I'm on "Vacation"

Which means that for the next couple of weeks I'll be ripping out my kitchen and painting the inside of my entire house.

Oh. Joy.

There is good news out there, though. He-who-shall-not-be-named reports that Brit Nicky Samengo-Turner, who was arrested on after a random stop-and-search for having a Swiss-army knife and a collapsable baton locked in his briefcase in his car, has been acquitted on the charges of carrying A) a lockback knife and B) an "offensive weapon" in public. He was arrested on Nov. 3 of last year, and it caused some stir in the blogosphere at the time, though I don't think I wrote about it here. I'm still looking (in vain) for a news piece on the story (somehow I doubt the medja in Old Blighty will find that story particularly compelling), but I'm glad to know that Mr. Samengo-Turner won't be serving any time for his "offence." Just paying through the nose for legal fees. All I've found is this little blurb in the Telegraph's "Business Diary":

Guilty of not paying attention to handbags

Common sense has prevailed after former banker Nicky Samengo-Turner was cleared of wrong-doing by a jury yesterday. He had been arrested last November under anti-terror legislation for having a pen-knife in his car. During a break from the procedings, his wife’s handbag was snatched in a coffee shop 100 yards from the court. He claims the police have yet to take "much of an interest" in the incident.

Here in Tucson I carry a wickedly sharp Spyderco lockback knife in my pocket, a Leatherman Wave multi-tool on my belt (which has two locking blades, each over 3" long), and a 9mm Makarov in the glovebox of my truck. None of these are "offensive" weapons. But in England they'd each get me thrown in the slammer.

Remember: "Violent and predatory" vs. "Violent but protective."

In England, all they see is "violent."

Except, perhaps, for Mr. Samengo-Turner's jury. Good on 'ya, mates.