Brendan I. Koerner's Blog, page 145

The Kentucky Vendetta?

The nation-at-large first awoke to the notion of Appalachian feuding thanks to this 1885 New York Times article (PDF). Entitled “The Kentucky Vendetta,” the piece recounted a Rowan County spat that arose over a charge of horse thievery. The writer contended that when the courts were unable to provide appropriate redress, the Underwood and Holbrook families picked up their rifles and pitchforks:

I believe some 30 were “picked off” in the Underwood-Holbrook feud. It lasted over two years, and culmi

“…And a Very Fast Ostrich”

In celebration of the forthcoming Easter holiday, Microkhan would like to offer a very special dud for Bad Movie Friday: the infamous Leonard Part 6. The Bill Cosby spy spoof is allegedly a comedy, but is known to evoke fewer laughs than the typical root canal. As the Washington Post’s Rita Kempley so succintly put it in her pan:

Not only is this movie subliterate, it’s sub-Smurf.

Also, check out Siskel & Ebert’s take here. Ebert really doesn’t seem too psyched about the intersection of, uh, “art

The Ghost Fleet

The ultimate fate of the National Defense Reserve Fleet has become a hotly contested matter in recent years, as environmentalists claim the aged ships are leaking nasty toxins into California’s Suisun Bay. That certainly seems logical, since these rusting hulks were built in the age of asbestos, lead paint, and other environmental bogeymen. But a recent report (PDF) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration claims otherwise:

Sediments from the SBRF study area and the rest of Suisun

Wonderful Chaos

In terms of sheer magnitude and complexity, nothing on Earth can beat India’s electoral system. Indian election officials must ensure fair play in a nation of 1.15 billion souls, where a multitude of languages are spoken and infrastructure can be less-than-ideal. On top of that, India’s sheer passion for electoral politics means that minor parties number in the hundreds. In fact, according to the Electoral Commission of India, there are currently a shade over 1,000 political parties in the count

Chechnya and the Zikr

With Chechnya back atop the news, Microkhan wanted to take a moment to delve into the country’s rich-yet-brutal history. Much of what we know comes from the excellent 1998 book Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus. It’s dated, of course, since it stops well short of Russia’s comeback and the installation of a murderous, Kremlin-friendly regime. But it provides historical context for the conflict, and does a fine job of illustrating why so many Chechens resist any sort of Russian national identity.

Doctor Bigtime

Juris Shibayama is a modern-day Renaissance man, whose talents range from orthopaedic surgery to bodybuilding to the inhalation of hamburgers. The last of these skills has earned him rising-star status on the competitive eating circuit, where he’s currently ranked twelfth in the world (just below the great Patrick “Bib Sheet” Vandam).

Shibayama, who immodestly (yet accurately) calls himself “Doctor Bigtime,” recounts the feat that made him first realize he could someday rule the world of professi

Suicide in the Treasure State

Longtime readers know that Microkhan has a curious obsession with suicide. (We blame Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads.) So we couldn’t help but notice the fact that Montana has by far the highest suicide rate in the U.S., at 22 cases per 100,000 residents. That leaves even Nevada and its legions of busted, coked-out gamblers in the dust.

Yet here’s the rub: While Montanans appear to be killing themselves at an alarming rate, they’re quite reluctant to turn their pain or fury outward. The state has

Is It Real, or Is It Moissanite?

Even expert jewelers can mistake a well-crafted slab of paste for the genuine article. Or at least that’s the theory behind DiamondNite, a hand-held gadget that beeps when it’s placed against a diamond, yet remains silent when brought in contact with cubic zirconia or moissanite. DiamondNite’s manufacturer won’t reveal how the device works, but Microkhan suspects it’s basically a very basic sort of spectrometer.

Microkhan also highly doubts that the DiamondNite can catch truly well-done ersatz ge

“It’s Time”

Microkhan is off to the Elm City today, so this’ll be the last post for the next, oh, 19 hours or so. Thought I’d keep on this week’s Soviet-invasion theme, by offering up the climactic scene to Chuck Norris’s Invasion USA. I don’t think a spoiler warning is necessary, since no moviegoer with a half a brain would actually expect the Soviets to beat Norris on his own turf.

The Leninist baddie who gets his comeuppance here, in the most over-the-top fashion imaginable, is B-movie legend Richard Ly

Biocontrolling Fire Ants

Microkhan’s Sun Belt readers are likely all-too-familiar with the ravages of imported fire ants—especially if they’re in the business of providing us carnivorous Americans with our delicious, delicious burgers and tripe. Imported fire ants enjoy few victuals more than the flesh of a baby calf. As a result, the critters cost ranchers zillions every years.

The ants are thus a hot topic at this week’s TSCRA Convention, an annual pow-wow of Texan cattlemen. Those ranchers are being told that the solu