Damn!

Seems the biggest smackdown taking place in New York tonight had nothing to do with Schwarzenegger's speech at the RNC.

NEW YORK (AP) -- With the largest loss in their history, the New York Yankees' lead was cut to 3 1/2 games, their August slump beginning to resemble a free-fall.

Omar Vizquel went 6-for-7 to tie the American League record for hits, and the Cleveland Indians routed New York 22-0 Tuesday night.

I need a smoke.

Department of Homeland Insecurity

Oh boy, doesn't this make me feel safe?

Ervin's report said 104 air marshals who had been granted security clearances had been involved in 155 cases of misconduct when they worked for the Bureau of Prisons previously. Offenses included falling asleep on duty, verbal abuse, breach of security, physical abuse of an inmate and misuse of government property and credit cards.

Between February and October 2002, there were 753 documented reports of sleeping on duty, lying, testing positive for alcohol or illegal drugs while on the job or losing weapons, the report said. In many cases, air marshals were suspended with pay.

And these are the people who ARE allowed to carry firearms aboard commercial aircraft? A lot of comfort that's gonna be to the passengers on-board when Ahmed and Abdul start slitting throats while six-year-old Timmy is playing with the air marshal's Sig P229 he just found in a men's room at Logan Airport.

Dumbass of the Day

Courtesy of the Boston Herald:

A befuddled Boston bandit suspected of starting off his daylong bank-robbing spree by mistaking a copy shop with an ATM for a bank branch was collared yesterday afternoon in Brookline, police said.

[snip]

"He passed a note to a one of the workers there demanding money," BU police Capt. Robert Malloy said. "They informed him they were not a bank. He then took his note and left in search of a Fleet bank. He said he was looking for a Fleet bank."

Not much more to say here.

Caption This

(pic "borrowed" from Ravenwood)

The Great Mullet Challenge - update

The Great Mullet Challenge post has been updated with the first prizes to be added to the prize package. To protect the innocent, pictures may be posted anonymously - get yours in today.

Voice of Reason

From KABA comes this column by Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute in Golden, Colorado. A very well-written, clearly-stated case for allowing the Assault Weapons ban to sunset 14 days from now, as it should.

The so-called assault-weapons ban is about to sunset. About time.

It was one of the goofiest gun laws on the books. It outlawed guns because they look mean — the perfect law for a superficial world.

The assault-weapons ban was racial profiling for guns.

No scare tactics involved, just the simple facts. No fear-mongering or cries of the impending apocalype. No childish mud slinging...well, except for the closer.

If you still have to outlaw something that looks nasty, ban Ted Kennedy.

Good stuff.

The People Have Spoken

Well, I thought I'd give the Blogger comment feature a whirl for a while there, but alas, the whirl has come to an end. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Haloscan comments.

Have at them.

Desert Island Discs - updated

From Kim's place, via An Englishman's Castle, comes the BBC's version of "Desert Island Discs". This time around, you have to pick eight records (singles - damn it!), one book, and one luxury item (Kim's was a rifle, if you couldn't guess).

I'll have my answers posted some time in the next 20 years or so. I figure it will take me that long to narrow down my song list. Note that much like the Massachusetts State Constitution these days, my list will be a "living document". I reserve the right to change my answers whenever I damn well feel like it.

Records (updates in red):

1. "Freewill" by Rush
2. "Life by the Drop" by Stevie Ray Vaughn
3. "Hell of a Hat" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
4. "Lunch With Ed" by Dogzilla
5. "You Are the Everything" by R.E.M.
6. "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC
7. "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" by John Lee Hooker
8. "YYZ" by Rush (from the recently released "Rush in Rio" CD)

(for the rest, see note above - then check back in 2024)

Book:

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman" - by Richard P. Feynman

From the Amazon.com review:

Fiercely independent, intolerant of stupidity even when it comes packaged as high intellectualism, unafraid to offend, Feynman informs by entertaining.

Luxury Item:

Hmmmm...I'd pick my guitar, but I kinda suck these days, it's been a while. Maybe a toothbrush and toothpaste. The practical side of me would tell me to bring a Leatherman Wave (or a good folding saw, camp shovel, etc.). I'm gonna have to get back to you on this one as well. Remember, I reserve the right to flip-flop on any these.

UPDATE: Screw it. I'll assume there are critters on the island that I can eat, or that can eat me. I'll go with this:



Remington 870 Marine Magnum 12 ga. shotgun (with several thousand round of birdshot, buckshot, and slugs). That should do it.

Zero-Tolerance Strikes Again

More idiotic disciples of the zero-tolerance P.C. gestapo movement working diligently, as usual, to save us from ourselves.

Terrell Jones, a student in Gwinnett County's Grayson High School, was weeded out of a classroom by a school administrator because he wore a shirt that read: "Hempstead, NY 516," a reference to the Long Island town and its telephone area code.

According to Jones' family, which moved from Hempstead to the Atlanta suburb, the school thought the shirt referred to marijuana. Jones wasn't allowed to return to class until he persuaded school officials to search the Internet for the town name.

No word on whether shirts reading "Grayson High" will be allowed, given their blatant drug use reference.

mAss Backwards Great Mullet Challenge

OK, this is my 250th post on this blog. Time to get out of the political and into the, well, just plain stupid, I guess. Presenting the "First Annual mAss Backwards Great Mullet Challenge". Contest is open to anyone who dared to rock out in the 80's with the venerable mullet adorning his (or her) skull. Entries must meet only two criteria for consideration:

(1) The entry must be an actual picture of the person submitting it

(2) Picture must be from the 1980's

Prizes to be determined at a later date.

UPDATE: The prize package will include these two stickers from Life, Liberty, Etc. - Peace Through Superior Firepower and Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and may be expanded later. OK, now let's get to it. Break out those photo albums and get those pictures scanned. Being ineligible to win my own contest, I would hate to award Matt first place by default.

Entries can be sent by e-mail, in JPEG form, to the address at the right. Now without further ado, allow me to kick off the GMC with my entry - circa 1989.

ENTRY #2 comes from Stark Truth's own Matt Ashby - circa 1987. Sweet tux, dude. And I hope you stashed the Visine you left on the mantle there before your folks got home.

ENTRY #3 comes from reader Drew Bryden, a fellow Bay Stater, who seems to have been going for the popular Tom Petty Mullet - circa 1984.

Bring Out Your Dead (Horse)

Police in Boston arrest a man yesterday for the Aug. 1 shooting of an 11-year-old boy at a city playground.

Pop quiz time (this one's a toughie).

The suspect, Kirk Gordon is:

(a) a licensed gun owner whose gun must have off accidentally while he was cleaning it.

(b) a law-abiding citizen who, upon obtaining a License to Carry, was magically transformed into a crazed, maniacal killer.

(c) a poor misunderstood individual driven to a life of crime by the irresponsible fiscal policies of the Bush administration.

(d) a violent career criminal with no respect for the law or human life - who had been previously let free on low bail awaiting trial for stabbing five men.

-----

Other notable bits from this story:

After the Gonzalez shooting, police and city officials complained about a lack of witnesses coming forward in that attack and several killings, saying the lack of cooperation hampered investigators' ability to solve the crimes.

Hmmm...there's an armed violent thug who lives in my building. Do I go to the police and risk having him find out it was me who dimed him out, given that the politicians who run this state have done everything in their power to render me defenseless against any retaliation on Mr. Gordon's part? I'll take "Keep My Fucking Mouth Shut" for $400, please, Alex.

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley also spoke, asking witnesses to keep assisting authorities, because the investigation is ongoing.

How about you provide them all with 'round-the-clock armed security personnel or let them carry firearms to defend themselves and their families? You know, the "rights" that you get to enjoy every day. Then maybe they'd feel like helping you rid their neighborhoods of these dangerous individuals.

Here's more on this scumbag, Kirk Gordon...

In another case involving Gordon, the 2001 graduate of McKinley Vocational High School pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court on May 10 to two counts of assault and battery as part of a plea agreement with Conley's office, according to court records.

As part of that plea agreement, Suffolk authorities dropped a carjacking charge against Gordon. Superior Court Judge Charles Spurlock then sentenced Gordon to 364 days imprisonment, the amount of time Gordon was held at the Nashua Street Jail awaiting trial, court records show.

Gordon is awaiting trial on five counts of assault with a dangerous weapon in the stabbing of five men with a 6-inch knife on an MBTA train in June 2002, according to David Procopio, a spokesman for Conley. Gordon, who allegedly stabbed one of the men in the chest, another man in the shoulder, and another in the back and shoulder, was released after posting bail.

He was indicted on the five assault counts in December 2002 and a hearing had been set for Sept. 9. Gordon's lawyer, J. Lawrence Kelly of Quincy, has filed a motion to suppress evidence authorities are hoping to use against the 23-year-old Mattapan man, records show. Kelly did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.

A regular choirboy. And yes, OF COURSE, we have to be subjected to this, from a woman who answered the door at the house listed as Gordon's residence:

"Kirk is the type of person that everyone who knows him and anyone who associates with him knows how deeply he loves," the woman said. "And tries to live his life in a manner that befits the way he was raised."

Amen.

Low

No shame. No fucking shame.

1971

I called the media afterward and asked them why and the answer was, from one of the networks, it doesn't have to be identified, "because, is, new business is really partly entertainment business visually, you see, and a press conference like that is not visual."

Of course, we don't have the position of power to get our ideas out. I said, "If I take some crippled veterans doesn't [sic] to the White House and we chain ourselves to the gates, will we get coverage?" "Oh, yes, we will cover that."

- John Kerry, testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, April 22, 1971

2004

'Nuff said.
____________

Note, this will be my last JOhn KErry post until the debates, where I sincerely hope some legitimate political discourse might transpire. Frankly, the recent antics, and the putrid, hypocritcal blather of the Kerry camp make me sick.

One final thought on the overwhelming lack of anything remotely resembling balanced news coverage by the mainstream media. There's been a lot of talk about how the major TV networks are apparently in bed with the DNC and desperately want Kerry to win this race. I honestly think, that just like the junior senator from Massachusetts, the networks are looking out for no one here but themselves.

Put it this way - you're watching a baseball game, and the score is 24-2 in the 3rd inning. Even if it's YOUR team that's winning, chances are you will decide there are better things you could be doing with your free time than sitting on your couch with your eyes glued to the set. The networks know all too well that if they were to present their viewers with all the facts regarding these recent shenanigans, expediting the collapse of the Kerry campaign in the process, the sound of millions of viewers all across America turning off their televisions would be deafening.

TV journalism is big business in this country, even more so during a presidential election year. It's in their best interest, financially, to have two dogs in this race right up to election night. Not that it will do them much good this time around. I can see it backfiring on them in a big way as their viewers turn to alternate sources of news and information and realize what a bunch of stooges the networks have been playing them for.

Anyway, that's my take on it. Agree. Disagree. At this point quite frankly, I really couldn't give a shit either way.

(original link above via Best of the Web)

Mass. Mentality (cont.)

Feeling down? In need of a little pick-me-up? A dose of comic relief maybe? Try the "Letters to the Editor" section of the Boston Globe:

REGARDLESS OF one's political affiliation, credit must be given to Karl Rove, the president's political adviser, for successfully forcing voters to think about only one thing during the weeks following the Democratic National Convention: John Kerry's alleged failure as a military hero in the Vietnam War.

Because, as we all know, Kerry's been doing everything he can to avoid mentioning his service in Vietnam, right? We all know that anything that comes out reflecting negatively on Kerry OBVIOUSLY has to be the brainchild of Karl Rove and his evil cadre of right-wing goons. Sheesh.

The charge is baseless, of course, but it has stuck to the image-makers' stories -- like the flip-flop myth -- in such a way that issues that matter have entirely disappeared: the failure of our mission in Iraq, the painful unemployment situation, the spiraling costs of health cares, the trashed reputation of this country, the selling of our forests and land to private interests, etc.

"Flip-flop myth"? Open your eyes and ears, you blind partisan stooge. Try thinking for yourself instead of reading off your dog-eared set of Michael Moore flashcards. And this "painful unemployment situation" you're whining about is not that different than the low level of unemployment this country saw under Clinton, which you and the rest of the leftist frisbee-pilots were holding in high exultation as a shining jewel in Clinton's crown. And if our country's reputation has been trashed in the eyes of socialist shithole countries and tyrannical despots throughout the world...boo hoo. That really breaks me up inside.

Is it possible that we citizens can wrest control of our political agenda from Rove and the hysterical Swift Boat Veterans for Truth? Is it already too late?

JAMES F. MANNING
Beverly

If, by that, you mean restoring control of the nation's political agenda to the likes of MoveOn.org and the rest of George Soros', Peter Lewis', and Steven Bing's well-financed 527 Committees, which have outspent the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth by millions and millions of dollars...then, um...no. Sorry, James, but Kerry and the Democrats brought this shitstorm on themselves. Screw them and the donkeys they rode in on.

Quote of the Day

Viking Pundit on John Kerry, after watching the senator's Daily Show appearance:

Take a big whiff America: there's a remote chance that this walking 2x4 could be President. He makes Michael Dukakis look like Robin Williams.

I'm assuming he's referring to the Pre-detox Robin Williams. Regardless, I sense a new t-shirt graphic on the horizon.

UPDATE: Sorry, Eric, but Dana Stevens over at Slate has got you beat:

From the moment the senator appeared and sat down on the gray sofa where, just last week, Bill Clinton basked in the audience's applause like a cat lapping up cream, Kerry's charisma was less than zero: It was negative. He was a charm vacuum, forced to actually borrow mojo from audience members. He was a dessicated husk, a tin man who really didn't have a heart. His lack of vibrancy, his utter dearth of sex appeal made Al Gore look like Charo.

Very nice.

It's a Family Affair

This is absolutely priceless - something you will NEVER see on the pages of the Boston Globe.

From yesterday's edition of the Union Leader comes this story of Boston Mayor Tom Menino's worst nightmare: a 16 year-old with a gun. Remember from a couple weeks back, how Menino blamed the recent surge of gun violence in Boston on the availability of handguns. That's strange, I read this article and I see a perfectly adjusted kid showing his mother how to safely operate a 9mm pistol - and actually having fun doing it.

Oh, the horror! What kind of parent would give a child such a dangerous killing machine?

I won't bother cutting and pasting any snippets here, it's all good. You can (and should) read the whole piece. Here's the picture accompanying the story.

Ryan Beauchamp, 16, shows his mother, Pam
Ganem,of Exeter, the workings of a 9mm
handgun she was shooting Sunday night at
the Manchester Firing Line Range ladies
night. (TOM THIBEAULT/UNION LEADER)

So that's what life is like in the United States of America. I'll have to experience that someday. All I have to do it seems is get the hell out of Massachusetts (yes, I'm still working on it).

If the shirt fits...

When Bingo is Outlawed...

...only outlaws will play bingo.

Residents of a Canton elderly housing complex are up in arms over a management decree outlawing bingo games on weeknights and weekends.

"I thought this was a free country," said Millie Ryan, 79, a legally blind woman who cherished her Monday and Wednesday night games at Hagan Court.

Sorry, Millie, but you're going to have to get a state-issued License to Bingo. Now, go get in line with the rest of the old folks there to sign up for a State Police Bingo Safety Course. Then get in the van and head on down to the chief of police and apply for your Bingo License ($100 and valid for four years). Once you've been photographed and fingerprinted the police will conduct a background check to determine if you're a suitable candidate for playing Bingo in Massachusetts. If approved, and if the chief feels like issuing you a permit, you will be called in 45 days and notified your permit is ready to be picked up.

Be warned though, this permit will allow for non-high-capacity Bingo playing only. Any attempt to play multiple cards at one time will be cause for revocation of your permit. Nobody NEEDS to play more than one bingo card simultaneously. This "rapid fire" bingo is the leading cause of nursing home deaths in the country [1].

Further, if you are going to travel to a neighboring town to play bingo, you must secure your bingo equipment in the trunk of the car, not on your person. Anyone found in violation of State Bingo Licensing Laws will have his or her "Matlock" privileges revoked indefinitely.

[1] Source: "The East Vassalboro Bingo Massacre" by Michael Moore, Asshelmet Publishing, 2004




I still think the purple pen concept below is still the dumbest thing I've ever heard. The Bingo Ban is running a very close second.

The Newspaper of (Milli Vanilli) Record

Patterico nails it (and gets blogrolled in the process):

So, when successful lawyers in Houston know prominent Republicans in the state (including Karl Rove), the New York Times calls that a "web of connections" between the White House and a 527 group led by one of those lawyers. And we are treated to a chart such as the FBI might prepare in a prosecution of top Mafia leaders.

But when Saddam Hussein's intelligence officials repeatedly met with top Al Qaeda leaders -- something a little more unusual than lawyers knowing politicians -- I don't remember seeing the phrase "web of connections" used in the New York Times. Or a chart.

Am I the only one who finds that a bit odd?

(link via Say Uncle)

Office Max channels Barney the Dinosaur

It never fails. Whenever I post something described as the "dumbest thing I've ever heard", another story comes down the pike requiring me to go back on my word. Now, this is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

When it comes to correcting papers and grading tests, purple is emerging as the new red.

"If you see a whole paper of red, it looks pretty frightening," said Sharon Carlson, a health and physical education teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Northampton. "Purple stands out, but it doesn't look as scary as red."

[snip]

A mix of red and blue, the color purple embodies red's sense of authority but also blue's association with serenity, making it a less negative and more constructive color for correcting student papers, color psychologists said. Purple calls attention to itself without being too aggressive. And because the color is linked to creativity and royalty, it is also more encouraging to students.

Now if you'll excuse me, my brain hurts.

Al Qaeda/Kerry Summit?

No reason to panic, folks. I'm sure it was just John Kerry's latest attempt to set up another of his now-infamous meetings with foreign leaders.

HYANNIS -- A long-sought suspected Al Qaeda member who has eluded a concerted international dragnet may have been sighted at a Nantucket airport this week, prompting the FBI to distribute a picture of the suspect to law enforcement and transportation officials on the island.

Jetskiing for Real Men

From the Grouchy Old Cripple:

Hypocrisy, thy name is John

Ladies and gentlemen, John Kerry:

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of letting front groups "do his dirty work" in questioning his military service during the Vietnam War.

[snip]

"They're a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the president won't denounce them tells you everything you need to know -- he wants them to do his dirty work," Kerry told a cheering crowd.

Is John Kerry really in any position to accuse the Bush campaign of taking advantage of unregulated soft money activities? He goes out of his way to highlight the "hundreds of thousands of dollars" being spent to discredit him. Wow, that's a lot of money. Or is it?

Just who IS contributing to these various 527 Committees anyway?

Peter Lewis $14,030,000

George Soros $12,600,000

Steven Bing $8,086,273

MoveOn.org has taken in over $9,000,000 this election cycle. And they're NOT doing John Kerry's dirty work? Gimme a flip-floppin' break!

Take a look at this table and tell me which candidate, if elected, would be in the back pocket of these special interest groups.


UPDATE: Drudge Report is now running a story about an upcoming Salon.com article in which the Kerry campaign is calling for the publisher of "Unfit for Command" to withdraw the book from publication. Choice quote:

"No publisher should want to be selling books with proven falsehoods in them,"

- Kerry campaign spokesman Chad Clanton

Dude, Where's My Integrity? Fitting that someone who currently exemplifies the whining hypocrisy of the left is named "Chad".

File under "STFU"

From CNN:

DENVER, Colorado (Reuters) -- "Shoe bomber" Richard Reid has sued U.S. prison authorities for imposing harsh conditions including isolation and a lack of access to Arabic language religious books.

[snip]

In the handwritten suit, filed in U.S. district court in Denver on Wednesday, Reid said he has a window he cannot see out of and is denied access to broadcast and print news.

This asshole tried to blow up an airplane on which he was a passenger. So, if you're keeping score at home, suicide in the name of Allah (so long as you take out a hundred or so infidels with you) would be a righteous endeavor, but a jail cell with a window that's too high and lack of TV privileges are "harsh conditions". Boo friggin' hoo, jackass.

To quote the inimitable Inspector Callahan, "Well, I'm all broken up over that man's rights."

Note also the irony of an Islamic terrorist scumbag using the legal system of the country he wants destroyed to get his "rights" restored.

Local Ice Cream Man Busted

From the Boston Herald:

Walker, 56, who police said peddled popsicles from the same rank, unlicensed South of Boston Ice Cream truck in which he kept an open container of urine - and whose voluminous criminal history sources said includes attempted murder - has been temporarily licked.

[snip]

"He's one of the nicest guys I know," Iverson said. "Just a kind, nice person - truly kind. You don't meet many people like him."

Like what? Criminals who sell ice cream to kids out of a dirty ice cream truck hauling an open container of urine around town? Yeah, that is a shame.

Crappy 80's Song of the Week Month

While watching VH1 Classic last night, I realized how downright neglectful I would be to fail to mention "Life in One Day" by Howard Jones.

Time will wear away the stone
Gets the hereditary bone

Huh?

Mass. Pike - exit 8

Big news week in Palmer, Massachusetts. First, a homeowner shoots a bear in his yard (see post below), now this:

PALMER, Mass. -- A Palmer woman allegedly ran over her husband five times with a van after he laughed at her during a domestic dispute, prosecutors alleged at her murder arraignment today.

I dunno, but if my wife looked like Ozzy, I wouldn't entirely rule out death by minivan as an acceptable alternative.

One...two...

Can we please stop jerking around with this yambag?

NAJAF, Iraq - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr accepted a peace plan Wednesday to end fighting in Najaf that would disarm his militiamen and remove them from a holy shrine where they are hiding out, according to an al-Sadr spokesman. However, al-Sadr wanted to negotiate how the deal would be implemented.

How's this for a plan, jackass? We count to three. If you and your thugs haven't completely disarmed and submitted to unconditional surrender to coalition and/or Iraqi forces by then, we shove a Daisycutter up your ass.

Reason #3,641 to dismantle the UN

Memo to Kofi Annan: Go hump a goat, you corrupt fuck.

In July, Inter Presse news service reported that a top U.N. official was preparing a new study that will outline numerous global tax proposals to be considered by the General Assembly at its September meeting. The proposals will likely include everything from global taxes on e-mails and Internet use to a global gas tax and levies on airline travel. If adopted, American taxpayers could wind up paying hundreds of billions of dollars each year to the United Nations.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is among those leading the charge, having stated that he "strongly supports finding new sources of funding" for the U.N. through global taxes, according to Inter Presse. In fact, Annan made very clear his support for the imposition of global taxes in a 2001 Technical Note that he authored for a U.N. conference. "The need to finance the provision of global public goods in an increasingly globalized world also adds new urgency to the need for innovative new sources of financing," Annan wrote.

I now yield the floor to the Heartless Libertarian.

No, Mr. Annan, you can't have any of our country's money. If any of your Third World buddies want to be as prosperous as America, they can do it the same way America did: by establishing a government based on the rule of law, protection of human rights, limitation of government power, and consent of the governed. Oh yeah, and judicious amounts of free market capitalism and hard work. You stupid socialist prick.

True dat!

Don't bring a flashlight to a bear fight

From today's Boston Herald comes this article about a man who did exactly what that we are told by the authorities to do when in danger - he called 911. Fortunately, for our hero, he knew that was only 'Plan A' and was adequately prepared (read: armed) to execute 'Plan B'.

Jurkowski, a 56-year-old carpenter, said the bear had been stalking his family for a week. The first encounter happened Aug. 8, when the bear reached through a window and took a swipe at one of Jurkowski's three dogs.

He returned again about 8 p.m. Sunday while Jurkowski and his wife, Marjorie, were watching the Olympics. ``He was standing on the porch with his paws up as high as he could stretch and he had a 100-pound bag of sunflower seeds in his mouth,'' Jurkowski said.

Jurkowski rushed inside and told his wife to call 911. Palmer police arrived minutes later and chased the bear into the woods with flashlights and sirens. The cops told the Jurkowskis not to worry; the bear would probably be too scared to return.

Probably? That's the best the cops can do to protect this guy and his family? I'm sorry, but I want more than a "probably" when evaluating a potential threat to my family's well-being. Especially when that threat is a 300-pound wild animal that recognizes my property to be a source of food. But I'm sure the cops know best, right? That old tried and true flashlights and sirens technique (just like our forefathers used) will surely teach that bear a lesson he'll NEVER forget.

But less than an hour later, Jurkowski saw the hulking animal heading for his doorway, which was guarded only by a flimsy screen and his three yapping Chihuahuas.

Or not.

"He was 5 feet away when I fired my first shot," Jurkowski said. "I shot three more times and then my gun jammed. He gave a humongous roar, and I ran into the house."

"He crawled about 50 feet, laid down and died," he said. "I'm not bragging, that's just what happened."

All in all, a good story with a happy ending, but did the Herald have to run the guy's picture?

As much as this picture might perpetuate the stereotype of gun owners as...well, um...this guy, do take note of his safe handling of the firearm - finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire. The truly sad thing is, if he didn't own a gun and went to apply for a gun permit, explaining that a bear had been stalking his family for a week, he would have been shit out of luck waiting for his permit to be issued, even for a "shall issue" FID card allowing for purchase and possession of a shotgun.

But seeing as it's Palmer (western MA) and not the enlightened hamlet of Boston or Cambridge, there's a good chance a neighbor would have loaned him one (oh no, that would be illegal) and the cops wouldn't have done a damn thing about it, except maybe advise him to keep the gun clean and in working order to avoid jamming in the future.

Adventures of Gadgetman - Episode 3

So, as some of you know, I am in the middle of the process of applying for a Massachusetts License to carry (LTC). As I have documented quite thoroughly on this site, it is an extremely cumbersome process designed to discourage, or outright prevent, law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to armed self-defense. If you think for one second its intent is to promote safe, responsible gun ownership, or to combat violent crime, you are sorely mistaken or easily confused - pick one.

As part of the application requirements, I am drafting a letter to be included with my application stating my reason for requesting the LTC. In most normal states, the response of "All Lawful Purposes" is sufficient, but I've never accused Massachusetts of being normal. As an attachment to my letter, I will be including proof of purchase of a gun safe to demonstrate I am prepared to comply with the state's safe storage laws.

This is where you, my readers, might be of some assistance. I am considering the MiniVault and the Multivault by GunVault.

Does anyone out there have any experience with either of these products? I know Analog Mouse over at One Little Victory picked up one of these to keep her young 'uns away from her new Beretta. I like the anti-tampering features, as well as the security cable for securing it in the back of my vehicle for transporting purposes. I'm leaning toward the larger of the two, as it seems you get a lot more storage space for only a few extra bucks.

Any thoughts?

Saddam Hussein channels C.W. McCall

Interesting piece in the Washington Times here (link via Kallini Brothers):

Saddam Hussein periodically removed guards on the Syrian border and replaced them with his own intelligence agents who supervised the movement of banned materials between the two countries, U.S. investigators have discovered.

The recent discovery by the Bush administration's Iraq Survey Group (ISG) is fueling speculation, but is not proof, that the Iraqi dictator moved prohibited weapons of mass destruction (WMD) into Syria before the March 2003 invasion by a U.S.-led coalition.

Two defense sources told The Washington Times that the ISG has interviewed Iraqis who told of Saddam's system of dispatching his trusted Iraqi Intelligence Service (IIS) to the border, where they would send border inspectors away.

The shift was followed by the movement of trucks in and out of Syria suspected of carrying materials banned by U.N. sanctions. Once the shipments were made, the agents would leave and the regular border guards would resume their posts.

I'm sure this was nothing. No doubt these trucks were carrying school supplies, donated by that nice Saddam Hussein guy, for the needy Syrian children. How could anyone support the removal from power of such a kind, benevolent soul?

Should these suspicions be proven true between now and the election in November, prepare yourself for the unbearable onslaught of the screeching, leftist moonbat camp decrying the "suspicious timing" of this discovery - accompanied, of course, by a near blackout in coverage by the lamestream media.

Also prepare yourself, should that come to fruition, to say farewell to the last hope of the Democrats to salvage any kind of reputability in this country for at least the next generation or so.

Jokes That Write Themselves

Here's the latest from Drudge:

KERRY OFFERS RELATIONSHIP ADVICE FOR MEN
Mon Aug 16 2004 20:01:49 ET

In the new GQ, the Democratic presidential nominee offers relationship advice for men:

On what to seek in a woman:

"Look for what gets your heart. Someone who excites you, turns you on to flying in your own private jet. ... It's a woman who loves being a woman on board a 42 ft. yacht. An heiress who wears her womanhood like an Hermes shawl. Who knows how to flirt and have fun in a multi-million dollar Sun Valley chalet. Smart. Confident. Loaded.... And obviously sexy and saucy and challenging."

The WASH POST is set to preview GQ's: "A Beer With John Kerry."

Which hot actresses float his boat:

"I think Charlize Theron is pretty extraordinary," he gushes. He's also fond of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Marilyn Monroe.

Developing...

This is going to be pants-peeing funny. I can't believe I might actually buy GQ Magazine. And yes, I realize the added commentary was too easy, somewhat petty, and didn't necessarily add anything to the inherent funniness of the original piece, but how could I resist?

Geek Alert

OK, so I thought it was funny.

There are 10 different kinds of people in this world — those who understand binary and those who don’t.

(link via Boots and Sabers)

Let's play "Colombo"

From the Boston Herald's Police Log:

Police were looking for a teenage couple who robbed the 7-Eleven at 121 Jersey St. of bottled water and Hostess cupcakes Friday night.

Gee, anyone got any theories on this one?

I'll Buy That

All in all, not too far off.

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

And the number of the count shall be three

Well, they say people die in three's. So if you had Rick James, Fay Wray, and Julia Child as the tri-fecta on your betting slip, please proceed to the cashier's window to claim your winnings.

THIS is cool

Original link via One hand Clapping:

SYDNEY, Australia -- Swinburne University of Technology's center for micro-photonics have constructed a model of the Sydney Opera House, see photo above, that is about half the diameter of a human hair.

Rumor has it this outfit has been hired by John Kerry's staff to create a carrying case in which the senator can store his integrity when he's not using it.

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day comes via Lee at Right Thinking from the Left Coast, one of the first blogs I started reading on a regular basis.

The ACLU has degenerated to the point where they will sue to prevent you from erecting a public nativity scene during the holiday season, while at the same time they’ll go to court to support the local freak who wants to stumble into that scene and fuck one of the sheep in the ass.

-Dennis Miller

Yep.

This is getting old

Once again Mayor Menino demonstrates his feeble grasp on the situation of increased gun violence in Boston:

A Jamaica Plain man accused of killing his mechanic was arraigned yesterday on murder charges.

Police said Felix Jimenez, 29, shot Benjamin Ayala, 27, in the chest at close range in a dispute in the garage bay of the Larquenta auto repair shop on Ceylon Street on Wednesday evening. Ayala was rushed to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Jimenez pleaded not guilty in Dorchester District Court.

[snip]

Earlier yesterday, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said police could not have prevented the mechanic's shooting.

"How could the police prevent that?" Menino said. "The guy doesn't like his grease job, so he pulls out a gun and shoots him?"

So, by your own words, Mr. Mayor, the police can't prevent violence, but politicians can?

Menino said he and other mayors need help from other levels of government in preventing gun violence. He deplored "the availability of guns we have in our community today" and said, "We need to remove the guns from the streets...We need stronger laws, we really do."

While I am pleased that recently most of the focus has been on getting these criminals off the streets, it would be nice to hear one, just one local leader step up to the plate and admit that the gun control laws in the Commonwealth are misguided at best, and that some major reform is called for.

Yeah, I'll be holding my breath for that to happen.

The more that things change...

...the more they stay the same.

Only appropriate that I quote the lyrics of Neil Peart and Rush. I'm off in six hours or so to head down to the Tweeter Center in Mansfield for their 30th Anniversary Tour show.

In other news, I finally decided it was time to update the looks of this place. Let me know what you think. I will probably go back to Haloscan comments, but this will do for now.

Observation du jour

Alan Colmes is a total pussy. Discuss amongst yourselves.

Decaf Espresso

Why?

Adventures of Gadgetman - episode 2

I decided after my last trip to the range that I needed some decent shooting glasses. The cheap Uvex safety glasses from my workshop were only slightly less scratched than the loaners at the range. I did a quick search on-line and ended up getting the ICE (Interchangeable Component Eyeshield) 2.4 by ESS.

Here are the details:

A full set of 3 extra-thick 2.4mm high impact polycarbonate lenses (clear, amber, and dark gray) for interchangeable use in any light conditions. An unlimited field of view from the frameless ESS ICE design. Adjustable temples that can be made longer or shorter, and have custom fit ear bends to fit any user. An anatomical nose pad that is compatible with the ESS prescription lens carrier accessory (sold separately). A rugged carrying pouch with divided lens pockets, a belt loop and a handy clip attachment. An ESS Clear Zone fog repellent cloth A snap-on neck leash. 100% UVA/UVB protection. 100% ANSI Z87.1 & OSHA standards compliance.

These will arrive prior to my next trip to the range on Sunday - will post a complete review thereafter.

UPDATE: Well, that was fast. They arrived via Priority Mail today. First and foremost, they are very comfortable. The earpieces are flexible so you can custom bend them to fit. The case is nice with individual pockets for the lenses. We'll see how they measure up at the range on Sunday.

If you're curious, I ordered them from TACTICAL ADVANTAGE, INC. out of New Hampshire.

Yes, MORE anti-gun BS

Here's a truly pathetic attempt by Globe columnist Steve Bailey to shift the blame for the recent surge in street violence from the criminals who are shooting people to the gun manufacturers, specifically Smith & Wesson. I wasn't planning on dissecting this in as much detail as I have, but these things just seem to write themselves sometimes.

As usual, the "Dead Horse Beating" warning applies.

It has turned into a long, hot summer in Boston. Last week we had two double homicides, bringing to 42 the number of killings this year, or one more than we had all last year. The killings, as always, are concentrated in the city's poorest neighborhoods.

Well, it certainly didn't take long for him to drag out the old "poverty causes crime" talking point. Hey Steve, there are plenty of poor people in New Hampshire and Vermont, you know. I'm not reading about any gang shootings up there. How can that be? It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that the lawmakers in this state have made it impossible for the residents in these neighborhoods to legally acquire their own handguns to defend themselves, would it?

As the cops and ministers work the streets in Boston, the gun lobby is working the halls of Congress in Washington. The federal assault-weapons ban expires Sept. 13, and President Bush, his campaign rhetoric of four years ago aside, and the Republican Congress are giving every indication that they will pay their debt to the National Rifle Association crowd and let it die a peaceful death.

One can only hope.

That would mean UZIs and AK-47s could again be flooding the streets for gang members and drug dealers.

COULD be? Yeah, and you COULD be an ignorant jack-ass. Honestly, these people would have you believe the sunset of the AWB will lead to a massive NRA-sponsored campaign of airdrops parachuting crates of machine guns into these neighborhoods. Here's a news flash, Mr. Bailey - any gang member or drug dealer who wants to acquire an AK-47 isn't going to give a flying turd what the law says. That's how it is, how it's been, and how it's going to be.

Massachusetts is home to both some of the nation's toughest gun laws and the second-largest US gun company, Smith & Wesson. The story of Springfield-based Smith & Wesson is a case study in why an industry that makes the guns that kill our neighbors will never be our ally in getting those handguns off our streets.

The guns don't kill anybody, you idiot. Violent criminals with no respect for the law or human life kill people. This industry also makes guns used by hundreds of thousands of police officers and ordinary citizens to prevent the loss of innocent life hundreds of thousands of times every year, but since that doesn't fit your agenda here, I see you've conveniently failed to mention it.

"Summer sizzler," Smith & Wesson's website shouts in hot red-and-yellow type, offering a $25-off coupon for all pistols and revolvers purchased by Aug. 15. Stock up before school starts!

Oh the horror! A company offering a discount to its customers who want to legally purchase a legal product! What's this world coming too?

The Clinton administration hailed the pact as a historic breakthrough that would pressure other manufacturers to follow suit. In fact, just the opposite occurred: Under withering fire from the gun world, Smith & Wesson became a pariah. Sales collapsed and the company waffled.

Damn that free market economy! If we can't turn to the government to stifle capitalism and free enterprise, who can we turn to?

The Boston Police cannot say whether Smith & Wesson guns were used in any of the recent killings because so few of the guns used have been recovered. But this we do know: Smith & Wesson is the handgun of choice among America's criminals. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Smith & Wesson's .38-caliber revolver is the handgun traced most often in crimes. The company's 9mm semiautomatic and .357 revolver rank fifth and sixth on the bureau's top 10 list of crime guns.

Wait a minute, a few paragraphs ago, this idiot points out that Smith & Wesson is the "second-largest US gun company". To attempt to correlate this statistic to some kind of irresponsible activity by Smith & Wesson is akin to accusing Ford and Chevrolet of promoting drunk driving. It just doesn't wash. What these figures do tell me is that these are well-made firearms that don't wear out like some cheaply made guns might. Seems to me these would be among the safest and most reliable kind of guns to own, just what you'd want for the purpose of defending your family.

The body count is mounting again in places like Boston, and the assault weapon ban is expiring.

Read that again.

The body count is mounting again in places like Boston, and the assault weapon ban is expiring.

So, by your reasoning and application of logical thought, Mr. Bailey, having the assault weapons ban on the books has caused an increase in the number of gun-related fatalities in Boston. Seems the only sensible option we have is to let the ban sunset as scheduled - you know, for the children and all.

UPDATE: Boston Globe readers respond

Seems the responses on the Boston Globe message board on the subject are running OVERWHELMINGLY on the side of responsible gun owners and calling for the AWB to go bye-bye (by a 5:1 ratio, a pleasant surprise, considering the source). Here are a few excerpts from the anti-gun (anti-logic) crowd:

"People who believe that this simply concentrates firepower with potentially abusive government agencies are nothing more than pea-brained redneck milita types who desparately need to get an education."

- Mark, Foxboro

No response required.

"Look at some European nations like England, where guns have almost become non existant."

- Regan, Haverhill

Which England are you talking about, Regan, the one where violent crime is on the rise, criminals are still carrying firearms, self-defense has been rendered all but illegal and citizens have been imprisoned for daring to resist violent assaults with the use of force? Or is there another England that I'm not aware of.

"Gee, the Republicans are against extending the ban on assault-weapons. And why would this be surprising to us? Minority thugs & the Mob will get their hands on them, have a bunch of shootem' ups and then the Administration will scare the bejesus out of all the white folks and announce a new "Law & Order Campaign" The country will be further divided, economically & racially, and that will keep them in power. We aren't dealing with amateurs here. Republicans are very adept at this."

- Suse, Dedham

Wow, Suse, you managed to get class warfare, fear-mongering, the race card, and vast right-wing conspiracies all wrapped up in a single paragraph. Well done.

The reasons that explain violent behaviour are complex and numerous. But POVERTY (a goverment unable and/or unwilling to distribute wealth a little more fairly) AND EXCESSIVE CORPORATE POWER are the major reasons this problem has gotten out of hand.

- Marc, Somerville

Nice to see Marxism is alive and well in Somerville.

In haste to point out that people kill people not guns, etc. you forget the people who do kill people can remain at large a lot more easily if their weapons cannot be traced.

- kb, Arlington

I'm not even going to waste my time explaining how stupid that statement is.

Business as usual in the Bay State

From today's Boston Herald:

Not only was Jose Granados arraigned yesterday for kidnapping his 19-day-old son, but immigration officials are waiting in the wings to talk with the citizen of El Salvador.

Granados, 28, also was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and threats, assault and battery, and child endangerment after an Amber Alert led to his capture and the baby's rescue in Malden Monday night.

One less dirtbag walking the streets - always a good thing. 20 years in the lock-up followed by a one-way ticket to El Salvador sounds good to me. Better yet, how about 20 years in a jail in El Salvador? I wonder if they have advocacy groups arguing in court for comfy mattresses and cable TV for their prison inmates. Yeah, didn't think so.

And no story like this would be complete without the scumbag's lawyer spouting off crap like this:

"Alcohol played a role in impairing his judgment," said Austin Freeley, Granados' lawyer.

Sorry, but I don't think the Kennedy Defense is gonna float here (pun intended). Also in this article is this gem from our testicularly-impaired District Attorney (also see this post):

"Protecting a woman and a child from an abusive relationship is a real priority for this DA's office," said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.

Well, you sure did a bang-up job here, Danny Boy. You didn't do shit to protect this woman and her child! This women was assaulted and had her baby taken from her by a violent individual who, it seems likely, isn't even legally allowed to be in the country. Do you honestly think that by waiting until AFTER a violent crime has occurred and THEN prosecuting the perpetrator, you are truly serving the community? Anyone can act tough and throw the book at a guy who's already in handcuffs. This woman is damn lucky to be alive, and it's not due to any tough crime-fighting efforts on your part.

This is the heart of the John Kerry Anti-Terror philosophy - respond to terrorist attacks with force (as long as France says it's OK).

The Mean Streets of Whitman

Isn't this just lovely?

A pair of baby-faced Whitman boys, busted on a public street for illegal skateboarding, were arrested, booked and shackled before being hauled into a Brockton juvenile court to face charges, the children's irate parents said yesterday.

"It's absurd," mother Stephanie Saltzman said. "My son is 12 years old and all he was doing is skateboarding. I mean, you gotta be kidding me."

What, you expected your tax dollars to be put to prudent use. Honestly, Stephanie, as a Massachusetts taxpayer you really should know better than that by now.

Saltzman's son, Josh, and 14-year-old neighbor, Ryan Maxwell, were arrested Aug. 3 when a Whitman police officer caught them skateboading [note to Herald: it's called Spellcheck] on South Avenue. A town bylaw prohibits using skateboards or other devices to "coast or slide" along public streets.

"Other devices"? Are we talking wheelchairs, baby strollers, and bicycles here? Of course not, but it was nice of them to put that wording in there - sounds so official and legal-like.

Town officials would not comment on the specifics of the case yesterday, but they said police would not arrest kids unless their illegal actions were more severe than simply skateboarding.

I really friggin' hope not.

The boys said they were booked at the police station and then driven to Brockton Juvenile Court, where they were locked in a cell for two hours before being led into a courtroom with shackles around their wrists and ankles.

That's just fabulous. Do they honestly think the Brockton Juvenile Court has the resources to deal with this petty crap? Do you think the community might be better served by using the courts to prosecute, oh, I don't know...CRIMINALS? Believe me, Brockton has more than their fair share of those.

You can bet that some of the police officers and town officials involved here are among the voices of "concerned citizens" lobbying for more money for their town coffers. You know, due to those evil Bush tax cuts that are forcing towns to cut back on the number police officers on the street, which of course leads to, yes, you guessed it, "IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN!"

UPDATE: One of the kids was on the "Blute and Scotto Show" on WRKO this morning. According to him, he had been warned previously not to ride his skateboard on the streets. He then referred to the "jerkface cop" who arrested him.

So, while I still think this was handled improperly by the police, it seems this kid is a little punk who probably got what he deserved.

Too easy

Rock the Vote

If you want a good laugh, you owe it to yourself to visit SondraK's site HERE and vote in her "Let's Get Real About Guns" contest.

My vote went to #10 submitted by George K.



My second and third choices: #2 and #4. That's some funny shit, man.

Another One Bites the Dust

Remember this the next time John "I'll tell you I can shoot gold bricks out of my ass if you'll vote for me" Kerry accuses the President of fighting a unilateral war on terror.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- In a new blow to Al Qaeda, authorities in the United Arab Emirates captured a senior operative in Osama bin Laden's terrorist network who trained thousands of militants for combat, and turned him over to Pakistan, the information minister said yesterday.

These countries are just "window dressing", right Senator?

Massachusetts - Coddling criminals since 1983

Here's today's prime example of the Massachusetts Mentality. In addition to disarming the citizenry making innocent people more susceptible to violent crime, the powers that be are now fighting to protect the lives of these violent criminals.

Suffolk County DA Dan Conley is now pleading with John Ashcroft and federal prosecutors not to seek the death penalty for a drug dealer charged with murder, because it might make people angry.

This is the same policy of appeasement bullshit being spewed out by the anti-war left saying that killing terrorists is bad because it will make them want to kill us more, or, God forbid, it will alienate the U.S. from our "allies".

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, fearful the feds could alienate black leaders helping battle back violence in Boston, is urging Attorney General John Ashcroft not to seek lethal injection for a 25-year-old Dorchester gangster charged with killing a rival.

The Boston DA sent a personal appeal asking Ashcroft to spare Cape Verdean drug dealer Brima Wurie from becoming the third young black male in Massachusetts to face federal execution, the Herald has learned.

[snip]

The Hub's past success at stemming urban bloodshed has always depended on community leaders and black churches banding together with cops, according to Conley's office.

"District Attorney Conley fears the death penalty could drive a wedge between that membership," said Conley spokesman David Procopio. Conley declined to release a copy of his letter.

Boo friggin' hoo. Screw that. Ridding minority neighborhoods of violent career criminals should be the number one priority facing the City of Boston today. Conley needs to grow a set of balls, do his damn job, and let the Feds do theirs.

The violent gangs of drug dealers declared war on the people of Boston long ago. Now is not the time to go back to the feel-good hand-holding policies of yesterday. It's time to take out the trash. And I'm certainly not going to lose any sleep over these "community leaders" getting their panties in a twist because if it.

Working together with the police and members of the community is just fine, and can even have some positive impact, but it's time to get real. You don't fight the most violent criminals in our streets with conferences and summit meetings.

Mass. Quantities of Bullshit

This is such flat-out bullshit, it's unbelievable! Thanks to reader CDig for bringing this to my attention. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to bashing Kerry again soon, but until this nonsense goes away, it will remain the first and foremost topic on this blog.

The police sit-down with community leaders came after meetings between Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole.

In the past couple of days, the two have met repeatedly to discuss ways of limiting the number of guns on the street, O'Toole said, adding that officials are also considering ways to tighten gun laws in Massachusetts, specifically concerning where guns may be carried -- such as parks.

Tell me, Commissioner O'Toole, is it currently legal for a 16 year-old kid to carry a high-capacity .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol in city parks? Um...no! As far as I know, it is currently illegal to possess ANY firearms ANYWHERE in the state without a valid license to carry or FID card. The laws currently on the books in the Commonwealth MORE than adequately address this problem.

Commissioner O'Toole and the mayor are implying that additional restrictions on licensed gun owners will have an impact on the incidents of criminal activity in the city. This is so fucking asinine! Any additional laws they come up with are likely only to affect the people who are legally purchasing and carrying firearms. Do they realize how much they sound like a complete horse's ass when you spew out garbage like this?

These shootings aren't being carried out by licensed gun owners, you ignorant twits!

Officials are also looking at how they might stem the tide of guns coming in from out of state.

As far as guns coming in from out of state are concerned - that is already highly regulated by current law. If a licensed gun owner wishes to purchase a handgun from out of state, he or she must have that gun transferred to a federally licensed gun dealer in Massachusetts and take possession of it there after undergoing the federally-required background check.

Now if the police want to go after the illegal trafficking of firearms, that's fantastic. That kind of action should be applauded. But you can bet your ass they'll choose primarily to go after the law-abiding citizens instead. Going after bad guys is dangerous and takes hard police work. Stifling the rights of the law-abiding citizenry is easy.

Globe Bull Warning

Via the Drudge Report:

BOSTON GLOBE 'REPORTER' COMMISSIONED TO WRITE CAMPAIGN BOOK FOREWORD -- WHILE COVERING KERRY

BOSTON GLOBE journalist Mike Kranish has been commissioned to write the foreword of the Kerry-Edwards campaign book -- just as he is covering the campaign in an official capacity as a journalist for the BOSTON GLOBE!

Kranish made waves on Friday by reporting in the GLOBE how a key figure in the anti-Kerry vet ad campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, "backed off one of the key contentions."

But Captain George Elliott claims the Kranish article is "extremely inaccurate" and highly misstated his actual views.

[TV Station WTVG 13-ABC, Toledo, Ohio dropped the anti-Kerry vet ad on Friday after the Kerry campaign used the GLOBE/Kranish story to convince the station's management the ad was false.]

Developing...

Nope, no media bias/conflict of interest here.

Eek! It's a word! Run!

I am glad to be reminded at times that stupid shit happens everywhere, not just in Massachusetts.

NEW ORLEANS -- It wasn't a four-letter word, but it was close enough to cause a stir at the National Scrabble Championship Thursday.

In the final round, eventual champion Trey Wright played the word "lez," which was on a list of offensive words not allowed during the tournament.

Normally, no word is off-limits, but because the games were being taped for broadcast on ESPN, certain terms had been deemed inappropriate, including the three-letter slang for lesbian.

"There are words you just can't show on television," Scrabble Association Executive Director John Williams said.

[snip]

"He violated the rules. But there were also people who were upset that the word was played," Williams said.

A bit of free advice here - do with it what you will: If you are easily offended by WORDS, do not attend a Scrabble tournament. They have been known to play an integral role at such events.

Superfreak - R.I.P.

Drudge is reporting that funk legend (and drug addict woman torturer), Rick James will not be down for breakfast.

File under "Gimme a Break"

Is this t-shirt racist?



Or maybe, just maybe, do you think there are way too many overly-sensitive people with nothing better to do than to interject their cries of woe and oppression into every crevice of society? Kevin at Smallest Minority has an excellent rundown on this.

Criminal Control - a novel approach

All I can say is, it's about goddamn time!

A Juvenile Court judge locked up a 16-year-old boy on $1 million cash bail yesterday for allegedly using a Roxbury park as his personal shooting gallery - even as police were flooding the green.

No one was injured by Wednesday night's gunplay, but after two nerve-racking weeks during which a basketball coach was murdered and an 11-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl were shot and nearly killed in or near Boston playgrounds, it may be Judge Paul D. Lewis' extraordinary punishment that proves the shot heard 'round the city.

"If you're a kid in Boston and you carry a gun or fire a gun, that's just not going to stand," said David Procopio, spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.

The Roxbury teen, whose name was not released because he is a minor, is now a two-time loser, having been arrested before for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Boy, he sure learned his lesson. What was the outcome of his first arrest? a stern talking-to? Ooooh. Let's see how he enjoys the reality of the adult criminal justice system this time around.

Prosecutors asked that the youth be held on $25,000 cash bail. But in demanding 40 times more than that, Lewis cited "additional factors, which I cannot describe because (the suspect is) a juvenile," Procopio said.

Finally - someone within the judicial system who understands the problem.

Procopio declined to say if more charges may be pending against the teen, who police allege was firing a .40-caliber handgun with a large-capacity feeding device inside Highland Park at Fort Avenue and Beech Glen Street about 9:15 Wednesday night.

A 16 year-old kid apparently has NO problem obtaining a high-capacity .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. But as a 37 year-old father of two, without so much as a grade school playground tussle on my record, I have to subject myself to the obstacle course of Massachusetts' onerous gun control laws, at an out-of-pocket expense to-date of $400+ (and I haven't even written my name on the permit application yet).

Can someone explain the logic here? Yes, that was a rhetorical question.

When will the mayor and the city leaders face up to the truth and admit that their social experiment of gun banning control has failed? Yes, that too was a rhetorical question. Hate to tell you, folks, but it hasn't created the crime-free la-la land you were foolishly and blindly gambling on.

Personal Responsibility? Never heard of it.

Here's a follow-up on the recent shooting of a 15 year-old girl mentioned in the post below. The words of the girl's mother, exemplifying the utter lack of personal responsibility which has become sadly all too common these days.

Rhonda Owens, the mother of 15-year-old Jaime Owens, who was shot though the neck early yesterday morning walking home in Dorchester, could scarcely believe her daughter is now a statistic.

"Every time I look at the news and hear (other victims), I think, `That poor mother.' And now it's me," said Owens, whose youngest child was expected to survive.

"I don't know that there's anything anyone can do," she said,

Well, NOT letting your children roam around Dorchester (or anywhere for that matter) after midnight woud be a great fucking place to start.

"but eventually everyone will move out of the city. I know that's what I'll be looking into."

So, here's a woman who obviously watches the news, and is aware of how unsafe her neighborhood can be, yet she doesn't seem to give a rat's ass that her 15 year-old girl, is out walking around after midnight. Sorry, Rhonda, it won't matter where you move. Your non-existent parenting skills and total lack of responsibility will eventually get you in your family right back into similar predicaments.

Here we go again

Kids are getting shot by street criminals involved in drug-related activities. What do you do? Well, if you're an ignorant, delusional leftist politician in Boston, you stick your head up your ass in the sand and go after law-abiding citizens. From today's Boston Globe:

Mayor Thomas M. Menino ordered stepped-up patrols of city parks and playgrounds yesterday, hours after a 15-year-old girl was shot while waiting for a pizza in a Dorchester park, the latest shooting in a four-day wave of gun violence that has sparked widespread fear in Boston's neighborhoods.

One of the victims in this wave of violence was stabbed, but somehow it's always "gun violence" that gets called out as the culprit. How about "idiot crackhead violence" or "criminal activity involving murder and assault with intent to murder"? And as far as sparking widespread fear in these neighborhoods, no shit. I'd be afraid if that was going on in my front yard with our local and state leaders doing everything in their power to render us totally defenseless and dependent on the government for protection (more on that here).

Coming just hours after Menino sought to calm residents by visiting several parks on Tuesday, the latest shooting, shortly after midnight yesterday, triggered a new outcry, and officials rushed to implement crackdowns.

Gee, the mayor came to visit the park in the middle of the day with a host of TV camera crews surrounded by heavily armed police officers...then left. I feel so safe now. Hey, Tom, you wanna swing by that park 'round midnight this Saturday..alone...and unarmed? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Boston police said they may move high-powered surveillance cameras used for security during the Democratic National Convention to parks considered hot spots for crime.

As long as they put them where they know the crime is, I have no problem with this plan. The problem here, that no politician will mention, is that the crime is happening in the black neighborhoods, so get ready for the cries of racism, they're coming.

Menino said he and other mayors need help from other levels of government in preventing gun violence. He deplored "the availability of guns we have in our community today" and said, "We need to remove the guns from the streets...We need stronger laws, we really do."

Do you mean STRONGER gun control laws? Sure, the ones we have which are among the most stringent in the nation are proven every damn day to be an abject failure, let's implement more. How much more gun control would you like, Mr. Mayor? How about a complete ban on gun ownership in the city? That's what Chicago has on the books...only 599 homicides last year - great plan. Or how about a gun ban like Washington DC? There's another crime-free utopia for you.

Here's a couple laws for you: You commit a crime with a firearm, you go away for life. You kill someone in cold blood with any kind of weapon, you get the needle. You steal a firearm, you go away for life. You traffic in firearms illegally, you go away for life. This is the only way to address the cause of the violence, which is the presence of CRIMINALS in our communities. Any additional gun control legislation will only further the burden already being carried by law-abiding citizens looking to defend their loved ones from violent criminals. It makes as much sense as taking cars away from sober people to curb drunk driving.

It.

Doesn't.

Work.

"Cities can't do it alone," Menino said. "The gun legislation on assault weapons is ready to expire in Washington, but no one is dealing with that issue. Why?"

Um, because it's largely ineffective at reducing crime? Because it restricts which guns can be legally purchased by NON-CRIMINALS based on how they LOOK? Because these so-called "assault weapons" are NOT the weapon of choice among the CRIMINALS who are the ones "recklessly, randomly shooting" people in the city? The most commonly used weapons in street crime are small-caliber handguns. If you think they won't be looking to ban these next, you're delusional. Then it will be the "armor-piercing" "sniper rifles", also known as centerfire hunting rifles. And you know who will be right there to vote for that measure? Yep, John Kerry the great white hunter.

Sheik, Rattle and Roll

This is excellent news, unless you're John Kerry. With friends like Sheik Haj Ibrahim Jassam, who needs the French? You paying attention, Senator? I got your legitimate coalition right here, asshole.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) In an extraordinary assault, gunmen in the city of Fallujah stormed a kidnappers' lair and forced the overmatched militants...

(also known as fanatical Islamic terrorist scumbags)

inside to flee, freeing four Jordanian truck drivers held captive, local officials said Wednesday.

[snip]

Sheik Haj Ibrahim Jassam, a tribal leader, said he received word late Tuesday that the men were being held in a house on the edge of the city. Local leaders gathered together armed residents, who raided the house, freeing the hostages and chasing out the kidnappers, he said.

You can bet your ass these Iraqi residents armed with actual assault rifles too, not just scary looking "military-style" rifles. You know, the kind that Kerry and his rabid gun control zealots keep telling us have NO purpose other than hunting down and killing as many innocent people as quickly as possible.

Any predictions on the amount of airtime the lamestream media will devote to this story. Let's see...reflects favorably on Bush's foreign policy, so I'm going with "diddley squat" this time around.

Darwin Opportunity Missed

Via Say Uncle (via NashvilleFiles Blog - welcome to the blogroll) comes the stupidest thing I've heard in quite a while, or at least since last night's Clinton appearance on Letterman:

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. An emergency management agency director's attempt to stage a realistic drill shocked people attending a Carter County Commission meeting.

Commissioners had just convened last night in Elizabethton (ee-LIHZ'-uh-BETH'-t'n) when a man and a woman rushed in carrying guns, held a weapon to the head of county finance director Jason Cody and said there would be no new taxes.

One of the people acting as a hostage-taker fired a blank.

The shaken finance director said later he didn't know what was happening. The county sheriff wasn't clued in either and city police responded when someone called 9-1-1.

Why anyone would do this in a CCW-friendly state such as Tennessee is WAY beyond my level of comprehension. Hey, here's an idea, let's storm the police barracks shooting blanks to test the preparedness of our local law enforcement personnel. These idiots, who are lucky to not be perforated right now, need to be charged with reckless endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon, disturbing the peace, and felony beingadumbass.

UPDATE (via NashvilleFiles - with picture of dumbass): Emergency Management Agency Director Ernest Jackson was suspended while the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigates the incident.

Sixteen Words (friendly reminder)

So much has been made about the now-infamous "sixteen words" from GWB's State of the Union speech, but nowhere near as much about these sixteen words from unpresidential candidate John Kerry, uttered during one of the Democratic primary debates last winter:

"I think there has been an exaggeration," Mr. Kerry said when asked whether President Bush has overstated the threat of terrorism. "They are misleading all Americans in a profound way."

I pray the day never comes, but should you once again see bodies of dead American men, women, and children being pulled out of a pile of smoldering rubble, remember these sixteen words and the arrogant stuffed shirt from whom they came.

Credit Where Credit's Due

For all the shit that gets thrown at us from the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts (not to mention our legislature), it's a breath of fresh air - followed by a big swig of Guinness - to see this:

BOSTON (AP) The state's highest court ruled unanimously Tuesday that the state can post the names, addresses and photos of the most dangerous sex offenders on the Internet.

The Supreme Judicial Court said the public's right to know whether there are Level 3 sex offenders those classified as the most likely to re-offend in its midst, outweighs the offenders' right to privacy.

Public defense attorneys had tried to argue that posting this information on-line (all public records, by the way) would make it difficult for their clients to lead normal lives.

Boo. Fuckin'. Hoo.

No mention seems to have been made on what impact forcible rape by screwdriver might have on a young child trying to resume to a normal life. I'm having a real hard time drumming up the slightest bit of sympathy for these depraved individuals.

"We do not live in a utopian society," the court said in its ruling.

No shit.

A bad day at the range...

...will ALWAYS be better than a good day in the office.

After much too long a absence, I made time to go to the range on Sunday. I'm still in practice mode with a .38 revolver in preparation for the range test that is one of the requirements for obtaining a gun permit in the City of Boston.

I have gotten to the point where I was doing quite well shooting two-handed at 15 yards, but I haven't been doing as well shooting one-handed, double action. This was my main focus on Sunday and one small adjustment in my stance produced dramatic results. I kept my free hand on the top of my belt exerting light pressure on my waist to balance the pressure of my shooting hand on the gun.

I shot 12 of 12 inside the 9-ring (at 7 yds) for 115 out of 120 possible points. Thought I was doing great until I switched back to two-handed shooting at 15 yds out. I couldn't hit the 10-ring to save my life.

If only I hadn't done so well on the previous target, I could have blamed the gun. The range had recently sold the Smith & Wesson .38 they had been renting so I was shooting a Rossi revolver on Sunday. Didn't like the action as much, and it misfired once and a couple casings got jammed in their chambers on one occasion.

"Bang...Bang...Click" is not how you want to start a string of six shots.

Oh, well. Bottom line: It's my fault for not going to range as often as I should. I think my new motto is going to be "Sunday is Gun Day".

Line of the week comes from one of the staff there at the range after this exchange between him and a guy who was there on a date to do some shooting with a woman who hadn't shot a gun before. The guy was trying to decide whether to rent a .45 or a 9mm for her.

Range Guy: Do you want her to ever come back here with you?

Customer Guy: Huh?

Range Guy: Do you want her to ever come back here with you?

Customer Guy: Yeah, sure.

Range Guy: Get the 22.

Was it worth it?

That's the question asked in this editorial from today's Boston Globe.

Not much by way of breaking news here, as most of this has been reported to death already; the "free speech zone", the overwhelming security presence, the financial impact on local business owners, the city's perception in the eyes of the world, etc.

But let me offer you this bit from the second page as food for thought:

The zone was a practical failure as well. Boston police took great efforts not to provoke demonstrators, some of whom came looking for trouble. But the internment camp appearance of the zone was itself a provocation.

Free speech survived in Boston after all. Police wisely gave protesters a lot of leeway to march and demonstrate along Causeway and Canal streets. Peaceful intentions, not permits, provided entry.

Well, whadda you know? The policy of issuing a permit for the exercising of a constitutionally-protected right by law-abiding citizens proved meaningless. Now what lesson do you suppose we can learn from that?

Bueller?

Bueller?