Funny, to me "Egypt" on this map looks an awful lot like Iraq. Not that I have been there or anything.

A suicide bomber's plan to detonate explosives in Central Moscow on New Year's Eve was foiled when she received an unexpected spam text message that caused her deadly payload to blow up too early. A message wishing her a happy new year came hours before the unnamed woman was to set off her suicide belt near Red Square, an act of terrorism that could have killed hundreds of people. Islamist terrorists in Russia often use mobile phones as detonators. The bomber's handler, who is usually watching his charge, sends the bomber a text message to set off the explosive belt at the moment when it is thought they can inflict maximum casualties.

Artist furious for being busted on weapons possession over a pocket knife he uses for work

BY Melissa Grace
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, January 26th 2011, 9:01 PM

via soonerstateknives.com

The model of Benchmade knife that landed artist John Copeland in trouble.

Hermann for News

John Copeland in Manhattan Criminal Court.

Manhattan artist John Copeland has carried a pocket knife since he was a boy.

That was until October, when the noted painter was busted on weapons possession charges for having an illegal gravity knife in his pocket as he walked home at about 3 p.m. along E. 3rd St.

A judge Wednesday tossed the charges -  for which Copeland, 34, faced up to a year behind bars -  after  his lawyer explained to prosecutors he used it to cut canvases. Still, the artist is fuming.

"It's completely ridiculous. They arrested me for basically carrying a tool I use for work that wasn't a gravity knife - it was a folding knife," said Copeland, whose art is shown at the Nicholas Robinson Gallery in Chelsea and internationally.

"I've been carrying a pocket knife since I was a kid."

Copeland's lawyer, Ron Kuby, brought a published book of his client's work to court to show prosecutors he's an artist - not a criminal.

An illegal gravity knife is a folding knife that can be opened, and locked open, with the flick of the wrist. Copeland said he once asked a detective if the knife he carried, a Benchmade Mini-Ambush, was legal.

"[He] tried to flip it open and wasn't able to," Copeland said.

Kuby said Copeland has no criminal history and didn't threaten to use it as a weapon but that cops descended on him after spotting what they thought was a knife in his front pants' pocket.

The bust came after Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance Jr. announced a major initiative to get illegal knives off the streets, including a $1.9 million settlement with Paragon Sports, among other mega stores, for selling illegal knives.

Copeland said he bought his knife, which has not been returned, at Paragon several years ago.

Prosecutors had no comment.

I've carried a pocket knife with me almost everywhere for many years now. A small Benchmade folding knife is not a weapon, it is a tool. Sure it can be used as a weapon, but so can the desk chair I am sitting right now. This is the police and Judicial system stepping WAY out of bounds.

Bullshit like this infuriates me every time.