Phil Elmore's Blog, page 43

Paperboy Knife?

A friend found this knife at a flea market and bought it for a dollar.  He was told, by the seller, that this is a "paperboy knife," used decades ago by newspapermen to cut the twine on bales of newspapers.  I found another reference online to such a knife as a "postal knife." I am [...]

Technocracy: Who's Doing Your Fishing?

My WND Technocracy column today is about the welfare and unemployment "safety nets." Remember the old saying, "Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime?"  Well, you're not allowed to think that way anymore.  If you do, somebody's likely to call you a terrorist who hates poor people. Transfers of wealth [...]

"Ask the Martialist"

We have a new recurring feature at my 'zine devoted to success in self-defense, The Martialist. It's a tie-in both to our written articles and to our YouTube page.  Just e-mail us your question about self-defense, the martial arts, guns, knives, gear, or anything else that is at least vaguely related to what we do at this website [...]

Technocracy: Looking For Work in a 'Jobless Recovery'

Are you staring down the barrel of losing your job? One wonders why more Americans do not put the blame for this Sargasso Sea of economic malaise squarely on Obama's spindly shoulders… Have you faced it already?  Are you unemployed?  I've been where you are now… and I know many people who are, or have [...]

Duke Manfist Confronts the Burning Ring of Fire

Agent Duke Manfist of Secret Headquarters has fought his manly way through 20 testosterone-soaked adventures.  That's a pretty big deal, because it means we've gone 20 consecutive weeks (plus a couple of weeks during which the League website was being overhauled) of testosterone-soaked Duke. Today's episode, "Burning Ring of Fire," is the first of a [...]

Technocracy: Say Goodbye to Your CDs, DVDs

My WND Technocracy column this week is about the inevitable demise of the CD and DVD as data storage media. We, as users and consumers, must adapt with [evolving technology], or become as obsolete as the recording discs we now don't, won't, or can't use. Already, the lowly CD is too small to hold some [...]

Duke Manfist versus Pterodactyl Man

Duke Manfist is closing in on his first compilation of adventures.  In his latest serial episode, he faces a caped, cowled, crusading vigilante crime-fighter who bears a striking resemblance to… well, you know.  Read it today, only at The League.  

Razor Sharp Wit

The Seventies and early Eighties were a wonderful time for the self-defense industry.  Authors like Bradley J. Steiner were just coming into their own, recognizing the demand for obscure books on martial arts, weapons, and fighting methods.  Companies like Loompanics and, perhaps slightly later, Paladin Press and Delta Press (I admit I don't know the [...]

Technocracy: The Cultural Tyranny of Junk-Science 'Studies'

My WND Technoracy column today is about the industry devoted to producing specious "studies." Every implausible but externally motivated "study" of this type furthers the narrative of those attempting to marginalize their opponents. My column was inspired by a report alleging that Internet Explorer users are… well, retarded.  The study has since been described as [...]

Duke Manfist: Not My Fault

Except that it is. Today marks the conclusion of Duke Manfist's first season. A typical first-run television season is usually 22 episodes, or thereabouts, and Duke is nothing if not a visual project. I see Duke, and the absurd characters who populate his universe, in my head when I write him. Everything about the Duke [...]