Innehållsförteckning för Fall 2019 från SkillSet

The year was 1987. I had made enough connections at my local mall to have easy access to any “R-rated” movie I wanted to watch. I would mainly abuse this power by going to view cheap slasher movies, but I was always front and center when the latest action flick hit the screen. I will never forget watching “Cobra” Cobretti putting punks into body bags or Colonel Braddock rising out of a Vietnamese river to let loose with his M60. These action movies shaped my childhood, and they were definitely a motivating factor when I later joined the Marines. Fast-forward 30 years, and my dreams of becoming a soldier of fortune have faded. But thanks to streaming services, I can have full access to these gems of the silver screen.…

In this world we live in, there are the select few who are not satisfied with what others consider exceptional. They have it in their DNA to “take it to 11” and then snap the knob off. Those people end up becoming innovators and world champions. Nate Adams is such an individual. If you do not know who Nate is, he is one of the godfathers of freestyle motocross. After winning his first motocross freestyle world championship in 2002 at the age of 18, he continued to push the envelope of what is possible on a motorcycle. Nate Adams is also a dedicated father and a savvy businessman, and what he touches usually turns into gold. SS: You are freestyle motocross royalty, but for folks who do not know you…

My granddaddy used to say, “Son, you can tell a lot about a man by how he goes about pissin.’” I never really knew what he meant. I assumed he meant as in the proverbial “pissing in the wind” or something like that—that is, until I came across this crime against humanity. I did not encounter this abomination at some truck stop or greasy burger joint, but rather at a decent, suburban steakhouse (let’s just say better than Outback, but not quite Ruth’s Chris). What we have here is a person who is able to have great aim with his big head (when spitting out the tobacco pouch, he manages to get it in the bowl), but, somehow, horrible aim with his little head, which is actually CLOSER to the…

The year was 1988. I was in the best shape of my life, able to run on minimal sleep, do obstacle courses without even breaking a sweat, and I could eat whatever I wanted. I was battle ready and constantly asking my two superiors to let me loose to do what God intended me to do. They finally agreed, and I was able to plug into my first mission in New Zealand. There I was in the jungle—hot, sweaty and tired—but I knew I had to keep moving until the next checkpoint. I worked with two other guys named Bill Rizer and Lance Bean who were in a specialized guerrilla task force codenamed “Contra.” Our job was to stop the enemy at all costs with our cache of weapons, which…

The early 1990s were a turbulent time for the Balkans, to put it rather mildly. The death of dictator Josip Broz Tito saw the rise of nationalism among the member countries that made up Yugoslavia. The fall of the Soviet Union and the increased economic pain hit Yugoslavia hard. Within a few short years of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the countries of Yugoslavia descended into a violent civil war, marked by brutality inflicted upon soldiers and civilians alike. For four years, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians fought for their lives in a war that saw the resurgence of ethnic cleansing in Europe. Civilians were hit especially hard, as aid workers and Western powers tried desperately to get food, medicine and other aid to those displaced by the violence. But…

BACON-WRAPPED HOT DOG Ingredients: ► 5 Hebrew National hot dogs ► 1 cup dark brown sugar ► 5 slices bacon, thinly sliced ► (peppered is fine) Instructions: 1. Evenly coat bacon in brown sugar. 2. Wrap hot dog with a full slice of bacon, covering it evenly. 3. Place in the freezer for one hour or until bacon is frozen. 4. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. 5. Let cool and set aside. CANDIED JALAPEÑO Ingredients: ► 12 jalapeños, sliced into rings with stems removed ► 1 quart sugar ► 1 tablespoon salt ► 1/8 cup mustard seeds ► 1 tablespoon cumin ► 1 teaspoon coriander ► 2 quarts water Instructions: 1. Place jalapeños in four-quart container. 2. Bring all other ingredients to a boil. Whisk until…

On the luxury side, I would like to reference custom watch engraver Jeff Parke. Skillset magazine did a feature article on Jeff in one of its early issues, and since then, his work has been selling for twice its original sale value. His average price is $20,000 per engraving, but if you pick wisely, you can double your money. On the affordable side, I would highly recommend purchasing some vintage horror movie posters. Why horror movie posters? Well, the artwork is amazing, and they are not just limited to the United States. The entire world loves the horror genre and horror artwork. The average price per poster is anywhere from sixty to a few hundred dollars. While I have not seen any big price rises in this market, my gut…

Author and TV/Film actor Cork Graham first drew international attention in 1983 and 1984 as an eighteen-year-old U.S. Navy, Marine Option midshipman-turned freelance combat photographer imprisoned in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for eleven months. In 2004, the memoir of that adventure became an international bestseller, titled The Bamboo Chest: An Adventure in Healing the Trauma of War. His latest available is a whistleblower memoir about the dark side of the reality TV industry titled So You Want to Be a Reality TV Star: Everything I Learned About Sex, Drugs, Fraud, Rock and Roll, and Vipers as Team Leader of Discovery Channel’s Treasure Quest: Snake Island …. Follow him at corkgraham.com…

HELMET High-ranking warriors may have preferred metal helmets, but most were made from leather. Pop culture suggests Vikings wore horns on their helmets, but that is not the case. Battle Axe Also known as a Dane Axe, this two-handed weapon with incredible shearing power could reach over the enemy’s shield for an overhead attack. - Wood handle - Wide blade - Carbon steel - Weight: 2-4 pounds - Length: 2-3 1/2 feet ARMOR A gambeson is a quilted, padded coat sometimes worn for protection with plate armor. Leather would have offered more protection in combat, but it was an expensive upgrade for the average Viking. MAIL This mesh “shirt” was made from small metal rings linked together. It provided protection against being stabbed or slashed and was worn by wealthy,…

In the previous issue of Skillset Magazine, we told the story of Lance Cpl. James Stogner and 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, “The Walking Dead”. On April 5th, 2019 Stogner was awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.Semper Fidelis The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Navy Cross to Lance Corporal James H. Stogner, United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in action with the enemy on 5 April 1967, while serving as part of a machine gun team assigned to Company C, First Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division (Reinforced), Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, in the Republic of Vietnam. As Company C began to sweep to clear a hamlet, they were taken under intense enemy fire from automatic weapons, grenades, and mortars. The lead platoon…

monkeyedge.com 1. VINTAGE DEVEL CUSTOM SMITH & WESSON MODEL 59 ($6,000) Some of you loyal Skillset readers might remember way back in Issue 3, when I featured a rare, full-Devel, custom S&W Model 39. This double-stack 59 is an even rarer bird, as Devel customized even less of this model. It has all the signature Devel features, including new sights, a hooked trigger guard, new grips and magazines that allow the user to instantly get a visual read on remaining ammo. As well, it has a considerable reduction in size when compared to the factory model. Classic secret agent cool! 2. KIKU MATSUDA X FENRIR FIELD CRAFTS FANG FIXED BLADE ($530) Legendary Japanese knife maker Kikuo Matsuda has been perfecting his craft for over 40 years. The Fenrir Fang was…

It is a rainy Saturday afternoon and you’re sitting on the couch nursing a vicious hangover and surfing Netflix for something to take your mind off the gremlins jackhammering between your ears. So, what to watch? Standup? You’ve seen them all. Drama? Nah. Rom-com? GTFO here with that noise. Checking out the action genre, you realize that you have seen almost everything, and that most of them are pretty lame by action-movie standards. So, what gives? What happened to the movies that we grew up on? You know the type where Chuck Norris kicked the bejeezus out of anyone who stood in his way, Stallone never ran out of explosive-tipped arrows, and it was an undeniable fact that some serious ass was about to get whooped by Clint Eastwood. Did…

During the time this was written, homicides were up 90 percent in the city of Tijuana, with 212 documented murders being committed in the month of September alone. Most of these killings were committed as part of a turf war that has raged to this day between the Sinaloa Cartel and a partnership between what remains of the Tijuana Cartel and the New Generation Cartel. These are the documented numbers, but with the near industrial levels of body disposal methods that have been active in this part of the world, who really knows how many are unaccounted for or just forgotten? Tijuana was then at number five on the “Most Dangerous Cities” list. Those were the good old days, and since 2018 it has been at number one. The long…

The new “Scout Me In” slogan has a wonderful “Kumbaya” feeling of one big, happy world. The truth, however, is that the Scouts BSA, as it is now called, is on the verge of failure. Lieutenant-General Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell could have never anticipated that his beloved organization would one day be hijacked and corrupted from the inside. High-profile leaders, including CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, have taken what seem to be philanthropic positions with the Boy Scouts of America. However, they are, in fact, compensated handsomely with base pay, performance incentives and large pensions. Destroying the programs built by thousands of volunteers, these executives have been disastrous for the organization; they are primarily interested in generating additional revenue. Whether it is through doubling the pool of available participants or…

SS: So, the obvious question is how did you get started painting? FD: I started painting when I graduated from college in 1994. I began painting surfboards and T-shirts in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Then, I moved up north to Philadelphia and got into bikes, helmets and hot rods. SS: Who were the big influences who inspired your style? FD: My huge influences in the industry are Pete Finlan (Hot Dog Kustoms), my good friend Jim Pendergast (JP Graphix), Craig Fraser and Javier Soto. I learn from so many different styles. I am a huge fan of art. SS: When did you know you were able to make a living from your painting skills? FD: It was in the late 90s, when I was doing a few helmets here and there.…

The radio traffic between the observation post overlooking our area of operation and our command operations center entered my ears as I lay face down in the dirt. Their quick exchange confirmed what I already knew moments earlier: I had just stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). It has been a little over eight years since that day … eight years of living as a double amputee. To say that my life was changed that day would be putting it mildly. However, regardless of the challenges, I have striven to adapt and move forward with my life. Dealing with trauma, loss and hardship in our lives is inevitable. Why do some people recover from trauma or loss faster than others, while some become “stuck” and are unable to move…

“You have to go to college … you’ll never amount to anything without a four-year degree.” For quite some time, this way of thinking has been and is being passed down to young people entering adulthood. The idea of working hard with your hands and back to make a living is often frowned upon. High school students are told it will be impossible to take care of themselves and their future families without some piece of glorified paper from a university that is destined to put them in debt. Well, most of our parents and grandparents know that this isn’t the case. My dad grew up poor and has worked since he was practically a kid to provide for his family. His work has always been hard, but honest. He…