was in my own yard clearing heavy, wet snow from some very young Deodar Cedars. Well, my neighbors saw a dark figure wearing a hoodie and immediately called the police. After all, who in their right mind, other than someone who was up to no good, would tromp around outside during a brutal snowstorm, at midnight? It took a lot of convincing on my part that I was indeed who I said I was, and I still don’t think the two deputies believed my “snow on the trees” story.

Anyway, Zimmerman parked his car, got out, and headed after Martin, supposedly to see what he was up to and to keep him in sight until police arrived. Of course, we all know that within a matter of minutes Martin was dead and today George Zimmerman is on trial for murder.

Let’s assume Zimmerman did exactly what he said he did. And while we’re here, let’s leave out the racial aspect. I want to address only the fact that Zimmerman left his vehicle to follow Martin.

Was it illegal for him to get out of his car to follow Martin on foot? Remember, a dispatcher told him, “You don’t need to be doing that (following Martin).” And, the paragraph from the NSA Neighborhood Watch manual clearly states that citizens should never take action on their observations.

Well, the key word here is SHOULD.

There is no law preventing anyone, including George Zimmerman, from getting out of his car and taking a walk. The dispatcher’s statement was not a police order, so he didn’t disobey her. Besides, she doesn’t have the authority to order someone to remain inside their vehicle. Still, she didn’t say, “Do not get out of your car, and that’s a direct police order.” But to include the word should, well, that’s like telling your kid that he should eat his broccoli. Will the little darling eat his green vegetable after hearing that statement? Or would he be more inclined to do so if you said something like, “Eat your broccoli…now!”

I believe Zimmerman was legally allowed to carry a firearm. So he didn’t violate any laws there either. Should he carry a weapon while on Watch duty? I don’t know what their rules say regarding firearms, but I’d think the police and the organization would both frown on Watch members carrying guns. Again, though, no laws were broken. Keep in mind that an organization’s rules and regulations are not laws. You can be removed or fired for breaking a private rule, but you cannot be arrested for it (unless the rule is also an actual law on the books).

What happened after Zimmerman and Martin came together is now up to a Florida jury to decide, and they must do so based on facts, not assumptions, race, prejudices, media speculation, gut feelings, wishes, hopes, or dreams.

But whether or not George Zimmerman was breaking the law by stepping out of his vehicle, well, that really should be a non-issue. Simply because someone says something—in this case, the dispatcher—doesn’t make it a binding law.

You know, as in, “I should have been working on my book instead of staring out of the window wondering why the red-headed woodpecker in the palm tree by the pool doesn’t get a headache from all that wood-pecking…but I’m not.” If only someone would come along and say, “Get to work!”

Oh, oh, here comes the wife. I just might be hearing those words after all.

So what are your thoughts on George Zimmerman? Guilty of murder? Or, did he act in self defense?

 *By the way, I am a proud Sheriff Member of the National Sheriff’s Association, and I wholeheartedly urge you to support your local sheriff.

 

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A Bit Of Firearms Myth-Busting

Yes, an unarmed teen could kill you

Police shot and killed a man in Jackson, Mississippi last week. They had no choice but to return fire after the suspect fired a shotgun in a crowded parking lot where the officers were investigating a disturbance.

Still, one person commented that she didn’t understand why the officers didn’t use other tactics to disarm the shooter. Couldn’t they rush him and take away his weapon? She also wondered why the officers didn’t shoot the man in the arm or leg instead of mid torso. Others are now claiming the officers’ motivation was racial, saying they shot the man merely because of the color of his skin.

For starters, incoming bullets and shotgun pellets have no race. They aren’t assigned an ethnic background. They are race neutral. And it doesn’t matter if you are white, black, brown, purple, or green—fire a round at a police officer and you can expect to see another headed back in your direction.

People, please…cops are allowed to shoot back. They’re allowed to defend themselves. And, they’re allowed to defend you. And they do!

As far as shooting the hands or legs, well…

Here’s a bit of firearms myth-busting.

1. Cops DO NOT purposely shoot to wound. Nor do they shoot to kill. They’re not trained to do either, and they don’t. Instead, police officers are taught to shoot center mass of their target, and they’re taught to shoot until the threat ceases to exist. Again, cops do not shoot at arms, hands, guns, legs, and fingers. Not on purpose, anyway. And they certainly don’t shoot guns and knives out of a suspect’s hands. Seriously, some cops are lucky if they’re able to successfully shoot a qualifying score at the range. So to shoot a knife out of someone’s hand…puhleeze.

Besides, and believe it or not, cops are human. They have emotions just like you. They’re frightened at times, and their adrenaline shoots through the roof during tense situations. You know, just like other humans…you included.

So here’s a fun experiment…why don’t you try shooting something the size of a human hand while it’s moving, all while watching other threats and the positions of victims and innocent bystanders, and while your own knees are knocking and your hands are trembling. After all, it’s you the thug is trying to kill. All it takes is bullet to your head and it’s instant bagpipe music. No pressure, right?

2. Revolvers DO NOT automatically eject spent brass (cartridges). A shooter must manually dump/eject the spent rounds from the cylinder. Pistols (semi-automatics) and other semi-and fully-automatic weapons do automatically eject spent brass.

3. Cops always keep a round in the chamber of their weapons. Therefore, they DO NOT pull the slide back on their pistol when they’re about to enter a dangerous situation. To do so would eject a live round (bullet) from their weapon, leaving them one bullet shy of a full magazine. And I already know quite a few cops who are one bullet shy of a full magazine. We don’t need more.

4. Again, cops DO NOT “thumb off” the safety when they’re entering a dangerous situation. Police officers DO NOT carry their weapons with the safeties engaged (on). Their duty weapon must be ready to fire at all times. That extra second it takes to think about flipping off a safety could cost them their life. That’s if they remember to do it at all while under fire. Believe it or not, folks, bullets flying around your head is actually pretty stressful, so you may not be thinking all that clearly at the time. Also, please do a little research about the weapon carried by your protagonist. The one you’ve chosen may not even have a safety (SIG Sauers do not).

Glock semi-auto pistol and two spare magazines

5. Revolvers, as a rule, DO NOT have safeties.

6. Rifles and shotguns. I see these two used interchangeably, and they’re not. Not even close. Yes, they’re both considered long guns, but a rifle has a barrel with interior spiraled grooves that cause the projectile (bullet) to spin (think of a football thrown by a quarterback). The spinning increases accuracy and the distance the round can travel.

Rifle

Normally, shotgun barrels are not rifled. Instead, a shotgun has a smooth barrel that’s designed to fire a shell containing several small pellets, called shot.

Shotgun

When fired, the shot spread out allowing a greater chance of hitting a target. However, a shotgun is basically accurate only at closer distances, such as 75 yards or less. But, hitting a moving target, or smaller targets, is much easier with a shotgun than with a rifle.

 *Again, cordite is not used in modern ammunition. Your hero will not smell it when he enters a murder scene because it is NOT present. Please don’t try to justify writing it simply because you think it sounds cool to do so. Believe me, it’s not cool. Instead, writing it into a scene merely shows the writer hasn’t done his/her homework.

After all, you don’t use a hammer and chisel to pound out your manuscript on a stone tablet, so why write modern cops using antique ammunition?

Sigh………

*Please remember that not all police department utilize identical rules and regulations.

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Walter Mosley’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey: A Cop’s Eye Review

Last days of Ptolemy Grey

I enjoy a variety of books written by a variety of authors, and I like a variety of genres. I know, you probably expected that I’d stick to crime-type novels featuring cops, robbers, mystery, and gun battles. Actually, my sagging bookshelves are filled with everything from biographies to memoirs to mystery, suspense, thrillers, and even the classics. I like Agatha Christie, Mark Twain and Poe. I also like Annie Proulx’s writing. The Shipping News is a fantastic book, as is Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants. Poetry has a permanent place on my shelves, nestled among novels, true crime tales and other non-fiction.

My favorite authors include many of you, and that list is practically endless.

When I open a book I want to go on a journey with the characters. I want their words to take me away from the troubles of the world, and it doesn’t hurt if they also send my emotions on a brief roller coaster ride.

I do think I tend to look at books from a perspective that’s different than that of the average reader. I say this, because in my lifetime I’ve experienced a good deal of things that most people do not. In fact, many of those experiences haven’t been at all pleasant. And I certainly hope you never have to see or learn of those things first hand. I won’t go into detail, but I will say that my experiences have provided me with the opportunity to meet an array of people, both good and bad, with some living their lives in the middle of the road.

As an investigator, I’ve had the opportunity to study a wide variety of people, prying into their backgrounds, learning their innermost secrets and private behaviors. I’ve searched for weaknesses and strengths, and throughout my career I’ve found that the ability to “read” people can be the key to solving crime. And, the ability to read people—to understand their motivations and actions and why they do what they do—makes me look at characters in books as if they were living, breathing people. It’s a habit. I take the time to study an author’s characters and their behaviors—the way they speak and move, their thoughts (if the author allows us to see them), and how the characters interact with others on the page.

Walter Mosley is an author whose characters ring very true to me. He has an uncanny ability to use dialog, dialect, and setting to breathe life into his stories. Sure, other writers are able to achieve similar results, but it is Mosley who somehow knows the “walk and the talk” that many others can’t quite seem to grasp.

The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey is the story of an elderly black man who’s walking that fine line between dementia and reality. At 91, the walk is quite difficult, and Ptolemy often slips to the bad side of the line. He’s both physically and mentally frail—as fragile as a tiniest of silk threads.

A man of Ptolemy’s age did most of his living when times were different than what today’s generation experiences. It was a time when black men and women were treated badly and unfairly, even more so than what goes on today. Mr. Grey’s mind slips between today and “back then.” One moment he’s living in his filthy rat- and roach-infested apartment in a crappy L.A. neighborhood where muggings are part of daily life, and in the next instant he’s back in Mississippi watching as a mob lynches and sets fire to his beloved uncle and mentor.

Grey sleeps on the floor beneath the kitchen table because there’s no room anywhere else in the cluttered apartment. Besides, his bedroom is the room he shared with his precious wife who died long ago. He couldn’t stand the thought of sleeping in the same bed where he opened his eyes and saw her laying beside him, dead.

Ptolemy Grey’s days consist of listening to a single news station on the TV, and a classical music station on the radio. He doesn’t change the channels because he doesn’t know how to return the dials to his favorites. His entire world revolves around the war in Iraq and Mozart, and young healthy men killing one another in the streets over drugs and money.

Grey’s grandnephew, Reggie, is his only connection to the outside world. Reggie drops by once in a while to take the frail old man to do his grocery shopping. Grey’s life is quickly turned topsy-turvey, though, when Reggie is killed in a drive-by shooting. Another nephew shows up to help Grey with his shopping, but he steals most of his uncle’s cash, thinking the old man won’t know the difference. This nephew also takes Grey to Reggie’s wake where Ptolemy, a child in an old man’s body, meets a 17-year-old girl, Robyn, who is all alone in the world. The two form an instant bond and Robyn takes it upon herself to help Ptolemy regain and retain his dignity during his final days.

Ptolemy is obsessed with “making things right” with his life before he dies, and he knows the time is near. He’s nearly 92, after all. And he’s aware that he slips between today and “back then.” He understands that he sometimes gets confused and doesn’t remember the simple things.

So, Robyn gives Grey’s apartment a thorough cleaning, and she sees to it that Ptolemy’s basic needs are met. She takes him to a doctor who offers the old man an experimental drug that will tame the dementia, but only for a short while, because the drug will eventually kill him. Grey agrees, believing he’d made a deal with Satan, and he begins his quest to make things right. With a new found spring in his step, Grey also decides to seek revenge against the man who killed Reggie.

The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey is a love story. It’s also a story where the reader is allowed to see the world through the eyes of someone suffering from dementia. It’s about family (or the lack of), and their selfishness and/or selflessness. It’s a tale that kept me turning the pages until I had the last one in hand, wishing for more.

Walter Mosley delivered Ptolemy Grey to the world back in 2010 when this book was first published, and meeting him was an extraordinary experience for me, because as a police detective I’ve met numerous Ptolemy Grey’s—each living in squalor, desperately trying to speak the words they once knew. They were frail men who could barely shuffle their way from a kitchen littered with dirty glasses, cracked plates, and iron skillets caked with bacon grease and rodent droppings, to the bedroom where a 5-gallon lard tin served as a toilet. Their nephews and nieces stole their guv’ment checks and made fun when their uncle’s sentences came out as a jumble of nonsensical babble.

To many, Ptolemy Grey is merely a character in a book. However, there’s a real-life Ptolemy Grey living somewhere near you. Sure, his name will be different. In fact, the neighborhood kids probably call him Mr. Jones, or Mr. Taylor. But they’ll all know where the old man with the walking stick lives. The old man who says crazy things at times.

Don’t believe he exists in your town? Well, ask a police officer if he/she knows him. I’ll bet they do.

*The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey was published in 2010. It’s just as powerful today as it was then.

 

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Friday's Heroes - Remembering the fallen officers

 

You gave your all to protect and serve us, and for that we are eternally grateful.

Officer William Jacob Sprague, 30

Texarcana Texas Police Department

June 15, 2013 – Officer William Sprague responded to reports of a disturbance involving 100 people, or so, and as part of his investigation he attempted to speak to the driver of an SUV. As Officer Sprague approached the vehicle the driver accelerated, striking the officer. The driver then fled the scene.

Officer Sprague died as a result of the injuries he received. He is survived by his wife and son.

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My Cousin Is An Asian-German-British Pygmy From Rome…Y’all

Asian, German, British

 

Last week I was just an average guy. I was born in an average size town situated in a small state where not much goes on, well, unless you count the state fair, fishing, and raising chickens. Lots and lots of chickens.

Things changed for me just a couple of days ago, when I learned that my lineage began in East Africa where the ancestors on my mother’s side, who were among the first people to leave their homeland, moved northward to follow good weather and plentiful game. The arduous trek took them along the banks of the Nile where water was plentiful, for a change. Their descendants eventually wound up in the Mediterranean region and western Asia, where they hung out with Neanderthals. Now, this was some 60,000 years ago, so “hanging out” merely meant to co-exist, not yuck it up together at the local cave bar while sipping on dinosaur dung daiquiris.

Along the same time, my father’s ancestors also journeyed out of Africa to the Middle East, India, and Europe. They were hunters and gatherers. Actually, a fair number of these folks, Mbuti and Biaka Pygmies, remained in Africa (I guess I now understand the short stature of many of my relatives).

My father’s peeps, some of the first to arrive in Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia (they were the ancestors of the Aborigines) eventually made their way to the Americas.

Australian Outback

Sometime around 50,000 years ago (no, grandson, I know you think I’m old, but I was not alive back then), the males in my lineage gave rise to the genetic marker that is currently found in 90-95% of all non-Africans. This group had settled in the Middle East; however, the climate there grew colder, so, being nomadic, they moved on to bigger, better, and warmer places, traveling through what is now known as Iran, to Antolia (Turkey) and the Balkins. Our lineage is still found today in a small number of Pakistani’s.

Meanwhile, my mother’s ancestors, some now Cro-Magnon, had reached Europe. Their friends, the Neanderthals, had ceased to exist. My maternal ancestors’ lineage can still be found in people of Ethiopia, Somalia, and Arabia.

Near Endaselassie, Ethiopia

Still moving, many of my maternal ancestors settled into Western Europe, Asia, and southern portions of Russia. Some made their way back into Africa where they likely fell victim to the Arab slave trade.

So, with changing climate and the urge to travel (now I understand why Denene and I have moved so often over the years), a large number of my mother’s ancestors ended up in Rome and Athens. In fact, our particular marker is found in 40-60% of European populations.

So, as my mother’s people were finally establishing some roots in Europe, my paternal ancestors were still on the move. One specific marker in their genetic make up started in Central Asia, but moved on to Europe—the UK, Ireland, France, and Spain.

Part of my lineage can be found today in Russia, Northern Africa, the Balkins, Asia, and in approximately 55-58% of Western European lineages (43% of Central European lineages). Some made the journey to the Americas.

My male genes are strongly present in France, Ireland, and Spain. And our presence is known in Iraq, Lebanon, and Kazakhstan. I’m distantly related to Croatians, but more closely related to the Ashkenazi Jewish population.

Finally, my parents met, dated, and enjoyed spending time with each family, not really knowing a lot about either.

My mother’s grandmother was Native American (Cherokee), and I distinctly remember her long silky-black hair that remained dark even into her elder years. Her eyes were the color of burnt motor oil. She was a quiet and soft-spoken woman who loved to cook on the wood stove in her small kitchen. Everything was homemade, including the bread pudding and yeast rolls that I adored.

My great-grandmother was the only person in my immediate family of a different ethnic background, or so I thought. Never would I have expected to be related to Mbuti and Biaka Pygmies, or that my ancestors had been slaves. Sure, I knew that all man had originated in Africa, but I guess I never really thought about the journeys that took place during the thousands of years after my first genetic marker was born.

Having my DNA examined by the National Geographic Genegraphic Project certainly opened my eyes. The experiences took me on an adventure that began some 140,000 years ago, and will continue until men and women no longer exist. And, with all the troubles in the world today, the end of human existence may not be all that far away. I’m just saying…

 

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Weaponized Hairspray

Weaponized Hairspray

 

Using hairspray as a chemical deterrent to ward off attackers has been a hot topic lately. The general idea is to keep a can handy on the nightstand beside the bed, or a smaller can inside a handbag. Then, as an unsuspecting attacker approaches, the would-be victim sprays the hair-stiffener into the thug’s eyes, who is then supposed to immediately run away.

Personally, I do not recommend the use of hairspray as a means of defense against attackers. It’s not totally effective—you must hit the eyes (peppersprays can be effective without direct contact to the eyes), and carrying the stuff gives a person a false sense of security. Unless you practice/train with it, chances are that using it in real-life would be totally ineffective.

The other premise is for the victim to use a cigarette lighter to ignite the spray as it leaves the nozzle, turning the misty chemical into a homemade flamethrower. Now, what halfway intelligent crook would dare continue his advances when faced with a fire-spurting homeowner?

Well, the ideas are good…spray the attacker’s eyes which could render him incapable of continuing the assault, or, set his hair on fire causing him to run outside looking like a human 4th of July fireworks display. But, there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. For obvious reasons, remember to use the aerosol hairspray, not the pump type.

2. The actuators (push buttons) on aerosol cans are normally made of plastic and could melt when exposed to prolonged extreme heat/fire.

3. The flame generated using a hairspray can extends only as far as the distance reached by the spray, which is basically a couple of feet. Therefore, an attacker could simply wait at a safe distance—four feet, or so—while your weapon slowly burns up/extinguishes. Or, he could stand at a safe distance and roast a marshmallow or two while waiting for the flame to subside. Also, if the attacker is only two feet away when the victim begins the process of match-striking and spray-squirting, he could easily disarm the victim.

4. While standing in your bedroom, striking matches and flicking Bic’s, an attacker could easily grab the blanket from your bed, toss it over you and your flamethrower, and then beat you senseless.

Of course, you could always switch to deodorant as a source of power for your flamethrower/chemical deterrent. At least then the attacker would smell nice while he pounded out a rhythmic Latin beat on your head.

Oh, and there was the fight between two Michigan women where one grabbed a can of hairspray, aimed it at her opponent, and set the stream on fire. Well, the flame never reached the other woman, who grabbed a lamp and hit the fire-sprayer with it. When police arrived they found scratches on the faces of both women…and a broken lamp.

Of course, there’s a more deadly use for hairspray…

Way back when (sometime during the late 1980’s), Virginia coalminers decided to strike, becoming rowdy in the process, and when the state police moved in to restore order they were met by jack rocks in the roadways (jack rocks are large, sharpened metal objects shaped like jacks—kid toys—designed to flatten car tires), gunfire, and incoming spuds fired from potato cannons.

The VSP spent nearly $200,000 to replace flattened car tires during the period when over 400 troopers were assigned to the area on a rotating basis. The state police spent nearly $8 million keeping the peace during the nine month strike.

Anyway, back to Potato cannons. They’re simple devices, generally made from PVC pipe, a source of ignition, such as a barbecue grill spark-lighter, and an accelerate, such as hairspray. Users wedge a potato into the open end of the cannon, squirt hairspray into the area where the igniter is installed, close the cap, and then flick the igniter. The spark ignites the hairspray which then propels the potato. A simple, yet effective process.

During the time of the troubles with the miners, I just happened to be at the State Police Academy for in-service training and was lucky enough to be one of the cops chosen to test fire potato cannons. The idea was to see how much damage they could do and then relay our findings to the troopers assigned to the mountain areas where the strike was taking place. So, after firing a couple hundred pounds of spuds at various targets, we learned that the force generated is often great enough to send a spud through plywood, cinder blocks, and even the door of a passing trooper’s car. The cannons were surprisingly powerful.

Below is a video recorded by author and Florida law enforcement officer James O. Born. In the brief film, Jim demonstrates how to fire a potato cannon. His target is a bit…well, unconventional, but the action is real. You’ll notice a large cap on the rear end of the cannon. That’s where hairspray is applied. And, you’ll see Jim holding the ignition switch in his right hand.

Take it way, Jim…

 

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Josh Moulin: How Your Computer Can Be a Threat to National Security

Josh Moulin,

 

Cyber attacks and warfare are among the greatest threats to the United States.  The federal government and private industry spend billions of dollars every year in people and technology to defend critical systems and data.  Our cyber defenders must stop the threat every time an intrusion attempt is made, but our adversaries only have to get it right once.  Daily media reports of cyber breaches, loss of personal information, disclosure of classified information, and state-sponsored advanced persistent threats (APTs) fill the headlines.

 

Image courtesy of TrendMicro

Government agencies and the private sector are attacked literally every hour of every day by unskilled hackers trying for any vulnerability they can find.  The real concerns however, are organized crime rings and foreign countries that have armies of highly skilled attackers with the financial backing and patience to get into networks and stay inside once they have created an opening.  These organizations will pay developers thousands of dollars to create custom malware, often referred to as “zero day” attacks that will slip past network security defense-in-depth systems and exploit computers because security systems haven’t seen this new threat before and don’t know to stop it.

A common tactic used by attackers is to obfuscate their Internet Protocol (IP) address, making it more difficult to trace illegal activity and to put blocks in place on network devices such as firewalls or routers.  One way this obfuscation occurs is when an attacker hijacks another computer and then uses the hijacked computer to do their criminal activity.  These hijacked computers are often referred to as “jump points.”  When an attacker uses a jump point to do their hacking, it will make it look like the jump point was the source of the attack.

When I was in law enforcement I investigated a case just like what was described above.  An organized crime ring found a vulnerable computer in the Pacific Northwest that they exploited and took control over, making it their jump point.  The attacker then used this jump point to exploit another computer that belonged to an employee of a medical facility.  Once the medical center computer was compromised, the attacker proceeded to obtain the credentials necessary to drain tens of thousands of dollars from the medical center’s bank account.

During the investigation, an IP address was identified as the source of this attack.  I obtained a subpoena for the Internet Service Provider (ISP), which held that IP address and discovered it was assigned to an elderly couple in a nearby state at the time of this attack.  A search warrant was obtained for their residence and law enforcement seized their computer and sent it to us for analysis.  In short, we discovered that this unfortunate elderly couple had nothing to do with this attack except for providing a high-speed Internet connection and vulnerable computer to the attacker.  We were never able to identify the attacker in this case.

 

Image courtesy of techweekeurpose.co.uk

The case highlighted above is financially motivated, but it could have easily been an attacker using this jump point to hack into national security information or the energy infrastructure.  There are some easy steps any computer owner can take to harden themselves against becoming an accomplice to a cyber-terrorist.   Some of the steps computer users can do to protect themselves and the country include:

  1. Always have anti-virus software installed and updated daily with the latest definitions.
  2. Install operating system security patches and updates.
  3. Keep third-party software applications updated.
  4. If using WiFi at home, ensure it is protected with encryption and consider other steps such as MAC address filtering and hiding the SSID.
  5. Turn off your computer and/or Internet connection if away for an extended amount of time.
  6. Use a firewall (software or hardware).
  7. Don’t click on links embedded in email messages when they are suspicious or untrusted.
  8. Use tough passwords and don’t re-use passwords (e.g., don’t use the same password to login to your computer as you do for your email and Internet banking).
  9. Use encryption on all your devices when available.

Everyone should practice these and other information security steps to protect themselves from becoming a victim of identity theft, financial fraud, forgery, and other criminal activity.  By reducing the number of exploitable computers within the United States it protects our citizens and our nation from this type of cyber attack.

*     *     *

Josh Moulin has a long history of public service, beginning in 1993 as a Firefighter and EMT. After eight years of working assignments including; suppression, prevention, training, and transport ambulance, Josh left the fire service with the rank of Lieutenant when he was hired as a police officer.

Josh spent the next eleven years in law enforcement working various assignments. Josh worked as a patrol officer, field training officer, arson investigator, detective, forensic computer examiner, sergeant, lieutenant, and task force commander.

The last seven years of Josh’s law enforcement career was spent as the commander of a regional, multi-jurisdictional, federal cyber crime task force. Josh oversaw cyber crime investigations and digital forensic examinations for over 50 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Under Josh’s leadership, the forensics lab was accredited by the American Society of Crime Lab Directors / Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB) in 2009.

Josh has been recognized as a national expert in the field of digital evidence and cyber crime and speaks across the nation on various topics. He has testified as an expert witness in digital forensics and cyber crime in both state and federal court on several occasions. He also holds a variety of digital forensic and law enforcement certifications, has an associate’s degree and graduated summa cum laude with his bachelor’s degree.

In 2012 Josh left law enforcement to pursue a fulltime career in cyber security, incident response, and forensics supporting a national security federal agency. Josh now leads the Monitor and Control Team of a Cyber Security Office and his team is responsible for daily cyber security operations such as; incident response, digital forensics, network monitoring, and log analysis. Josh also holds an active Top Secret security clearance.

Josh is happy to answer questions for authors and can be contacted at:

Website: http://JoshMoulin.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmoulin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshMoulin

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joshmoulincom

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/103854822765147479965/103854822765147479965/posts

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/JoshMoulin

 

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