Dirty Harry

With the Red Sox/Rangers game in a rain delay, I was channel surfing for something to watch tonight. After blowing through the 100 or so channels at my disposal, I came across the all-time classic, "Dirty Harry", the debut of Inspector Harry Callahan, the character exquisitely portrayed by Clint Eastwood. GOOD stuff.

So many good lines from this one, in addition to the oft-quoted "Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya punk?". One of my favorites:

[Harry Callahan has to explain why he shot a man]
Harry Callahan: Well, when an adult male is chasing a female with intent to commit rape, I shoot the bastard. That's my policy.
The Mayor: Intent? How did you establish that?
Harry Callahan: When a man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butcher's knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross!
[walks out of the room]
The Mayor: He's got a point.

More "Dirty Harry" quotes here

Eek...scary guns!

Well, it seems the powers that be are afraid the Assault Weapons Ban might sunset come September, and are now trying to perpetuate its uselessness on the citizens of Massachusetts, regardless of the status of the federal ban. Of course, leading the charge are the champions of the "Do it for the Children" crusade, Stop Handgun Ownership Violence - complete with the usual rhetoric.

"These are killing machines and there is absolutely no need for killing machines in a civil society," said John Rosenthal, chairman of Stop Handgun Violence.

This statement is such utter horseshit, I almost don't want to waste my time commenting on it, but I will.

Tell me Mr. Rosenthal, what does "Kumbaya" sound like reverberating in your colon like that? The "killing machines" in our "civil society" of which you speak are the individuals who take it upon themselves to inflict deadly harm on others with no regard for the law and no respect for human life - gee, kinda like a machine, huh? The ban on certain weapons based largely on cosmetic features will do nothing to deter violent criminals from committing violent crime.

You know it's a useless piece of crap when even a genuine Massachusetts Democrat speaks out against it.

"They said this was going to mean a reduction in crime and firearms violence," said Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge. "This bill has been an absolute failure when it comes to fighting crime."

I'm sending a letter to Senator Moore tomorrow to express my gratitude and support. I'm not holding my breath for logic to prevail on Beacon Hill, but you gotta dream.

Crappy 80's Song of the Week

In addition to this week's "Crappy 80's Song of the Week", I want to discuss those albums that marked a band's "jumping the shark" moment. Off the top of my head, here are a few examples of bands and the albums after which they should have called it a day. Feel free to disagree.

Rolling Stones "Tattoo You" - "Harlem Shuffle"...'nuff said.

REM "Automatic For the People"

U2 "Achtung Baby" (maybe "War")

Pearl Jam "10"

Aerosmith "Permanent Vacation"

Now back to our regularly scheduled program:

"Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey

UPDATE: On a related note, be sure to check out Jeff's "Talking Back to 80s Music" series of posts over at Protein Wisdom. Stuff like that is gonna get you blogrolled, my friend.

Something's Fishy Here

This just in: Hub's roads are the pits, study finds.

It's bumpy out there, according to a report issued yesterday by a nonprofit transportation group that lists the Boston region among the worst in the nation when it comes to the deteriorating conditions of its roads.

On the surface, this would seem like a no-brainer. Did we need a "study" to tell us this? Anyone whose driven in Boston for more than five minutes has seen what they're talking about. But take these study results with a big grain of de-icing salt.

The report by The Road Information Program - a group funded in part by asphalt manufacturers and road-building contractors - says 54 percent of Boston's roads are in poor condition, 25 percent are mediocre, 13 percent are in fair condition, and 8 percent are in good shape.

Well, as long as they're non-profit road-building contractors (waits for laughter to die down), I guess it's legit.

Life Imitates Marvel Comics

Yeah, NOW we're talking. Someone in San Francisco is finally thinking...oh wait, never mind. I thought that headline said "sniper gun". Cops want spider gun to snare bridge jumpers.

The state highway patrol, hoping to avoid another epic traffic jam caused by a suicide jumper on a major bridge, wants inventors to design and build a gun that can capture would-be jumpers in a spider-like web.

Why stop there? While they're at it, they should develop x-ray vision glasses, human flight, invisible jets, bulletproof bracelets, and magical truth-telling lariats. These would surely be invaluable tools for law enforcement agencies everywhere. What are they waiting for?

Dead Horse Beating Alert

Yes, it's another Massachusetts Gun Control Success Story.

For the second time in two months, a Brighton High student was arrested for bringing a loaded gun to school after classmates dimed out his before-the-bell show-and-tell presentation yesterday.

How can that be? Doesn't he know that's against the law?

"He informed (police) the firearm was his and he had purchased it about a month ago,"prosecutor Andrea Brodsky said of Derrick Burton, a 17-year-old sophomore.

You mean kids will still find a way to acquire handguns despite the numerous laws enacted to prevent them from doing so? Shocking...just shocking.

I'm going way out on a limb here, but I suspect he didn't purchase this firearm from a licensed firearms dealer. I'll go even further and wager he hasn't completed a firearms safety course, purchased a trigger lock with his gun, applied for a gun permit, qualified at the Boston Police pistol range to obtain said permit, or kept this weapon securely locked up in his residence. Just a hunch.

Despite the presence of portable metal detectors - which students said are used more to punish the tardy than to protect the innocent - Burton allegedly carried the long-barreled .22-caliber Heritage Rough Rider revolver to class through the gym in a book bag after showing the weapon to other youths on the way to school.

Uh-oh. Now he's in REAL trouble. Seems that this handgun from Heritage Firearms isn't on the Attorney General's list of firearms approved for sale in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The silver handgun, with five bullets in its chamber, was found inside the blue Nike book bag on the floor of Room 209 next to Burton's chair just after 8 a.m., police said.

"Five bullets in its chamber"??? You think they meant to say "five rounds in its cylinder"? Am I nit-picking here? Is it asking too much for people who write newspaper stories for a living or for trained law enforcement personnel to make a half-hearted effort to get their facts straight?

And no such story would be complete without the money quote from a friend of the accused:

Classmate George Mobley - who didn't know Burton told police the book bag was his - called his friend "smart as hell. We don't use guns, we fight with our hands."

Hey, Derrick, MENSA on line 2 for you. I'll tell them you're incarcerated busy.

The Future of America

Elton John Says 'American Idol' Vote Is 'Racist' (link via Drudge Report)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - British Rock star Elton John, a guest judge this month on the U.S. talent hunt TV series "American Idol," said on Tuesday that he found the voting by the national viewing audience "incredibly racist."

John, who heard the wannabe pop stars perform his songs during an appearance on the FOX TV show, added his voice to a chorus of dissent that followed last week's shock exit of black vocalist Jennifer Hudson, considered one of the top talents among those vying for a recording contract.

"The three people I was really impressed with, and they just happened to be black, young female singers, and they all seem to be landing in the bottom three," said John, commenting on the tally in which the lowest vote-getter is eliminated.

"They have great voices. The fact that they're constantly in the bottom three -- and I don't want to set myself up here -- but I find it incredibly racist," John said at a news conference promoting his Radio City Music Hall concert backed by an orchestra of students from London's Royal Academy of Music and The Juilliard School of New York.

Omarosa from "The Apprentice" was unavailable for comment.

The results moved show host Ryan Seacrest to remind viewers that the series was a talent hunt and not a popularity contest.

"America, don't forget you have to vote for the talent," Seacrest said before closing the show. "You cannot let talent like this slip through the cracks."

How much can they honestly expect from the generation that propelled Jessica Simpson to superstardom? Remember, these are the same people to whom the state legislature in California is trying to grant the right to vote.

OK, kids...to vote for Kerry, text message 'kewl'.

Nor with me, Dave.

I didn't really want to post anymore on the death of Pat Tillman. He died a hero, defending his country and our freedom. His sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice, no greater and no less than the sacrifices made by all the men and women of the armed forces who give their lives to defend their country.

That being said, I feel I must highlight this quote from a recent ABC News item:

"Pat Tillman made a decision based on some very real values, and the words honor, dignity, integrity, commitment … they were not just adjectives with Pat Tillman, they were reality in his life, and that came through very loud and clear," said Dave McGinnis, the former Cardinals head football coach and a close friend of Tillman.

Those who can't do - teach. Those who can't teach - coach.

But, What About the Children!

This is ridiculous - only in Massachusetts.

Adam Goldberg thought his business would be welcomed with open arms by its prospective neighbors in Jamaica Plain.

After all, his coffee and ice cream shop, an Emack & Bolio's, was going into a space that had been home to a Brigham's for 40 years. An ice cream shop replacing an ice cream shop -- no big deal, right?

Wrong, as Goldberg was to find out. He likens the experience of dealing with neighborhood opposition to having a baseball bat taken to his head.

For Christ's sake, you'd think this guy was trying to open a gun range in Jamaica Plain. For the benefit of my readers who are "from away", JP is, shall we say, one of Boston's more diverse (read: slightly left of liberal) neighborhoods. Here's the money quote:

"One neighbor wrote a letter saying coffee, ice cream, and baked goods is going to have a negative impact on families in the neighborhood," Goldberg said last week.

[voice=Butthead] Uuuuhhhhh... [/voice]

The A.B.K. Party - enroll now!

As I mentioned in the "Brahmin Noodle" post below, I'm hoping the impending self-implosion of John Kerry doesn't take place until AFTER he gets the official party nod this summer at the DNC. But when ABC News (CLEARLY just another neo-con Bush-apologist media outlet) starts running stories like this, calling Kerry to the carpet over the "thrown medals" controversy...

Discarded Decorations
Videotape Contradicts John Kerry’s Own Statements Over Vietnam Medals

By Brian Ross and Chris Vlasto
ABCNEWS.com

April 26— Contradicting his statements as a candidate for president, Sen. John Kerry claimed in a 1971 television interview that he threw away as many as nine of his combat medals to protest the war in Vietnam.

...the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if it's part of a larger plan by the media, and the Democratic Party to accelerate the torpedoing of his campaign so that they can crown someone else at the convention, taking the Bush campaign by surprise.

Might we just be witnessing the genesis of the ABK (Anybody but Kerry) Party here?

Personally, I couldn't care less what Kerry said or did 33 years ago. In 1971, I wanted to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex when I grew up. It's what Kerry's done (or hasn't done) in his near 20-year Senate career that will prove to be his undoing.

Gay Marriage - part III

From the Boston Globe:

Governor Mitt Romney's plan to bar out-of-state gay couples from marrying in Massachusetts provoked strong reactions yesterday, drawing fire from those who said it discriminates against out-of-staters and praise for respecting the laws of other states.

Some questioned Romney, a gay-marriage opponent, for using a 91-year-old law to limit gay-marriage rights after the state's highest court had upheld them. Others said he was using the gay-marriage issue to promote his national image.

"If he wants to play a role as a moderate national statesman, he ought to pay more attention to the Constitution," said Laurence H. Tribe, a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School who has argued in support of gay marriage. He called Romney's position "wildly implausible" and "legally weak."

But Ronald Crews, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute and an opponent of same-sex marriage, praised Romney for upholding Massachusetts law and for respecting the laws of other states.

The bottom line here is Governor Romney is acting within the law. If you don't like the law, work to have the laws changed through the legislative process. I support the rights of gays to marry, but the laws of the Commonwealth and the nation must be abided by. I don't want to cut-and-paste the entire text of the article here, but let's look at one more paragraph.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in November that it is unconstitutional to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. Mary Bonauto, a lawyer at Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, said that under the 4-3 court ruling Romney has no right to deny marriage to out-of-state couples simply because other states do not permit the couplings.

So, how would the SJC,the liberal legal advocates, and our left-leaning legislature feel about my traveling to Ohio and applying for a CCW (Carrying of Concealed Weapon) permit, and returning home to Massachusetts to exercise my rights confirmed by such a document. After all, the State of Ohio "has no right to deny marriage CCW permits to out-of-state couples individuals simply because other states do not permit the couplings issuance of such permits"...right?

(insert crickets chirping here)

Yeah, didn't think so.

One of Those Days

Come on, who among us hasn't had a day like this?

A drunken Saugus man awoke in the vomit-spattered passenger seat of an SUV, grabbed a baseball bat and smashed up a gold Volvo on a Massachusetts Turnpike off-ramp during a road rage incident Thursday, police said.

Some days you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed vomit-spattered passenger seat. Gotta love the Herald.

Crappy 80's Song of the Week

"Mr. Roboto" by Styx , or "I Ran (So Far Away)" by Flock of Seagulls.

I report, you decide.

Sound Familiar?

From The Guardian (via the Drudge Report) comes yet another lovely bit of nuance from our esteemed junior senator:

During a conference call Thursday with reporters to discuss his upcoming jobs tour through West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, the Democratic presidential candidate was asked whether he owned a Chevrolet Suburban.

"I don't own an SUV," said Kerry, who supports increasing existing fuel economy standards to 36 miles per gallon by 2015 in order to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil supplies.

---

Kerry thought for a second when asked whether his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, had a Suburban at their Ketchum, Idaho, home. Kerry said he owns and drives a Dodge 600 and recently bought a Chrysler 300M. He said his wife owns the Chevrolet SUV.

"The family has it. I don't have it," he said.

Unbelievable. How much longer does he honestly think he can get away with this crap? He was MORE than happy to take the $6 million loan on his "share" of the Heinz-Kerry abode on Beacon Hill. But the eeeeee-vil SUV, that's "family" property, not his. So, Teresa's assets are "hers" if they might hurt your candidacy, but anything that can benefit you financially is 50% "yours", is that how it works, John? You wouldn't be trying to have it both ways now, would you?

If Liveshot keeps coming up with gems like this, I'll be dropping the over/under on Kerry electoral votes to double digits. I mean, Kerry's making Dukakis look presidential.

Cry Me a River

Oh, boo-hoo, my son might get drafted by a sucky team. Woe is me.

If you're biggest problem in life is having your son drafted by a crappy NFL team as the No. 1 draft pick in the country, do us all a favor and shut the hell up.

UPDATE (4/23/04): I hope the news out of Afghanistan on the death of Arizona Cardinals safety, Pat Tillman, lends some perspective to the Manning family. Hey, Eli, sign your damn contract and thank God there are people in this country like Pat Tillman who are making your success possible by defending the American way of life.

Comic Books? Are you kidding?

From the MetroWest Daily News:

FRAMINGHAM -- Chris Tarbassian gathered a bunch of comic books, stuffed them into a 9-by-12 envelope and mailed them to a friend stationed in Kuwait.

I hope this isn't an accurate indication of the mettle of our troops serving abroad. I had a college friend serving in the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm. I did what any good, patriotic American (and friend) would do.

I sent him porn.

If I'm putting my life on the line for my country, and someone purporting to be my friend sends me friggin' comic books...thanks, but no thanks, buddy. You'd be amazed at what "The Wet and Wild Women of Playboy" can do to boost...um...morale, yeah that's it. And needless to say, it was quite well-received by many of the local Kuwaiti menfolk.

Someone's Finest

From the Boston Herald:

A captain in the Boston Mafia who was let out of jail ditched his monitoring bracelet and was arrested yesterday after he was bagged as a passenger in a car that led police on a high-speed chase, according to police and a source.

I can just imagine how this went down at the police station leading up to his arrest:

"How's that tracking system working? You got Rossetti on the screen there, Detective?"

"Yeah, Boss, he's been at home for the last few months."

"He hasn't gone anywhere, has he?"

"Well, now that you ask, it looks like he went for a ride a couple days ago around 7:00 in the morning, but I wouldn't worry much. Seems he was just visiting the town landfill, and he hasn't moved since. We're keeping an eye on him, Boss."

The Brahmin Noodle

Please, Lord, prevent John Kerry from self-imploding until AFTER he has received the official nomination this summer. I'm putting the over/under on electoral votes for Kerry at 121. His campaign slogan (post-election) is gonna change to "We Beat Dukakis!"

The jokes just write themselves sometimes. From the Boston Globe:

Kerry, in an interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press," was asked whether he would follow President Bush's example and release all of his military records. "I have," Kerry said. "I've shown them -- they're available for you to come and look at." He added that "people can come and see them at headquarters."

But when a reporter showed up yesterday morning to review the documents, the campaign staff declined, saying all requests must go through the press spokesman, Michael Meehan. Late yesterday, Meehan said the only records available would be those already released to this newspaper.

"He is releasing all military records he has released to The Boston Globe," Meehan said in a telephone interview. In a follow-up e-mail, Meehan said it was those particular records to which Kerry was referring on "Meet the Press."

Drudge Report has this line from a speech by Republican National Committee Chair, Ed Gillespie:

"Guess it depends on what your definition of the word 'all' is."

I said it before, I'll say it again. Stick a fork in the Brahmin Noodle, he's cooked - and in only three minutes

St. Louis(ville Slugger)

This story is too good to pass up.

ST. LOUIS - A woman using her son's baseball bat fatally beat an intruder who forced his way into her duplex and attacked her sister while he was clad only in socks, police said.

"I asked him, 'Who are you and what do you want?' The only thing he said was, 'I'm dead. I'm dead," Gwen Herndon, 56, said after being attacked about 1:30 a.m. Sunday before her sister, 41-year-old Rochelle Edwards, intervened.

He might have been naked and high as a kite, but at least he got the "I'm dead" part right.

Edwards was not charged in the death of Timothy Turner, a 29-year-old man investigators suspect was under the influence of drugs.

Police were awaiting autopsy results.

Um...death by blunt trauma and intoxicants present in his system, you think?

Turner's criminal record included arrests on suspicion of burglary, assault, gun charges, forgery and trespassing, police said. He also had a robbery conviction.

Good riddance. Nice knowing you Timmy.

The Mumbles Chronicles - continued

Again, PLEASE don't let this article from the Boston Globe destroy your faith in your elected officials. Was that sarcastic enough? I could turn it up a notch if need be.

File this one under "Gee, John Kerry's Been Telling Me the Republicans Are The Party of the Rich and the Special Interest Groups".

A decade after Mayor Thomas M. Menino declared residency a cornerstone of his administration, more than two-thirds of city employees are still exempt from a law requiring Boston workers to live within city limits.

Just 4,836 of 16,695 city employees are subject to the residency ordinance, and most of those are workers who can least afford Boston’s skyrocketing housing costs - clerks, secretaries, laborers, and others at the bottom of the salary scale.

Meanwhile, higher-paid employees who are members of more powerful unions often have found ways to remain largely unaffected. Teachers secured an exemption through state legislation. Police superior officers refuse to abide by the law because it was never written in their union contract. Other unions have negotiated lenient grandfather clauses that allow the bulk of their members to remain exempt. And ever since unions challenged a rule that requires grandfathered employees to move to the city when they are promoted, it has not been enforced.

On second thought, let's file it under "Unintended Consequences".

Enacted in the 1970s, Boston's residency rules were touted as a way to boost property values by stemming the exodus of middle-class workers from declining neighborhoods. But not all employees were bound by the law, including police and firefighters. Teachers won exemption in the Legislature, and the City Council routinely approved waivers for individuals.

[snip]

But low-paying service employees have had to abide, and many tell nightmarish tales of struggling to get by in a city where rent control has been abolished and the median price for a two-bedroom apartment last year was $1,400 a month. The median sale price of a single-family home in 2003 was $333,000, triple what it was two decades ago.

Charles Strange, a custodian in the Department of Public Works, said he lived in his old Mercury sedan for two years after the bank foreclosed on the house he was renting in Dorchester with two roommates. He said the cheapest apartment he could find was $950 a month, beyond his reach.

Or maybe we can file it under "Idiotic Policies That Ignore the Free Market Concept" - I think there's some room in that file next to Minimum Wage.

"Values were low and we were trying to get people to invest," said Councilor at Large Maura Hennigan, of conditions in the early 1990s when she voted to beef up residency. "But Boston has become a desirable city for a lot of reasons. Now it's really wrong to make them live here when, for the most part, they can't afford to buy on the salaries that are being paid."

Tell you what, read the whole thing and then file it the trash under "Talking Mumbling Out of His Ass".

Menino's aides say that, despite the loopholes, about two-thirds of Boston employees have chosen to live in the city. But some unions question that figure and have circulated a videotape of Menino telling an interviewer last year that anyone seeking affordable housing should look outside Route 495 -- perhaps to Fall River or New Bedford.

Hey, we know they gots lots of Keno there, dude! Sweet!

It's pronounced "JACK-ass"

Anyone see the movie "Parenthood"? Remember this line from Tod, the character played by Keanu Reeves?

You know, Mrs. Buchman, you need a license to buy a dog, to drive a car - hell, you even need a license to catch a fish. But they'll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father.

The sheer stupidity of parents like this NEVER ceases to amaze (and disgust) me.

A baby ejected from a car during a crack-up on Interstate 95 went soaring through the air, landed on the pavement and was nearly struck by another car but miraculously survived.

Golly, how could that have possibly happened?

Investigators believe the child was not properly restrained in its car seat, (State Police Sgt. David) Paine said.

No shit.

UPDATE: But wait...more stupid dead people.

A one-car rollover on Interstate 495 in Foxborough yesterday afternoon claimed the lives of the parents of three children who probably survived the wreck because they were wearing seat belts, State Police said. The parents were not wearing seat belts.

Yeah, seat belts are uncomfortable. Your desire to prevent your shirt from wrinkling, or maybe you just wanted to look cool, whatever, just orphaned your children, you stupid shit.

UPDATE (4/19/04): From this follow-up piece comes this headline:

Mourned R.I. couple led lives of faith

Well now, isn't that special? I hate to be the bearer of the bleedin' obvious here (actually, no I don't), but all the faith in the world isn't gonna do you much good when you're as smart as a bag of hammers.

For Those About to Rock

What would Bon Scott think about this?

FALLUJAH, Iraq - In Fallujah's darkened, empty streets, U.S. troops blast AC/DC's "Hell's Bells" and other rock music full volume from a huge speaker, hoping to grate on the nerves of this Sunni Muslim city's gunmen and give a laugh to Marines along the front line.

Sniping to "Have a Drink on Me"? Not bad.

Dropping MOAB's to "For Those About to Rock"? Absolutely friggin' priceless. And I thought it was cool when the minutemen fired their muskets in the endzone of the Patriots/Colts AFC Championship game to this song...child's play. Pay-per-view, anyone?

New Blogroll Entry

I can't believe it took me so long to find this site, Zero Intelligence. Their tagline "Fighting School Board Tyranny Inanity since 2004" pretty much says it all. Give them a read.

There are no exceptions to Rule #1

Rule #1 of gunfighting: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.

This guy apparently didn't receive that memo. And yes, this incident actually took place in Massachusetts. Violent crime prevented by the use of a legally owned firearm, and not one shot fired or one person injured by the evil gun. Whadda you know?

"After the attendant made change the second time the suspect produced a knife and pointed it at the attendant and said, 'Don't do anything stupid and give me all the money,'" Nally said. "About this time the attendant produced a handgun which he is lawfully licensed to do and ordered the suspect to leave the store, which he did."

Now, is this guy in any position to determine what constitutes a stupid activity? You think he'll smarten up enough to consider a new line of work?

Crappy 80's Song of the Week

This week's entry comes courtesy of Analog Mouse. Just one problem. This song is so crappy, it gives crap a bad name and I dare not defile my blog by posting its name here. You're gonna have to read the comments to find out what it is, but be forewarned - do so at your own risk.

- The Management

Damned if he does...

Michelle Malkin has a great column up today on the ridiculous New York Times editorial criticizing the Bush Administration for not implementing a racial profiling policy in our nation's airports pre-9/11. I wish I was making this shit up.

In an editorial this week that embodies the Left's unmitigated gall, the New York Times castigated President Bush for not doing enough after receiving an Aug. 6, 2001, briefing memo warning vaguely of bin Laden-planned domestic terrorism. According to the Times, Bush should have "rushed back to the White House, assembled all his top advisers and demanded to know what, in particular, was being done to screen airline passengers to make sure people who fit the airlines' threat profiles were being prevented from boarding American planes."

Nope...no left-wing hypocrisy here. Move along.

America's "Newspaper of Record"? Yeah - a Milli Vanilli record maybe.

In the Times' defense, they do preface that bile with:

"No reasonable American blames Mr. Bush for the terrorist attacks..."

The use of the prefix "Mr." (quite popular with the ANSWER/MoveOn.org crowd) aside, it seems for a fleeting moment that sanity might prevail here.

"...but that's a long way from thinking there was no other conceivable action he could have taken to prevent them."

Never mind. There's ALWAYS a "but". I wouldn't wipe my butt with the New York Times (even if it was soft and fluffy).

Those Crazy Kids - part II

More on those crazy kids in the city of Boston's Parking Enforcement Office from this follow-up piece in the Boston Globe:

The Menino administration yesterday refused to disclose the names of all seven employees suspended in a parking ticket fixing scam, as the mayor said his decision to suspend them for one day for each fixed ticket was appropriate punishment.
...

The seven workers will serve a one-day suspension without pay for each dismissed ticket and will have to pay back all fines, plus interest and late fees.

Oooh...that'll teach 'em.

Yesterday, Menino said his decision sent "a loud message that we will not tolerate action like that in city government."

Just because a message is loud, doesn't mean it's the right message. And this message says that we will tolerate such actions and give you a little slap on the wrist. After all, it's only the money of the little commoners you're dealing with.

And it wouldn't be a real Massachusetts problem without a real Massachusetts solution:

The city plans to hire a consulting firm to conduct a review of the city's parking office.

St. Petersburg Al Qaeda Democratic Club

By now, the Drudge Report piece on this charming ad from the St. Petersburg Democratic Club has made its way around the blogosphere several times over. So there's no need for me to elaborate on the filthy, revolting, terrorist-appeasing pieces of shit (my sincere apologies to shit) responsible for this. I'll just leave you with James Taranto's comment from Opinion Journal's "Best of the Web" column:

Suppose a local Republican club placed a newspaper ad soliciting donations for President Bush and urging the assassination of a prominent Democratic official. Would it not be national news? Why have we heard nothing about this ad--which appeared last Thursday--until now, and only from the Drudge Report?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Bueller?

UPDATE: Stop the presses! CNN picked up on this story (better late than never I guess). Choice cuts:

Kerry campaign spokesman Stephanie Cutter told CNN. "John Kerry does not condone this type of advertising and believes that it is wrong."

Are you sure, John? You want to think it over for a while?

Pinellas County Democratic Party Chairman Kevin Jensen told CNN that he, too, was outraged by the ad, and said party officials "don't condone this type of stupidity."

Does anyone know if the official list of stupidity types that ARE condoned by Democratic Party officials is available on-line?

(thanks to Ravenwood for the heads-up on the CNN link)

This just in - Earth round

Can't say I'm surprised by these findings:

A man walks into a bar and orders a 12-ounce bottle of Corona Extra. Another man walks in and orders a 12-ounce Guinness draft.

The two men turn to each other, raise their glasses and say, "Here's to your health."

Question: Whose dietary and health interests are better served by the 12-ounce beer?

If the guidelines are less alcohol, fewer calories, fewer carbohydrates and, to top it off, protection against heart attacks, blindness and maybe even impotence, then it's the Guinness drinker, hands-down.

Not much new here, but the part about Guinness preventing you from going blind? Wish I had that little bit of knowledge when I was 15.

(link via Instapundit)

Those Crazy "Young Kids"

Try not to let this destroy your faith in our public officials. From the Boston Globe: Parking ticket scam is uncovered

Seven city workers were suspended yesterday, including the manager of Mayor Thomas M. Menino's 2001 reelection campaign, after police uncovered a widespread scam in which parking tickets given to municipal employees were routinely fixed.

Peter C. O'Sullivan, director of Menino's street furniture program, had 15 parking tickets totaling $808 dismissed without cause or even a hearing, according to City Hall officials.

The second biggest offender was Michael Kelley, the former campaign manager who now works on the city's Rental Housing Resource Center. He had 13 tickets totaling $564 dismissed, the officials said.

Shocking...just shocking, I tell you (yawn). I'm sure the mayor's gonna take a firm stand against this violation of the public's trust...

"These are young kids, making a mistake so early in their careers," Menino said.

...or not.

"I think the punishment is sufficient. The public has to have confidence in us. With acts like this, you lose some of their confidence."

Mr. Mayor, you're assuming you still have some of our confidence to begin with. Can't lose what you don't got, Chuckles.

Funny Stuff

Do you have a catchy Kerry campaign slogan you'd like to see in print? Now you can, courtesy of the Kerry Sloganator. Be sure to peruse the gallery while you're there.

OK, now get back to work.

Count on Excitement

"Count on Excitement" - that's the slogan printed on the little mini-golf pencils all across the state in its many Keno outlets. As commentary to this Boston Herald article, a scathing demonization of the Massachusetts State Lottery and calls for its abolishment would be perhaps a tad hypocritical on my part. I have been known to purchase the occasional ticket for some of the higher jackpot games, and to play a few games of Keno over a cheeseburger and a beer in some of the local dives.

(State Treasurer, Tim) Cahill, who says he's never purchased a lottery ticket in Massachusetts, said lottery revenues could reach $925 million by the end of the fiscal year. Last year, the lottery generated $889 million for the state on a total of $4.2 billion in sales.

Seems even our State Treasurer understands that the success of these games is contingent on the targeted players' inability to calculate the odds of winning and to compare those odds to the payoffs dished out by the state. For example, the lottery would have you believe that for the $1 instant games, the chances of "winning" are approximately 1 in 4. They conveniently omit the fact up front that about half of those "winning" tickets merely give you your dollar back. In my book, that's not winning, it's a waste of time.

The introduction of a second $10 lottery ticket last month and longer Keno hours have also spurred the surge in sales, Cahill said in an interview Monday with The Associated Press.

Another reason for the revenue increase were changes to Keno - shortening the length of each game from five minutes to four minutes and adding another 22 hours of play each week.

ANOTHER reason? Let's look at those Keno numbers (from the Mass Lottery website). The game went from one game every five minutes to a game every four minutes, and from 81 hours a week up to 103. So a year ago, there were 972 Keno games drawn each week, compared to the current 1,545 games a week - an increase of nearly 59%. Over the course of a year, this means there will be an additional 29,796 Keno games played. The towns of New Bedford and Fall River have a combined 82 Keno outlets. This means there will be an increase of over 2.4 million in the number of opportunities to play Keno in those towns alone. Eight years ago those towns had 54 Keno outlets between the two of them. But the lottery doesn't target low-income people who can least afford to play, right?

To credit the jump in lottery revenues to this new advertising campaign is foolish. It's like throwing a rock off the roof and crediting its descent to earth to the fact that the rock is gray.

Cahill wants lawmakers to double the advertising budget next year.

Cahill said the $10 million would be money well spent, because he would expect a five-to-one return on the investment based on the numbers he's seen with the latest ad campaign.

Five million dollars from the state coffers flushed down the proverbial toilet not enough for ya, Tim? Are you sure there's NOTHING else we could be spending that money on in these times of alleged financial hardship.

But because the ads are relatively new, he's worried lawmakers faced with making tough budget choices won't be convinced.

"We may not be able to prove that by the time the budget's done," he said.

Excuse me, but you'd be hard-pressed to prove that by the time the 22nd century rolls around.

Lawmakers had observed a ban on lottery advertising for years, worried the state might look like it was promoting gambling.

Yeah, can't have that. Oops...too late.

Better lottery revenues will also discourage talk of casinos, something Cahill said will undermine the lottery.

"If we don't bring the revenue in, the state will turn to casinos and slot machines," he said.

Oh the horror - people gambling their hard-earned dollars elsewhere, for a higher payoff, and the state lottery operating budget slashed as more and more people turn to alternative gambling venues! Can't have that! The Massachusetts State Lottery, the most profitable in the nation, is just one more example of the " ________ for me, but not for thee" attitude shared by so many of our elected leaders. Now THAT mindset is something you can count on.

OK, maybe just ONE post

Wasn't going to post on the Condi Rice testimony today. Not much new to add to the mix, but why sit back and do nothing when you have the chance to use the phrase Feces Flinging Monkey?

Taking a long weekend

No posts for the next couple of days, unless I have a moment to get online over the weekend. Red Sox and Orioles are going to the 13th. Could be a long night. Have a good weekend, all.

Anarchy in the DNC

From the Boston Herald:

"Wary of increasingly violent radical groups, authorities are bracing for a possible invasion of unruly party crashers at this summer's Democratic National Convention, including some underground extremists who endorse rioting and mayhem."

It's not a party 'til the anarchists show up. Tell me I'm not the only one laughing at the irony of anarchists exercising their first amendment rights to protest against their government. Try that in any third-world shithole dictatorship and you'd be summarily gunned down where you stand. That being said, let's hope that city officials have learned from past mistakes and have a plan to maintain order in and around the area of the DNC. In the aftermath of the Super Bowl this year, they were unable to control a small group of intoxicated Northeastern students, for whom rioting was only a side hobby.

"Hub authorities are preparing based on violent clashes at past high-security events, including the 1999 WTO riots in Seattle and the 2000 RNC and DNC in Philadelphia and Los Angeles respectively. Both 2000 conventions saw sporadic unrest and hundreds of arrests. In Philadelphia, the violence was more widespread with protesters reportedly using urine- and acid-filled Super Soaker guns on police, lighting fires and blocking traffic."

Sorry, Mr. Anarchist, but if I'm a cop and you come at me with a Super Soaker, I'm going to assume it's not water you're packing there. I'm dropping you.

B's up 1-0!

Andrew Raycroft posted a shutout in his playoff debut, stopping 31 shots as the Bruins opened their playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens with a 3-0 win.

The Red Sox beat up on the Baltimore Orioles today, 10-3.

And the Celtics...yeah, like anyone cares.

Crappy 80's Song of the Week

"Oh Sherrie" by Steve Perry - it was that or "Anything by Peter Cetera", tough call.

Mumbles and Morons - part II

Yes, there's more. As a follow-up to my previous post comes this story about one of those poor, sweet little college boys who decided to tear the shit out of the city following the Pats' Super Bowl win this year. Priceless stuff.

Dan Rosquette said it all began as a peaceful celebration of the New England Patriots Super Bowl victory by hundreds of Northeastern students, but the next thing he knew he was stomping on top of someone's car on Symphony Road because he "got caught up in the moment."

The NEXT thing he knew? That sentence implies prior brainwave activity. Jury's still out on that one.

"You all have seen me on the tape. I'm the one with the green hat and yellow jacket on top of a car," he said. "I wasn't thinking. I was like, this is fun."

Yeah, like, OK, and you're like, a total dipshit.

Six Northeastern students caught on tape or in photographs damaging cars and property during a riotous post Super Bowl celebration early Feb. 2 are expected to learn tomorrow whether they'll be charged in Roxbury District Court with malicious destruction of property.

James Grabowski, 21, of West Newbury was killed during the bedlam, when he and three other young men were run down by a speeding SUV.

Stanley Filoma of Mattapan is facing drunken driving and motor vehicle homicide charges.

"I didn't think I'd get caught," Rosquette, 20, said yesterday before a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to bring charges against him and the other students.

What? You didn't think you would ever be held responsible for your actions? What kind of fantasy land do you live in, asshole?

"It started out as a celebration and the next thing I know, I'm damaging someone's property. I wish I could take things back."

No, fuckface, it started out as a celebration, and you made the conscious choice to destroy someone else's property. And screw this "the next thing I knew" crap. What, did the riot fairy sprinkle you with dumbass dust and plop you down on top of the overturned car?

Rosquette, a sophomore from Maine, was expelled from Northeastern for violating the school's student code of conduct.

"Those actions represent a mistake I made, not who I am," he said.

Boo...hoo.

The overturned car belonged to Nicole Vazeos.

"When I was a student, I didn't do anything like that," she said outside the hearing room. "As students, they should have known better."

As members of the human race, they should have known better.

Another person whose vehicle was smashed thinks the students may have learned their lesson.

"I think that going through this public humiliation and paying restitution is enough," said Zachary Berk, 24, a law student at Northeastern. Berk said the cost of repairing his Jeep was more than $4,000.

Aaah yes, he's the REAL victim here - spoken like a future Bay State prosecutor. Be afraid, be vary afraid.

"I walked out of a bar excited that the Patriots had won. Then I saw what they did to my car and my celebrating was over,'' Berk said.

John Tangusso, the attorney for Justin Bachman, 22, said his client also got caught up in the moment.

"He got swept up in a terrible situation and his life has been turned upside down. He's a good student,'' he said.

The Unabomber was a good student, what's your point? I was watching the live broadcast from U-Conn on the news last night while working on this. They interviewed some of these "good students". Not one of them displayed anything resembling respect for the law or their community. Be afraid.

Mumbles and Morons

I'm going to try to condense this into 5,000 words or less. I have a solid 4 pages of stuff in my head on this subject, but here's the rundown - more to follow if I feel inspired to continue.

Two months ago the New England Patriots won their second Super Bowl title in three years. The post-game "celebration" got out of hand quickly in the neighborhoods near a few of the local college campuses, as drunken idiots took to the streets setting bonfires, looting, and flipping cars (those wacky college kids). Unfortunately, the Northeastern University Department of Public Safety has since removed the pictures from their website.

The police response was, for all intents and purposes, non-existent. People demanded that our mayor, Tom "Mumbles" Menino, explain the situation with regards to the number of uniformed officers on the streets that night. Some local newspapers reported the number to be in the neighborhood of 40 cops, deployed CITY-WIDE. The Mayor's office and, the "acting" Police Commissioner said it was closer to 100 - for the entire city of Boston!

As if it wasn't bad enough that someone was actually killed during all of this, the Honorable Mayor Menino then has the fucking nerve to say that the destruction was due to the recent availability of Sunday liquor sales. Then when that was proven to be complete horseshit, he tried to lay the blame on the colleges and universities for not adequately baby-sitting their children. He seems to have forgotten that the same thing happened after the previous Patriots' Super Bowl victory, and after the Red Sox playoff wins (and losses). City officials knew EXACTLY what was going to happen, WHEN it would happen, and where it would happen - and did jackshit.

Well, if Tom Brady can continue to throw the football the way Menino passes the buck around, we can expect to see many more championships in New England. Within the last few weeks the Boston Police Department released the report of their investigation and, lo and behold, they acknowledged a severe lack of police presence on the streets of Boston that night. Gee...I'm...stunned. The report claimed 130 officers were assigned, but some local news accounts had reported that many had called in sick or had asked to be rescheduled. If I find a definitive answer to this I'll update this post.

Now, lets fast forward to last night's celebration at the University of Connecticut. As these pictures show, from The Hartford Courant's website, the kids at UConn have a lot in common with Northeastern kids here in Boston. Look closely though. Do you notice any differences in how the authorities handled this little soiree? That's right. They ARRESTED people. And they used PEPPER SPRAY. That's what you do in these situations. If the City Of Boston fails to learn anything from their mistakes, and by studying the successes of others, you can be assured that if the Red Sox ever bring home a World Series title, I'll be up on my roof with a Ruger Mini-30, some pre-ban 20-round magazines, and 1,000 rounds of 7.62mm.

Thanks to Ravenwood for the link to the U-Conn pictures.

Ice Ice Kerry

Drudge Report links to this Yahoo News Photo today.

"Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry...laughs as he is introduced during Palm Sunday services at the Charles St. AME Church, in Boston's Roxbury district, Sunday, April 4, 2004, as his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, left, looks on."

Nope, no blatant pandering to the black vote here. Kerry always attends services in black churches in Roxbury - with AP camera crew in tow. And doesn't Teresa just look thrilled to be there? This is right up there with his recent "I'm fascinated by rap and hip-hop" statement from an interview he did for MTV.

"Oh, Lovey! Where's my Ice Cube CD? I feel like breaking a move. Have you seen my gat?"

Coming to America

Over at the Boston Phoenix, Dan Kennedy's Media Log has this post up with an e-mail from a reader defending local talk show host, Jay Severin's use of the term 'wetback' in referring to Mexicans entering this country illegally. I'm not a regular reader of the Phoenix, as its Bush-hating liberal slant does little to pull me into its pages with any kind of regularity, but Kennedy is right on target here, as far as this particular issue is concerned.

The labeling of illegal aliens from Mexico as 'wetbacks' is, indeed, racist and derogatory. But what I find equally offensive, which Kennedy conveniently fails to address, is the blanket use of 'undocumented workers', which has become the standard terminology adopted by the blatantly liberal mainstream media. Katie Couric on the Today Show was doing an interview on this subject a while back and actually had to correct herself in mid-sentence (and I'm paraphrasing here as I don't have the transcript of the show), "...so with regards to the illeg...undocumented workers in this country...". Nice save, Katie.

News Flash: Not ALL immigrants coming into our country through illegal means are doing so to find work and provide for their struggling families back home. Likewise, not ALL immigrants are coming into our country to take advantage of our freedom and liberty, or stage terrorist plots against us.

Current American immigration policy allows for people to enter the United States through legal means, to get a quality education, or get a job and become a productive, tax-paying member of society. To gloss over the illegal immigration problem we are facing isn't doing anyone any favors, except those who would flagrantly violate our laws. Yet those who speak out against ILLEGAL immigration are routinely labeled as anti-immigrant racists.

This country was built by people fleeing their homelands to find a better life for themselves and their families. It is important that this tradition be allowed to continue, but as long as we're a nation of laws, the laws must be upheld and respected by all who wish to join us.

Life in Our Gun-free Utopia

Lovely story out of U-Mass Dartmouth this morning.

DARTMOUTH -- Fear stalked the campus of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth yesterday as authorities searched for a suspect in attacks on two female students, one of whom was sexually assaulted.

The assaults occurred early Friday in two adjacent dormitories, according to campus police. The first student was attacked in her room in Roberts Hall about 5 a.m., said campus police chief Mark Porter. He would not describe the attack, except to say that it was sexual in nature.

It's safe to assume the person stalking and assaulting women in their dorm rooms isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but do you think that just maybe he'd take up a new hobby if he knew that, say, 1 in 5 female students was sleeping with a .38 revolver next to her bed. Better to call 911 to come pick up a dead or wounded rapist than to have them come out to take your rape report, or worse.

Of course, your benevolent elected officials would have you think that a woman found dead in her dorm room with her panties tied around her neck is somehow morally superior to a woman standing over the body of a would-be rapist. Remember this next time someone promises more "common sense" gun control laws.

Welfare Reform Reform

From the editorial pages of the Wall Street Journal comes this article on the recent success of welfare reform and the efforts of our esteemed Senior Senator to undo its effects and send us back to the days of "the Great Society policy of government handouts" with no interest whatsoever in breaking "the cycle of dependency that 40 years of open-ended social welfare policies and perverse incentives had created."

There used to a time in this country when honest, hard-working people would actually be ashamed to be collecting welfare from the State. Now, it's just another part of many people's normal financial planning strategy. The level of opposition to welfare reform astounds me.

In Michigan last year, the courts struck down attempts to require welfare recipients to submit to mandatory drug testing. As expected the ACLU was all over this like flies on pig shit, saying it violated the privacy rights of poor people. Too freakin' bad! If you're gonna take money from the state that you're not actually working for, the state should have every right to determine if you are going to spend it on food and clothing for your children or a bag of heroin.

I submitted to a blood and urine test in order to obtain a life insurance policy. My insurance carrier had every right to insist that I do so. It's their money, and they need to know if I'm a risk for health problems further down the road. With welfare recipients, this should be even more clear. It's not a private organization putting up the cash, it's every hard-working citizen paying taxes to the government who's footing the bill here.

Drug testing, in my opinion, should just be the tip of the iceberg here. Test for nicotine by-product as well, I say. If you got cigarette money, you got food money. What you don't have is common sense and the ability to make the right decisions for your family's well-being. Maybe the withholding or reduction of your monthly handout might help you see the light.

Mandatory reversible (get off welfare, have a baby) contraception, along the lines of Norplant, or whatever the latest methods are, for all female welfare recipients of child-bearing age. If you can't scrape up enough cash for a sandwich, what business do you have bringing babies into the world, knowing full well you can't afford to feed and clothe them? What's that? Contraception violates your religious beliefs? Too bad. Paying for food for your kids while you sit around smoking butts watching Springer violates mine. If vasectomies were easily reversed, I'd be tying off all the deadbeats knocking these women up too.

File under "WTF" - chapter 2

That does it, I'm filing legislation to change the state motto to "Massachusetts: Whatta you, reTAHded?"

From the Boston Herald:

An indoor fireworks show eerily similar to one that killed 100 rock fans at a Rhode Island nightclub last year ignited a curtain in a Hub hotel ballroom this week, sparking outrage from relatives of those killed in The Station inferno.

Choice quotes from the Sheraton Boston general manager Doug Ridge include:

"At no time was there any risk to any of our patrons."

"we took the proper precautions."

No doubt, the exact thoughts running through the mind of the individual responsible for the pyrotechnics display at The Station last year.

Granted, the Sheraton had obtained the necessary permits and did go through a "dry run" with fire department officials. Still doesn't make it a good judgment call on their part. And whose plan was it to set up the pyro display anywhere friggin' NEAR the curtains? As Homer Simpson once exclaimed, "I am so smart. I am so smart. S-M-R-T, I am so smart."

Common Sense from the Bench

Just when I'm convinced that this state can't do ANYTHING right, a faint flicker of hope appears on the horizon.

BOSTON (AP) A judge on Friday lifted an injunction barring the state from posting the photographs and addresses of the state's most dangerous sex offenders on the Internet.

The ruling from Suffolk Superior Court Judge Bonnie MacLeod is the latest development in a fierce battle between state officials who see the Web listings as a way to protect the public and defense attorneys who argue that disseminating the names of sex offenders on the Internet would expose them to harassment and potential violence.

Worried about exposing Level 3 sex offenders to harassment and potential violence? Weep fucking weep. Where's the "it's for the children" outrage? Where are the Million Moms and their "If it saves just ONE life" mantra?

Do you know what you have to do get this information now? You gotta haul your ass down to the police station in the town you live in just to get the names of level 3 sex offenders registered in your town. What's that? You say the town next to you is 10 yards from your house. You have to go to THAT town's police department and request this information from them.

Going on vacation in a different part of the state with your children? Guess what? That's right, another trip to the local constabulary to obtain a new list for that town.

Nice to see there are still some caring individuals who value the feelings and safety of violent child rapists over the concerns and welfare of the children. Judge Bonnie MacLeod should be heralded as the champion of children's rights she is.

This is getting old: Massachusetts is one of only (blank) states that still allow/require (blank).

Here's a real shocker

It's been a "rough year financially for Boston archdiocese".

The Archdiocese of Boston's financial position deteriorated significantly during the fiscal year that ended just before Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley arrived in July, according to a report released yesterday.

"Obviously we suffered a loss from operations, despite a substantial reduction from the budget cuts we put in place," Chancellor David W. Smith said.

Now, I don't see myself auditioning for "The Apprentice" anytime soon, but my limited business skills tell me that when your "operations" plan includes aiding and abetting the forced anal rape of young boys, you REALLY shouldn't be too surprised to see your bottom (no pun intended) line suffer a blow (no pun intended).

I Yield the Floor

A couple stories I've been wanting to get to are the situation in Fallujah, Iraq and the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice concerning the U.S. death sentences of Mexican citizens. I will now defer to the inimitable Kim du Toit - see rants here and here.

One critical point I feel obliged to make here is that Kim seems to have softened slightly given his proposed use of the Daisycutter, when we have perfectly good MOAB's sitting idly by.

I Hate When That Happens

The headline for this story in the Boston Globe reads: "T rider says mishap with train doors left her hurt".

A Boston University freshman says she was dragged more than 200 feet by an MBTA Green Line train after its doors closed on her leg as she exited the car at the Riverside train yard.

So, according to the headline, she says the incident left her hurt, as if someone might be disputing her claim? I'm not a doctor, but getting dragged 200 feet by a train is gonna cause, at a minimum, some serious discomfort for the dragee.

Crappy 80's Song of the Week

"The Sky is Crying" by Stevie Ray Vaughn

UPDATE (4/5/04): For those of you too lazy to read the comments, the preceding post was brought to you by the Massachusetts April Fools Day Council. The actual Crappy 80's song of the week was "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo. Now...discuss amongst yourselves.

Bush signs pro-choice legislation?

In the news today:

President Bush, eager to hand another victory to the social conservatives who make up his most loyal base of political support, decided on an elaborate ceremony to sign into law legislation expanding legal rights of the unborn.

The Unborn Victims of Violence Act makes it a crime to harm a fetus during an assault on a pregnant woman. Bush was signing the bill, which took five years to get through Congress, on Thursday in the Rose Garden.

People on both sides of the fetal rights and abortion issue have said the new law will have far-reaching consequences.

As a person with decidedly libertarian leanings, I support a woman's right to choose what to do with her body, whether that means carrying a handgun to defend her body from harm or choosing to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. I'll save for another day my full views on the subject.

Back to the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. I can see where the arguments come from on both sides of this issue, but if a woman CHOOSES to keep her baby, and it is subsequently killed in a violent assault on the woman, wouldn't that woman want the state to recognize her choice to keep the baby and hold its killer accountable for that crime? By not prosecuting the killer, the government would essentially be telling this woman, your choice is of no consequence, we will make that choice for you now.

I don't see this bill as an infringement on a woman's right to choose. Women don't choose to be brutally attacked. Laci peterson certainly wasn't a willing participant in her savage killing. If someone had murdered my wife while she was carrying our twin daughters, do you think I would just ignore their deaths as if nothing happened? I would want to see that person slowly and painfully tortured and killed brought to justice for the three murders he had committed.

Decent shirt, eh?

Are you:

(a) a Rush fan (the band, not Limbaugh)?
(b) a supporter of 2nd Amendment rights?
(c) a Massachusetts resident/native?
(d) topless?
(e) all of the above?

If you answered (e), then this t-shirt is for you - and you'll support a great blog. Mine shoud be arriving in the mail any day now. Thanks, Aaron!