Spoiled Scoundrels And Pukes Galore!

 June 14, 2023

   Thanks to Mark Lee Gardner for recommending a very good book on the partisan warfare in Missouri: "Inside War: The Guerrilla Conflict During The American Civil War" by Michael Fellman. The author does a masterful job describing in gritty detail the breakdown of society—and humanity—both in Missouri and Kansas in the lead up to the war. One aspect I had never heard of before, is the border ruffians referred to as "pukes."

Daily Whip Out: "Jesse The Puke"

"Missouri Pukes were feared by their northern neighbors as dirt-wallowing, elemental brutes, suspended in a comatose state between bouts of primitive violence."

—Michael Fellman

   The first thing you have to realize in the Jesse James story is that he was not a cowboy. Almost all the movies and the legion of outlaw stories about him want to clothe him in outlaw cowboy garb with a big ol' hat. He was everything and anything but that. Although you know me, I can't resist a big ol' hat (see above!). But the truth is in most of the surviving photograph Jesse appears to prefer a modest style hat, sort of a Missouri farmer meets a riverboat gambler, pork pie job.

Daily Whip Out: "Jesse In Darkness"

One more for the road:

Daily Whip Out: "Lightning Jesse James"

  Just got word that a History Channel gig I was up for passed on my participation. Here's a good friend's take on it.

"I have usually had nothing but ill-timed or bad luck with Hollywood types.  Their attitudes usually also are like a bunch of malcreados!  or sin verguenzas!"

—Lynda Sanchez

The Spanish words malcreados and sin verguenzas roughly translates as spoiled scoundrels. Lynda translates it to mean "Impolite or ill-mannered brats without shame, wanting to manipulate and to hell with the truth." Amen.