Hemingway was The Babe Ruth Of American Literature

Jack Engelhard at the Washington Times looks back at novelist Ernest Hemingway.

NEW YORK, July 2, 2013 — In the end, the will to die was stronger than the will to live. On the morning of July 2, 1961, Ernest Hemingway aimed a double-barreled, 12-guage shotgun at his head, pulled the trigger and thus ended the short happy life of America’s most famous writer. He was 61 and we do not know what would-be books he took to his grave.

Fittingly, he often spoke of the power of silence, or as biographer Kenneth Slawenski reminds us about J.D. Salinger, the secret to great writing resides in the “fire between the words.” On the temptation to write long, Hemingway remarked that there are times to resist and to “say no to a typewriter.”

Was Hemingway a great writer? The greatest? That is an argument, so let us leave it at that, but without a doubt he was a prose stylist par excellence, even though his most beloved work, The Old Man and the Sea, was more poetry than prose, and it earned him the 1954 Nobel Prize.

He was the Babe Ruth of American literature. Often enough he did swat it out of the park. He was a boozer and a brawler but turned devotional when he sat down – or stood up – to write. Famed for that granite-like style, he claimed to have no style, only the blood, sweat and perseverance to cobble together the cleanest sentence possible. In virtually all his paragraphs there is a sense of urgency. This is also how he lived.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/novelists-view-world/2013/jul/2/engelhard-hemingway-and-generation-lost/  

Former FBI Agent Makes Dramatic Apology To Slain Man's family At Whitey Bulger's Racketeering Trial

At FoxNews.com you can read about John Morris, a former FBI Special Agent who apologized to the family of an alleged murder victim of James "Whitey" Bulger.

Boston - A former FBI agent who admitted taking payoffs from James "Whitey" Bulger offered a tearful apology Monday to the family of one of Bulger's alleged murder victims, but the man's widow said his words "didn't mean anything."

The apology came as John Morris was being cross-examined by a defense lawyer at Bulger's racketeering trial. Bulger, 83, is charged with participating in 19 murders in the 1970s and '80s while he allegedly led the notorious Winter Hill Gang.

Morris testified that he told fellow FBI agent John Connolly that Edward "Brian" Halloran had given authorities information about a murder Bulger's gang was suspected of committing. At the time, both Morris and Connolly — his subordinate — had corrupt relationships with Bulger, who he said was a longtime FBI informant at the same time he was committing a litany of crimes.

Prosecutors say Halloran and Michael Donahue — an innocent bystander who had offered Halloran a ride home — were killed in 1982 after Connolly leaked the information to Bulger. Bulger is accused of opening fire on the car as the two men left a Boston restaurant.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/01/former-fbi-agent-makes-dramatic-apology-to-slain-man-family-at-bulger/

You can also read my Q&A with Dick Lehr, the author of Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss, via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2013/06/crime-beat-column-q-with-dick-lehr-co_17.html 

He Quit Whitey Bulger's Gang And Almost Didn't Live To Tell

Howie Carr, author and columnist for the Boston Herald, is covering the Whitey Bulger trial.

Billy Shea is the hood who got away — from prison, from the cops and, most of all, from Whitey Bulger.

Or maybe Whitey Bulger is the guy who got away from Billy Shea.The two gangsters met yesterday for the first time in almost 30 years, the 74-year-old Shea on the witness stand just a few feet away from his old boss, to whom he often addressed his answers, starting with, “Jim ...”  

Shea was a self-described paranoid ex-con when he met Bulger in 1977. Less than a decade later, he was running Whitey’s multimillion-dollar drug operation.

But then Shea wanted out, and relations deteriorated to the point where he found Whitey, Stevie Flemmi and Kevin Weeks knocking on his front door at 262 E Street.

“This is the first time I’ve ever talked to Jim with someone else around, and now he’s got Stevie Fleming — that was his street name — who’s just as dangerous as Jim. I ran upstairs and got a gun.”

You can read the rest of the column via the below link:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/columnists/howie_carr/2013/07/carr_he_quit_whitey_s_gang_and_almost_didn_t_live_to_tell

Note: The above photos of James "Whitey" Bulger were released by the FBI.

Suspect Arraigned In Home Invasion, Beating of Mom Caught On Nanny Cam

The New York Daily News reports on the arraignment of the suspect in the Nanny Cam case, in which a mother was brutally beaten in front of her small child during a home invasion.

The hulking brute who was caught on a nanny-cam beating up a helpless New Jersey mom capped the brutal attack by throwing her down a flight of stairs.

“We believe it was his intent to kill the woman,” Essex County chief assistant prosecutor Tom Fennelly said Tuesday. “We believe the charges are supported by the evidence.”

Fennelly’s revelation came after 42-year-old Shawn Custis (seen in the above mugshot) pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, robbery, burglary and child endangerment at his arraignment at state Superior Court in Newark.

Dressed in a blue button-down shirt and speaking in a barely audible whisper, Custis said he was unable to post the $750,000 bail and was marched out of the court.

... Custis, who lives in the Inwood section of Manhattan, has a rap sheet going back to the 90s. He was released from a New Jersey prison in December after doing time for four burglaries.
But Custis became infamous last month when he allegedly broke into the mom’s home in well-off Millburn, N.J. and attacked the young woman while her 3-year-old daughter looked on in horror.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/suspect-arraigned-home-invasion-beating-article-1.1388065

Military Special Operators Provide Decisive Capability, Says Senior U.S. And NATO Commander

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 - Special operators, working together through the NATO Special Forces Headquarters, have provided the decisive edge during NATO missions in Europe, Afghanistan and Africa, and continue to improve their capabilities across the land, air and sea domains, the senior U.S. and NATO commander in Europe said today.

"These 'quiet professionals' provide unique current and emerging capabilities that enable our team to respond rapidly and precisely in ways no one else can," Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, noted in a blog posting. "As our military teams across the alliance find more efficient and effective ways of providing the right forces at the right place and at the right time, we will increasingly look to our special operators to get the job done."

Breedlove praised the role of special operators after presiding today over the NATO Special Forces Headquarters' change of command ceremony. Air Force Lt. Gen. Frank J. Kisner passed command to Navy Vice Adm. Sean A. Pybus.

Breedlove (seen in the above DoD photo) recognized the operational support the headquarters has provided more than 2,200 allied and partner special operations service members serving in Afghanistan under the International Security Assistance Force mission. Meanwhile, the NATO Special Forces Headquarters has provided special operations expertise to Operation Unified Protector in Libya, Operation Ocean Shield off the Horn of Africa, Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean Sea and other NATO missions, he said.

The general attributed much of the success of these missions -- and future ones -- to the NATO Special Operations Forces Training and Education Program. This initiative is "the centerpiece of building and sustaining allied and partner SOF capability," he said, with more than 3,500 special operations personnel from 34 nations graduating from the program's 26 courses that span the spectrum of special operations capabilities.

Breedlove singled out examples of these capabilities across the region. Members of U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, based in Stuttgart, Germany, "are accomplishing great things every day on the ground, in the air and on the seas across the European theater and beyond," he said.

New aircraft arriving in the theater will bring additional capability, specifically in support of crises response, disaster preparedness and emergency airlift missions, he noted. The first of two CV-22 Osprey aircraft at the British Royal Air Force base at Mildenhall, United Kingdom, represent "a first for U.S. special operations aviation in Europe, providing transformational vertical-lift capability to our theater," he said.

Also arriving are the first of 12 MC-130J Commando II aircraft, "uniquely capable of low-visibility, low-level aerial refueling missions for special operations helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft, as well as infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of ground and maritime special operations forces," the general said.

"These aircraft bring new capabilities to our theater that are welcome additions," Breedlove said. "These important upgrades will allow our special operators to fly further, faster, higher and longer than ever before, dramatically increasing our theater special operations capabilities and range of modern support to our European partners."

Meanwhile, Special Operations Command Europe continues to focus on expanding theater-wide SOF capabilities. Efforts to train, develop and enable European allies and partners "thickens our lines," Breedlove said.

In Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force's Combined Special Operations Task Force 10, led by the only U.S. special operations forces serving under NATO operational control, includes special operators from Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Breedlove recognized the contributions the element is making across nine Afghan provinces, with "profound effects on enabling the Afghans to assume full responsibility for their national security."

Navy Special Warfare Unit 2, Special Operations Command Europe's maritime element, also remains heavily engaged in Afghanistan, Breedlove noted. Teamed primarily with Romanian and Polish forces and Afghan law enforcement officials, they are "bringing some very bad people to justice," he said.

Meanwhile, the unit has built strong relationships with allies from Greece and Denmark and Norwegian navy special warfare teams to create "a theater maritime response capability second to none," Breedlove said.

Looking to the future, Breedlove said coalitions will remain the cornerstone of international military missions. Just as in current operations, he said special operators will be looked to "to get the job done."

"From what I have seen thus far, our quiet professionals in NATO and Eucom are exactly the right people to meet this challenge," he said. "They are a special breed, and I'm grateful for what they bring to our team." 

Note: The top DoD photo show U.S. Navy SEALs in training.

Defense Department Helps Military Families Avoid Money Scams

Terri Monk Cronk at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2013 - While dodging financial scams seem to have become a part of life, Defense Department officials have measures to protect the military community from such circumstances, a senior Pentagon official said in a recent interview.

Scamming incidents in the military parallel those in the civilian community, Barbara Thompson (seen in the above DoD photo), director of the Defense Department's office of family policy, children and youth, told American Forces Press Service.

But scammers might target military families because of service members' dependable incomes and frequent moves, opening them up to potential scams that can affect their financial readiness when renting or buying a home and securing car loans, she added.

"It's really important that we look at our entire [financial] readiness campaign as a way to empower our service members and their families to have the flexibility to meet the goals and dreams of their future," she said.

It's vital for military families to do their research and build their awareness against scams, she added, and myriad resources to help in this endeavor are available on and off military installations.

"You may decide to do a move on your own and find someone who doesn't have liability insurance, or doesn't deliver your household goods to your residence [and instead] goes off with them," Thompson said.

She also warned against house closure, auto loan and credit and debit card scams. "Sometimes, they look official and as though they're sponsored by a government agency, but it's deceit," she added.

Installation legal assistance officers can help when such issues arise, and certified financial counselors can provide support, guidance and advice at family assistance centers on military installations, she said. The counselors know the community and are likely to be aware of less-than-scrupulous vendors and service providers, she said.

The Military OneSource website offers a wealth of resources such as financial counseling and tip sheets on how to be a good consumer and avoid pitfalls, Thompson said.

DOD also has federal partners in the battle against financial scams, such as the Federal Trade Commission's Scam Watch, and the Treasury Department's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where one can register a complaint that will be investigated, Thompson said.

The Better Business Bureau Military Line compiles information on businesses that are less than reputable, Thompson said, and installation commanders also have the ability to put unscrupulous businesses on a list, she added.

Getting references from friends and colleagues and staying away from businesses that have negative consumer feedback are important steps, she said. Using the installation's credit union or bank also will help to ensure good choices in the community, she noted.

If a military family does find itself to be a victim of a scam, DOD also offers resources to help.

Consulting with the legal assistance officer on the installation only helps with recourse, Thompson said, but also advises the installation of a business that's not reputable to protect other service members and their families.

"You learn a lesson, but you also make sure somebody else is not taken advantage of," she added.

"The bottom line is you have to be a smart and savvy consumer," Thompson said. "You need to really think about your purchases, your purchasing power, and do your due diligence to make sure you're getting the right information and the right product for the money you're going to spend."

Jurors May Hear Whitey Bulger Recordings

Laurel J. Sweet at the Boston Herald is covering the Whitey Bulger trial in Boston.

After two weeks of listening to underworld associates and a corrupted FBI agent, jurors in the murder and racketeering trial of James “Whitey” Bulger could hear this week from the mobster himself — chatting about money and a murder on a recorded prison phone line.

Ken Brady, an investigator with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department, may be called by prosecutors today or tomorrow to testify about jailhouse recordings seized from the Plymouth County Correctional Facility, where the accused killer of 19 has been held in solitary since his 2011 capture.

The recorded calls are from Sept. 25 and Oct. 13, 2012, and pertain to “exchange of cash” and “the murder of Edward Connors,” according to the government’s exhibit list. The list doesn’t divulge who was on the other end of the line.

Bulger is accused of riddling Connors with machine-gun fire in 1975 as Connors stood in a Dorchester phone booth, to stop the former boxer from implicating him in a murder.

You can read the rest of the story via the below link:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2013/06/jurors_may_hear_whitey_bulger_recordings