Uniquely Heroic Americans - Episode 121

What are the mysterious objects seen flying over Santopolis? Can Falk stop them with the help of a new paramilitary force made up of old familiar faces? How do you feel about cilantro? Listen to find out!

Uniquely Heroic Americans, episode 121 of This Gun in My Hand, was seasoned and lorded over by Rob Northrup. This episode and all others are available on Youtube with automatically-generated closed captions of dialog. Visit http://ThisGuninMyHand.blogspot.com for credits, show notes, archives, and to buy my books, such as Sisyphus, Eat Your Heart Out, available in paperback and ebook from Amazon. What makes my chili taste uniquely American? This Gun in My Hand!

Show Notes:
1. Is this the first episode to quote Dead Kennedys lyrics? Maybe.
2. Darn, I should have started the ad with “speaking of motherships…”
3. Robert Thomas Northrup’s mother did not rewrite the ad text in this episode. Some unnamed fictional character who wrote the ad might have solicited notes and rewrites from their mother, or might have been lying. Many statements made by characters in This Gun in My Hand are lies or mistakes. That’s for you to determine because your interpretation is more important than the actual author’s intent. See “The Death of the Author,” an essay by Roland Barthes.
https://web.archive.org/web/20200419132326/http://www.ubu.com/aspen/aspen5and6/threeEssays.html#barthes
4. “In the Western world, Persia (or its cognates) was historically the common name for Iran. In 1935, Reza Shah asked foreign delegates and League of Nations to use the term Iran (‘Land of the Aryans’), the endonym of the country, used by its native people, in formal correspondence.” - “Reza Shah,” Wikipedia, 2 January 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shah#Replacement_of_Persia_with_Iran

Credits:
The opening music was from The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950), and the closing music was from Killer Bait (1949), both films in the public domain. Transitional music around the commercial was from the June 9, 1946 episode of the public domain radio show US Steel Hour of Mystery. Most of the music and sound effects used in the episode are modified or incomplete versions of the originals.

Sound Effect Title: tug boat horn - sound effect.wav
By komal22moiz
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
https://freesound.org/people/komal22moiz/sounds/380825/

Sound Effect Title: R11-19-Army Marching Steadily.wav
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/s/480434/ 

(another marching sound to layer with above)
Sound Effect Title: Chân Lính
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/s/546791/ 

Sound Effect Title: Stomach Rumble
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/people/yrdn/sounds/473989/

Sound Effect Title: groaning1.flac
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/people/borygmi/sounds/414975/

Sound Effect Title: 38 Caliber Gun Shot 5x
Recorded by Mike Koenig
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
http://soundbible.com/375-38-Caliber-Gun-Shot-5x.html

Sound Effect Title: Kimmokkeita / Ricochets
By YleArkisto
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
https://freesound.org/people/YleArkisto/sounds/401921/

Sound Effect Title: A slap or smack in the face
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/s/522596/ 

The image accompanying this episode is a modified detail of the cover of the public domain comic book Fightin’ Marines Number 14 (May 1955), artist unknown.
https://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?dlid=21270

Zildjian's Away to Shropshire - Episode 108

In gratitude for his assistance, Lord and Lady Pelennor invite Falk to visit their estate. Is there no end to their generosity? Is there no escape? Is chili better than rashers for your supper? Listen to find out!

Zildjian’s Away to Shropshire, episode 108 of This Gun in My Hand, was lorded over by Rob Northrup. This episode and all others are available on Youtube with automatically-generated closed captions of dialog. Visit http://ThisGuninMyHand.blogspot.com for credits, show notes, archives, and to buy my books, such as Little Heist in the Big Woods and Other Revisionist Atrocities. How do I resolve the endless yearning between two hearts and bring them together? With This Gun in My Hand!

Show Notes:
1. This episode is a spin-off from the fake commercial “Henley’s Away to Shropshire” in episode 73, and partly inspired by season one of Sanditon.

2. Another example of rich or middle class Brits taking strange children into their homes is Wuthering Heights. I’m aware of the fan theory that Heathcliff is an illegitimate son of Mr. Earnshaw, which explains why Earnshaw would favor the boy over his own children. But the cover story Earnshaw apparently expects everyone to believe is that he adopted a kid off the street at random. As Eighteenth Century Brits were wont to do, I guess?

3. Lord Pelennor uses the word “arse,” so it’s not cussing by American standards even though they pronounce it exactly the same way as that other word. Not going to mark this episode as having “explicit language.” 

Credits:
The opening music was from The Sun Sets at Dawn (1950), and the closing music was from Killer Bait (1949), both films in the public domain. Most of the music and sound effects used in the episode are modified or incomplete versions of the originals.

Song Title: The Fairy Queen, Z. 629
Composed by Henry Purcell, 1692.
Performed by Carl Pini, John Tunnell, Anthony Pini and Harold Lester.
License: Public Domain
https://musopen.org/music/11140-the-fairy-queen-z629/

Song Title: Consolation, Songs Without Words, Op. 30, No. 3, Adagio non troppo (E major)
Composed by Felix Mendelssohn
Performed by Anonymous
License: Public Domain
https://musopen.org/music/348-songs-without-words-op-30/

Sound Effect Title: Outdoor ambience near a forest with birdsong (Midlands, England)
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/s/727609/ 

Sound Effect Title: R22-05-Two Horses on Dirt Road.wav
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/479790/

Sound Effect Title: G52-10-Horse and Buggy.wav
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/437081/

Sound Effect Title: 20070918.galloping.horse.wave
By dobroide
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
https://freesound.org/s/41180/

Sound Effect Title: S01-01_Horse trots in on hard dirt; stops; trotting out.wav
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/675422/?

Sound Effect Title: Horse-drawn carriage - Approach and stop.wav
By Sirderf
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
https://freesound.org/s/333680/

Sound Effect Title: stomp01.wav
By JanKoehl
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
https://freesound.org/s/85600/

Sound Effect Title: G38-03-Horse Gallops Through Leaves.wav
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/s/437096/ 

Sound Effect Title: horse snort breathe eat recording
License: Public Domain
https://freesound.org/s/531429/

Sound Effect Title: Horse Whinny 1.wav
By GoodListener
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
https://freesound.org/s/322445/

Sound Effect Title: Fist banging on wood surface.wav
By 221339
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
https://freesound.org/s/655133/

The image accompanying this episode is a modified detail of a panel from Stories by Famous Authors Illustrated #1, August 1950, in public domain, pencils and inks by Jim Lavery.