Regan White's Ranting and Raving

On gin gimlets

A haiku composed and sent to me this afternoon by a dear friend who's addicted to the tangy, fresh taste of gin gimlets:

Ever fleeting joy

  Will weakens thinking of you

     My lips taste of gin

   ~ Pete "Gimlet" Trontis

 

He's not a ninja ...

but that didn't stop New Jersey resident and Johns Hopkins University student John Pontolillo, 20, from killing a home intruder with a replica samurai sword. Pontolillo's off-campus house had been robbed hours earlier of two laptops and a video game console. When he heard noises in the garage after midnight, he grabbed his samurai and went to investigate. He wound up confronted by 49-year-old repeat offender Donald Rice, who had just been released from prison on Saturday. Pontolillo struck twice in what any jury in America will have to find as self defense. Rice's hand was severed and his abdomen severely lacerated, according to reports.

Some might argue that this puts my sister's alma mater far ahead of my own. Whereas in the New Haven neck of the woods we students might be caught unawares, in the wilds of Baltimore those kids are prepared. With swords.

My two favorite quotes from coverage of this story come from the Baltimore Sun. The first, from a guy who lived in the house with Pontolillo this summer: "You don't expect to hear that someone you know killed a guy with a samurai sword," said Diego Ardila, 19. "From what little I know of him, he wasn't some guy going out to kill."

The second quote comes from the Baltimore police spokesman: :The police spokesman said the student who wielded the weapon had no advanced sword training. "He wasn't a ninja," Guglielmi said. 

That, my friends, is some very, very fine journalism. People dream of quotes like that just falling into their laps - and recorders. Occasionally it happens. But rarely does one get the long-sought-after ninja quote.

Sleep well - xo

Who has a shady alma mater?

That's, right! Regan does!

My thoughts go out to Yale graduate student Annie Le, her family and fiancee.

Happy Monday, everyone!

 

Belated birthday wishes...

A happy, happy, happy belated birthday wish to Ms. Monika Weymouth. May this be your most stellar  year yet, my friend.

What up, dogs?

Regan must sleep. In a big way. The quickest of updates:

1. I survived the trip to and from Boston. A whole host of nightmarish details aside, it actually was a blast. I hadn't realized how long it had been (or seemed) since I last saw my sister. I can't wait to see her again.

2. Posted is a photo from early on in my sister's going away party. The bangs aren't bangin' here, but they give you an idea. They're a bit longer now. I'm tempted to get them trimmed as I've been sidesweeping them like a damn combover. When I had them cut I discovered that the place I now get my hair cut at gives free bang trims. I feel bad always just going in there for free bang trims, though. Even with a tip.

 

3. I interviewed the owner of Via Veneto at Philips Place today. I wanted to buy the boots below. I figured they'd be an almost practical alternative to the red platform boots I wore in high school (Rather Kiss-esque they have six-inch heels and are red patent leather and covered in blue, purple and green hearts. I love them but find less and less occasions to wear them. Tragedy). At $595 they were a wee bit out of my price range for expendable income - even if they are made in Turkey, embroidered, leather lined and crushed cranberry velvet.

  damn!!! Aren't they hot?

4. Happy September!!! Oh my God it's pretty much fall. How did this happen? Where does the time go? What have I even accomplished this year???

xo