FBI Releases 2004 Crime Data

On October 18th the FBI released the final “crime” data collected in 2004. There is a lot of good news to share and a little bad. In 2004 the murder rate in our country fell by 3% which hasn’t happened since 2000. Gun related deaths fell 4.4%. The rate of “crime” is presented as a “whole”, but from August to December the “murder rate” dropped by 14 percent!

The rate of murder and robbery fell by 3% and 4%. The bad news is, that in the area of crime that we want to zoom in on: rape and aggravated assault, rates fell by only 0.2% and 1.5%. Ladies had still better keep the pepper spray and maybe a good personal alarm handy. It puzzles me that crime rates can be falling, and falling dramatically, in the most violent areas such as murder, but not in rape crimes. The crime rate is down 3% on the whole last year, but rape is only down 0.2 percent. This prompts one to encourage women to remember that they are still the prime criminal targets that they’ve always been. Stay alert and aware of your surroundings ladies!

If you’d like a good read on the FBI’s release of crime data with an interesting twist, check out this page. The columnist weaves the recent expiration of the “ban on assault weapons” law into the crime data, attempting to show that states allowing assault weapons (43), are doing better than the (7) states that have their own assault weapons laws in place. Some very interesting stuff!

They’re Saying Black Belts Can’t Streetfight?

A martial arts buff, in a nearby town (we know him very well) ran amok on two of his fellow townsmen over the weekend, outside a local watering hole. This young man is a 2nd Degree Black Belt I believe, and has about 7 years in the martial arts. Before that he used to be just a streetfighter. I’ve been to the pub in question on a Friday evening, with a mixture of drinkers (now drunk), and newcomers that are starting out for the evening. It is a blend of blue collar, construction worker, and biker type bar. In other words, keep an eye peeled for trouble when you’re visiting there. It has a long history of drunken battles, inside the bar and outside in the summer, it can erupt at the “drop of a hat”. Yup, a dirt and gravel parking lot too.

Daniel had stopped in to shoot pool and have a few drinks when his estranged wife and her boyfriend walked in and ordered. Not too long after that, words were exchanged between the two men over a game of pool. After about an hour, Daniel and his ex-wife departed the bar and were talking outside next to her vehicle. The boyfriend showed up with a six-pack of beer and tried to push Daniel aside and started to get into the vehicle. At this point, our guy grabbed the new boyfriend, and pressed him against the seat and punched almost straight down into the side of his head and face about 4 – 5 unanswered right handed punches. This a “power breaker’s” optimal power range, using the force of gravity, and all the power one can muster, to land devastating power shots. This poor guy got a handful of them. Daniel, attempting to remove him completely from the vehicle, then jerked him up and out by the scruff of his leather jacket, with such force, that it literally tore in two halves (splitting the full back seam) and Daniel ended up with a half leather jacket in his hands. He then proceeded in pulling him by the hair, out of the car, where a couple of well aimed stomps put an end to the guy’s attempts to get away. He was out cold.

Friends of the beaten man poured out of the bar but were paralyzed after witnessing the final stomps that their friend got, plus the wailing of police cars rapidly approaching. Everyone scrambled and got inside, some even took off in their cars as if they had something to hide. Maybe they did?? So where did our boy Daniel go? Nowhere! He just leaned back against the hood of the car that used to be his, and waited for the police to do whatever they would. After several minutes, our beaten up boyfriend appeared to be swelling up in huge knots all over his face and head. He was taken to a local E.R. and then released after observation and treatment.

So, this morning Daniel was arraigned for assault. The beaten man would not press charges against him (a benny of living in a small town). The prosecutor said that it was beneath the dignity of the state of “ABCDEF” to sort out and assign blame, in a bar brawl where both combatants were reported to be drinking at the time of the incident. The boyfriend asked for a restraining order to be put on Daniel, which he was granted. And in 10 minutes or less, it was all over. I talked to Daniel this afternoon and asked him why he thought the guy had dropped the charges? He told me that the prosecutor had spoken to them individually and basically said what he did in court, and that it was very difficult to determine these matters, whether you win or lose the fight. “Sensei”, he said as I told him I had to hang up, “I told that chump that if he didn’t keep his mouth shut, he could expect a replay”. That’s another way of handling matters.

Oh well he’s not my student, and it’s not for me to judge if he was out of line or not. He didn’t inflict any unnecessary damage to the man. It was just a 3 – 4 second flurry and over! That’s a lot of time for a trained fighter to work. I didn’t hear and see everything so he may have been pushed over the edge by this clown, I can’t say in all honesty. I was back near the door watching from the stairs so I could get a better view! Boys will be boys I suppose?

You CAN Protect Yourself…from ANYONE!

No Matter What Size You Are!

No Matter What Size the “Bad Guy” Is!

No Matter What the Odds Are!

I was surfing some blogs with related subject material. Just kind of checking up on what other crime bloggers are talking about, causes they’re pushing, and what they may be selling. There was one blog that seemed to have an “empowering women” theme that caught my eye. There was a post written about self defense and a picture of a kitchen steak knife. Dragging my cursor across the pic let me know it was a link, so I clicked it and found this high power, one page, sales letters. You know, the kind you have to scroll 75 times to read all the way to the end. Then you’re forced to make advanced algebraic calculations to understand how much of a discount you get, plus how many other downloadable reports you get (and their value) and then come up with a whopping $1000’s of dollars savings if you “buy now” for only $19.95.

Uh, I forgot to mention that for $19.95 you will become a “lethal weapon” like Mel Gibson but a lot more badass. In only 2 weeks, with 12 moves that can be mastered in a matter of minutes, you can totally waste anyone, even fighters from the UFC and Vale Tudo among others. Common thugs, pish tosh, you’ll chew them up and spit them out just for a warm-up. Just visit Kathleen MacNaughton at her online dojo and you can be tougher than Bruce Lee too!

This woman claims to have made her Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, but let her tell it: “I learned about 15 intricate “forms,” lots of fancy kicks and hand moves, and a smattering of Korean and Tang Soo Do philosophy, traditions, and history. But I didn’t really learn that many practical strategies for self defense that I knew with absolute confidence I’d be able to execute in a real world attack situation.”

And:

“The Problem with Most Martial Arts”

“Even martial arts experts get beat up in the streets. …often times these days, martial arts school is more about colorful belts, expensive uniforms, and those monthly dues, i.e., money.” On applications she adds: “Just imagine…OK, now, I grab his right forearm with my left thumb, turned to the outside, while I spin to the right … or is it the left … or is it his left wrist and my right hand…Forget it, by the time you remember how to execute the move, it’s too late to use it. The bad guy’s already got you!”

It sounds like she went to one of the schools she is describing above, “smoke and mirrors”, pay your dues, bow, take your belt and get in line and do fancy kicks! She goes on that her system (she is not the inventor but an outlet) was created by two street fighters who have had their share of bloody fights. They have also studied just about every martial arts and fighting style that exists. Mike Tyson just wagged his head and muttered again…absolutely ludicrous!!! First she says that martial artists can’t “get down” in the streets since they have to stop and think “or is it his left wrist and my right hand” and right after touting these two badass, bloody streetfighters, she interjects what she is trying to steer you away from in her USP (unique sales proposition) – studying martial arts – “They have also studied just about every martial arts and fighting style that exists” – ALL of them!

Whoa!! Who are these dudes? I NEED this information! Where did I put my credit card? Where’s my wallet, did you see Daddy’s wallet honey? Plus I get to be a Master of the system in well: “You don’t need to train constantly to become a master of this system! All you have to spend is a few minutes per day during those two weeks of training.

She repeatedly hammers at the negative of anything involving martial arts training. Like dedication, time, sweat, repetition, repetition, repetition, sparring with protective gear on, and gradually moving up to full contact sparring without protective gear on at all. Yup, bare knuckle, no holds barred sparring against other like minded black belts. I remember having my first foam hand tube tossed to me back in the mid 70’s and saying what am I going to do with this? This black belt and many that I have fought bare knuckle, no rules except stopping if someone gets knocked down, took our lumps in the dojo, and then after replenishing our body fluids at local area pubs, we were able to close some eyes and break a few teeth and ribs. And all this, against experienced bloody streetfighers too! They didn’t study all of the martial arts styles in existence though, so we kind of had them at a disadvantage. Oh well everyone needs an edge right?

I will refrain from further ridiculing this sales page but instead I’ll let you make up you mind and read it for yourself. Just don’t whup my ass in the next two weeks for steering you there ok?

IT Security and Crime Prevention Methods

Interpol reports it’s IT Security and Crime Prevention findings:

“The methods in this report can be used to prevent crime in companies, but can also be used to protect private computer systems.”

1. IT security: definitions

2. Information processing and IT security

3. Important IT security functions

3.1. Information classification

3.2. Documentation

3.3. Administration and personnel

3.4. User identification and authorization
Identification – Authorization

3.5. Logging

3.6. Back-up

3.7. Firewalls

3.8. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)

3.9. Incident Handling System

4. Computer architecture

4.1. Microcomputers (stand-alone)

4.2. Network architectures and mini-computers

4.3. Mainframes

4.4. Hand-held computers

5. Threats and crime prevention methods

5.1. Architecture-independent threats

Members of staff – unauthorized access from external sources – Media handling – Malicious program code – Electronic emission

5.2. Microcomputer (stand-alone, Personal Computer) systems

5.3. Network architectures and mini-computers systems

5.4. Mainframe computer systems

6. International work groups

“This document gives an introduction to what an investigator needs to know about Information Technology (IT) security measures in order to be able to carry out investigations in an IT environment and to give advice in crime prevention methods.

Information Technology plays an important and vital role in all sectors of society. As a consequence, security has become an essential component of IT. However, it is a complex subject and the appropriate measures will often depend, to a large extent, on the type and location of the IT equipment.

The potential security threats and risks have to be carefully assessed in every situation. It is absolutely vital that all concerned are made aware of the threats and risks that may affect them, and over which they have control. Only then will they fully understand and apply the appropriate security procedures.”

This is an excellent document with an in-depth perspective on all aspects of IT security and prevention of IT criminal activity. Each section listed above is a link to an informational section of the document regarding a particular aspect of the big picture. It is probably the most thorough and well written informational document that I have read regarding this “under reported” area of crime. Each section deals with an aspect of IT security, and the material, when read in order – it isn’t an easy read – but not quantum physics either – will slowly paint the whole picture for the reader. By the time you have completed it you will think ..ahhhh, that makes sense! You will find ideas and possible “chinks in your armor”.

Those requiring bulletproof IT security and looking to thwart attempts, before they become victims of hi-tech thieves, “this a must read“!

Gory Details in Dismemberment Slayings Trial

The Sioux City Journal reports that in Toms River, N.J. (AP) — The case is so grisly the prosecutor thinks jury selection may take longer than usual.

Jurors in the trial of Richard W. Rogers will hear about the slayings and dismemberment of four gay or bisexual men, and pore over photos of severed arms and legs, decapitated heads and mutilated genitals. Oh my gosh! I tried to get off jury duty for a robbery case and these poor folks have to deal with disassembled human body parts and the most grisly Q & A one could imagine in this shocking trial.

“The word ‘bizarre’ doesn’t even begin to describe the evidence in this case,” said Ocean County prosecutor William J. Heisler.”

“Rogers, a former nurse, is charged with murdering two men, then dismembering their bodies and leaving the pieces wrapped in double-knotted plastic bags along highways in Ocean and Burlington counties. The trial is expected to begin with jury selection Tuesday.” Did I hear someone whisper P S Y C H O……..

The prosecutors of the case were discerning enough that they will NOT be seeking the death penalty, since Rogers dismembered them AFTER he killed them. That’s really thoughtful he deserves a break for that small mercy shown….not!! If the guy murders them in cold blood he gets the death penalty. What does it matter that he didn’t dismember them while alive? The man is a monster (if found guilty) and deserves the death penalty irregardless. Outrageous!

It looks like he’ll be copping a “not guilty” plea all the way: “Rogers’ lawyer, David Ruhnke, says prosecutors have charged the wrong man.” Indeed, time will tell.

Rogers, who was acquitted for beating his college roommate to death with a hammer and set free as an act of “self defense”. It seems as though brutal murders have orbited Mr. Jones life for over 20 years, but have finally lined up for a collision course!

The Boy Next Door?

A family in our town (well more than one) has a 15 yr. old boy who is just “full of beans”. One look from a discerning father’s eye is enough to see he is bad news. Not unpleasant, but very shifty, nervous and overly polite. He and his best pal sport vintage mullet haircuts. Lonny Jr. or “Junior” to some, has a bicycle with about a 6 foot long front section on his little K-Mart sport bike which he can barely keep upright, but looks very cool on nonetheless!

Lonny’s Mom called my sister in law, who told my wife, that Lonny and his crew had taken over the empty house next to his grandmother’s house. This occurred because his Mom, Lonny and little “bro” Bobby, moved into Grandma’s next door, since Lonny’s Mom didn’t buy water for the holding tank, let the electricity and gas get cut off, not to mention the phone. It seems that she works full time and makes good money, plus an income from SS for an absentee father who is 100% disabled. A portion is directed to her for Lonny and Bobby, who will be part of the crew in less than 2 yrs.. She isn’t aware that you have to sit down a couple of times a month and write a few checks and mail them in to the service providers. She left the doors open last winter and raccoons and other wild animals “holed up” in there and tore the furniture to shreds, defecating widely throughout the house for a little sport. She is generous to a fault and gives her boys a huge allowance every month, takes the kids everywhere, (then just drops them off!) buys her friends gifts, but can’t seem to pay her household bills and so has ended up sleeping on Mom’s floor, rather than have a cleaning crew come to restore her interior and have the bank deduct her household bills automatically, and reclaim her house and some space.

Meanwhile, Lonny and his crew it seems, saw the opportunity for a “clubhouse”, snuck in the house, and spiffed it up enough to where a cave man might enjoy it. The buzz got out that it was becoming a known hangout for kids (boys and girls) between 13 and 16 and was the place this little gang spent it’s nights. Complaints were finally made and the police found the “posse” partying about 1:00 am Saturday night. They found one bottle of wine “empty”, 5 cans of beer in various brand names “empty” and cigarettes. These were obviously pilfered singles from Dad’s cooler or the neighbor’s garage. They also found what they called a “small cache of weapons”, in a storage chest. Included were: 2 butterfly knives, 1 sword, 1 set of nunchaku, and a big stack of girly magazines. The party was ended immediately and the children were taken home. The parents of these kids were roundly chastised by the cops for not keeping a closer “eye” on them.

Lonny and his Mom were charged with something. They are going to court for various reasons stemming from this incident. I think Lonny at the very least, may finish the year in a “bootcamp” type school they have here for young offenders here. They have no contact with others during school time but can come home at night. His Mom will probably be scrutinized closely for her “fitness” as a mother by Human Services.

I’m not judging Lonny except for what I’ve mentioned about his being the type I would hesitate to believe or trust. What he and his pals did is not so different than many of us adults did when we were his age. Maybe with a more stable home environment he would be young enough to help get straightened out. That’s where the Mom, even though alone, has to step up to the plate and put rules and boundaries in a child’s life, and be conscientious about enforcing them. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Massachusetts Sues Online Vendors

Waging the War Against Nunchaku and Switchblades!

“Massachusetts officials are cracking down, with Attorney General Tom Reilly suing seven out-of-state weapons sellers and three out-of-state ammunition sellers, charging they sold illegal products in Massachusetts.”

Reilly was also quoted as saying: “We cannot allow these dangerous weapons to get into the hands of anyone in Massachusetts, particularly our children….”

After a two year “sting” spending $5000.00 (sitting at a keyboard) ordering slingshots, butterfly knives, and nunchaku, seven companies were charged. These suits claim the weapons sellers sold and shipped stun guns, switch-blade knives, swords, nunchaku, throwing stars, sling shots and dirk knives to an undercover investigator in violation of statutes banning the sale of such items.

I have known of one of these companies for years and they sell nothing in the line of weapons that a martial artist does not use in legitimate and traditional martial arts training.

I think it’s a pretty sorry “sting” that takes two years and $5k to pull off. I could do it in a day but don’t hold me to that it might take a whole week – for their greed to overtake them and make the sale. What a hoot! You can type any of the products that they obtained and there are literally millions of web pages competing and listed for that term. Try stun gun for example, and you will see Google returns 2,490,000 results and Yahoo! returns 2,450,000 results. Although vendors have lists of “known” states, districts and cities that prohibit owning and the shipment of stun technology, the rules get very sketchy after that. Almost to a company there is a disclaimer, that while they can’t possibly know or list every rule and regulation for ownership of a certain items such as a pepper spray, that the consumer should check first with local authorities, before placing their order. They will also have a disclaimer that the person is over 18, it is legal to own in their community….ad nauseum, in their information our store policy sections. I think they do a darn good job, on the whole.

I think the attorney general is making a really big deal about a few orders from companies, and fulfilled in good faith. There’s no lists of states, cities and townships that prohibit the ownership or sale of a throwing star or a sling shot which is pretty much accepted, just about everywhere else. Click here to read the exciting details of this two year sting!

I think the Attorney General should have spent his time, and saved the taxpayers some cash, in trying to allow his citizenry to arm themselves instead of trying to catch seven online stores in two years selling him a stun gun, or some nunchaku. It’s a statistic – that States passing the “may issue” and “shall issue” concealed carry laws for firearms, have a lower rate of violent crime. Here’s an interesting piece which debates whether “may issue” states or “shall issue” states, have a lower crime rate. They dismissed the NRA figures and made some pretty nifty tables to show that the NRA had inflated the numbers in their favor, and then proceed to discuss their methods of tabulation and that the numbers were lower, but still lower nonetheless. Read it here! Didn’t they used to burn “witches” in Massachusetts?

Small Bits Wood, Bone, Metal Works Fine 

 The kubotan or yawara is basically a small piece of wood or metal. They usually run about 6 inches long. There are many who claim to have invented the Yawara, but Tak Kubota pioneered it as we know it today. That is a subject of two long articles and not germane to our discussion here. It is certainly not a threatening weapon, in terms of appearance, but getting hit correctly by one is possibly the last thing one would want to experience.

Having discussed more benign approaches to thwarting attackers, such as a keychain alarm, or pepper spray, they pale in comparison to the destructive power of the tiny kubotan. Sure, no assailant wants the sound and lights flashing from a personal alarm, they would rather work silently and in the darkness. We know that some seriously disturbed attackers, and some drunk or doped up assailants walk right through blasts of pepper spray, only to complete a vicious assault on the person who sprayed them. Is that true? Yes it is true, but not it isn’t the rule ordinarily.

The kubotan or yawara is long enough to fit the hand, with some protruding above the hand, and below it. These ends are flat, or pointed on one end (some are used as keychains). I use the pointed end and have a beautiful, dual pointed stick made from aluminum. It feels like your hand is empty if not for the checkered grip, and the methods I can employ it in are for securing the joints of an opponent or for thrusting and poking them in tender locations. They are also great for ladies to use as a keychain.

You don’t have to use it like a roll of dimes, or a poking and locking tool gals. Just hold the kubotan by the center and swing your keys into the attackers face! I guarantee you’ll buy enough time to launch a field goal kick into their genitals or to run away. If not, then you just start slamming the end sticking out of the bottom of your hand, into their face, eyes, neck, groin – whatever opens up!

The kubotan or yawara (whatever) is a nifty little piece of gear that should be on your “must have” list.

Parasites!

Rather than give you my usual stellar review of wonderful products to help ensure your safety, like 300K or 500k volt stun batons, or nifty little gadgets like a sports alarm for jogging, biking and self defense, I have been plagued by parasites which I only discovered today!

It seems like these losers go into the archives of authoritative weblogs and post idiotic comments with a link to their websites, in a lame attempt to garner Google Page Rank from an established site, in hopes that the administrator won’t discover them and they will gain an increase in popularity by adding more links or pathways to their lame products. Naturally, my first reaction to this discovery was to fanaticize about giving these leeches a solid stroke across the skull with one of my steel batons. Always rational, instead I had to spend about 2 hrs. going through every post I have written in the past year and manually delete the comments with links included, one by one. This was a very aggravating task and I felt like my readers would be cheated since a post was being written despite this long detour. They have now been removed and the posters will hopefully crawl back under the rocks they came from. The nerve…the greed! The more things change the more they stay the same I suppose?

For those unfamiliar with what I’m talking about; the parasite comes into your weblog and finds a popular post and instead of an “on topic” comment they post a live link to their websites (usually junk). Here’s a real example: I posted regarding a cool new trend for hospital workers on “graveyard shifts”, or doing room checks for handicapped or mentally challenged patients, residing in both hospital settings or even managed or assisted living facilities. Wise hospital administrators are buying personal alarms to alert the surrounding staff, if any lone employees find themselves in need of immediate backup.

Rather than the original use, to cause a potential attacker to stop from advancing and run, by pulling a pin which activates a very shrill 120- 130 decibel alarm to sound in these very small units (smaller than a pack of smokes), they are now seeing a lot of use by medical personnel and with great success. This is a peripheral and unexpected new use for these alarms. Very insightful and so inexpensive, that one incident prevented, would more than cover the price of 15 – 20 alarms.

So, along comes the parasite and leaves a comment “very well written and fascinating material, please come and see my 30 day guaranteed weight loss program” (the hyperlink) leading to their crummy affiliate site selling a diet plan you can instantly download after ponying up $29.95 to their PayPal account first. So there you have it, more crooks exposed, and in the world of cyberspace they multiply and come up with new scams faster than an honest “play by the rules” webmaster can keep up with. “The pox on the lot of them!” I always wanted to say that!