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“Never got the point of gambling. Life’s uncertain enough as it is.” “Gambling will be here long after I’m dead and buried, and you too. People are born with weaknesses and they pass them on. Sort of like Darwinism, only the stupid survive.”
Memory makes mistakes; what you write down is a lot better.”
1942 was the last year Detroit made cars before the war intervened?”
“Fame and influence are both often fickle and localized.”
There is a narcotics trade, Willie, that is very lucrative for the mob, and a lot of it comes over the border and over the water. These folks are invading this country, and nothing is stopping them so far.”
“Now, back in forty-two, I think it was, a Jap sub come right up to shore around here and opened fire with its deck gun and torpedoes. Did quite a bit of damage. Found out later another sub did the same thing off the coast of Santa Barbara near the Ellwood Oil Fields. Hit some fuel tanks and other such things. Now, nobody was killed, thank God, but it scared the hell out of everybody.” McKenzie took a moment to restuff and relight his pipe. “Anyway, it took so long for the Navy to get out there them Jap subs were long gone. See, Anacapa Island was the closest and it was still too durn far
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Are there any honest politicians?” “Sure. They’re mostly all honest in the first six months. It’s only the time after that where they convince themselves they can do no wrong and everything that comes out of their mouths is the gospel, but all they really care about is getting reelected.”
“You ever been so ashamed of yourself you can’t even stand to look at your reflection in the mirror?” Archer slowly shook his head. “No.” “Good. I hope you never get there.”
