Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Quick Question

Would it be in bad taste to put up a post suggesting that Ted Kennedy, with his real-life experience in surviving partially-submerged disaster areas, be sent down to head up emergency relief efforts in New Orleans?

Yeah, it probably would be. Never mind.


Memo to Sarah Brady...

...and to Kofi Annan, Rosie O'Donnell, John Kerry, Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, and the rest of the world's socialist, freedom-loathing, gun-grabbing filth.

Go piss up a friggin' rope!

Those trapped in the city faced an increasingly lawless environment, as law enforcement agencies found themselves overwhelmed with widespread looting. Looters swarmed the Wal-mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, often bypassing the food and drink section to steal wide-screen TVs, jewelry, bicycles and computers. Watching the sordid display and shaking his head in disgust, one firefighter said of the scene: "It's a f---- hurricane, what are you do with a basketball goal?" Police regained control at about 3 p.m., after clearing the store with armed patrol. One shotgun-toting Third District detective described the looting as "ferocious."

"And it's going to get worse as the days progress," he said.

In Uptown, one the few areas that remained dry, a bearded man patrolled Oak Street near the boarded-up Maple Leaf Bar, a sawed-off shotgun slung over his shoulder. The owners of a hardware store sat in folding chairs, pistols at the ready.

Uptown resident Keith Williams started his own security patrol, driving around in his Ford pickup with his newly purchased handgun. Earlier in the day, Williams said he had seen the body of a gunshot victim near the corner of Leonidas and Hickory streets.

"What I want to know is why we don't have paratroopers with machine guns on every street," Williams said.

Like-minded Art Depodesta sat on the edge of a picnic table outside Cooter Brown's Bar, a chrome shotgun at his side loaded with red shells.

"They broke into the Shell station across the street," he said. "I walked over with my 12-gauge and shot a couple into the air."

The looters scattered, but soon after, another man appeared outside the bar in a pickup truck armed with a pistol and threatened Depodesta.

"I told him, 'Listen, I was in the Army and I will blow your ass off,'" Depodesta said. "We've got enough trouble with the flood."

The man sped away.

"You know what sucks," Depodesta said. "The whole U.S. is looking at this city right now, and this is what they see."

In the Bywater, a supply store sported spray-painted signs reading "You Loot, I Shoot" and "You Bein Watched." A man seated nearby with a rifle in his lap suggested it was no idle threat. At the Bywater studio of Dr. Bob, the artist known for handpainted "Be Nice or Leave" signs, a less fanciful sentiment was painted on the wall: "Looters Will Be Shot. Dr. Bob."


On a related note, Glenn has a roundup of links for those looking to help out in any way they can.

UPDATE: This isn't good.

Officials watched helplessly as looters around the city ransacked stores for food, clothing, appliances and guns.

[snip]

New Orleans' homeland security chief, Terry Ebbert, said looters were breaking into stores all over town and stealing guns. He said there are gangs of armed men moving around the city.

The Times-Picayune newspaper reported that the gun section at a new Wal-Mart in the Lower Garden District had been cleaned out by looters.


OK, I realize hindsight is 20/20 in cases like this, but if you were the owner of a gun shop in New Orleans, shouldn't you have thought to better secure (or evacuate altogether) your inventory of firearms, given the civil unrest that is certain to follow an event such as this (if for no other reason than to distribute to family and friends during this crisis)?


I Guess It All Depends

...on your definition of "most effective".

Massachusetts supposedly has the "most effective" gun laws in the country. The City of Boston has even stricter regulations on the purchase, possession, and carrying of firearms than those that exist at the state level. There's just one small problem (insert DHBA here).

These "common sense" gun safety control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens, who wish to own firearms for lawful purposes, and do nothing to prevent criminals from obtaining and using firearms in the course of their chosen profession. In Boston today, it's nearly as easy for 13-year-old kid to buy a gun as it is a pack of baseball cards.

Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Boston police officials say there are more guns on city streets than at any time in at least six years, and they are stepping up efforts to stem the flow of the weapons, many of which they believe are being brought illegally into Massachusetts from out of state.


And to what do our esteemed academic "experts" attribute this rise in illegal guns in the city?

Are you sitting down?

David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and the author of "Private Guns, Public Health," a 2004 book about the impact of guns on society, said criminals tend to arm themselves as others become armed, meaning that it is critical to make guns less accessible.


With all due respect (and I mean that quite literally), Mr. Hemenway, that has to be the furthest removed from reality, most ignorant, and/or idiotic piece of absolute garbage I have ever read. You don't, by any chance, have a night job where might be coming in contact with industrial shoe adhesive, do you?

Read that again and let it sink in for a second.

"...criminals tend to arm themselves as others become armed..."

Who exactly are these "others"?

If you are alluding to "other criminals", additional laws restricting the legal ownership of guns by non-criminals won't be of much any help.

If, by "others", you are in fact referring to the non-criminals, then you are taking the Rosie O'Donnell Creed of "Guns Cause Crime" to never-before seen heights of ignorance and stupidity. Let me see if I'm following your logic here: more law-abiding citizens are acquiring arms with which to defend themselves against violent criminals. In turn, the violent criminals are reacting with, "Damn, now I gotta get me a gat too."

So now it's "Citizens Who Refuse To Be Helpless Victims Cause Crime"?

Houston, we have a problem.

Are you, in all seriousness, implying that if private gun ownership is banned, the violent two-legged predators among us will recognize that their job will have become that much easier and, subsequently, lay down their arms? Makes perfectly good sense to me. After all, all they ever wanted in the first place was a "fair fight" between them and their victims.

That plan has worked so well in England (and Washington D.C., Chicago, Brazil, South Africa, etc.) where living with violent crime has become an everyday way of life since private handgun ownership (and, thereby, legal, armed self-defense) has been rendered all but a distant memory.

I'll say this, though. I thought for a second there that Mr. Hemenway was on the right track, but, alas, he didn't close that particular sentence at the word "themselves".

And, of course, you know this story will lead to additional gun control laws being called for by the hand-wringing, carjacker-sympathizing idiots we here in Massachusetts call legislators. Hey, if what we currently have on the books has been proven to be an abject failure, then by all means, let's have some more.

Gotta rock da gansta vote.

Authorities said many guns appear to be stolen weapons from other states that are brought to Massachusetts, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.


How about a new law making it super-illegal to steal?

These "experts" honestly believe that if the rest of the United States adopted Massachusetts' "common-sense" approach to gun control, the rate of gun violence in the inner city would plummet to near-zero levels. Apparently, a defenseless 72-year-old woman facing a machete-wielding intruder is OK by them. Or maybe we should ban machetes (and bricks, golf clubs, folding chairs, kitchen knives, pointy sticks, etc.). Clearly, the commoners can't be trusted with such deadly implements.

As far as Mr. Hemenway and the rest of his idiotic disciples are concerned, I'll defend their right to preach this vacuous stupidity, and to cede their personal sovereignty to the state if it's their desire to do so. But, if they assume the rest of will happily play along, they're sorely mistaken.

UPDATE: More from gun safety "expert" David Hemenway:

Rarely does a suburban homeowner beat a burglar to the draw in his living room at 3 a.m.


So the "solution" here, according to Mr. Hemenway, is to disarm the homeowner. This will immediately cause the burglar to toss his gun aside, so the two of them can sit down, put on a pot of tea, and peacefully negotiate which of the homeowner's possessions the burglar shall be entitled to take home. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

Hey, if the Supreme Court has ruled that the government can legally seize your property "for the common good", then why not the neighborhood meth addicts, as well? We don't want to discriminate.

Ask criminals why they carried a gun while robbing the convenience store and frequently the answer is, "What are you, retarded?" "So I could get the money and not have to hurt anyone." But as Hemenway explains, "Then something happens. Maybe somebody unexpectedly walks in, or the storeowner draws a gun."


Of course! It was __________________'s fault!

A) the gun
B) the storeowner
C) the customer
D) Halliburton

"Your heart is racing. Next thing you know, somebody is dead."


Why, that considerate crackhead (who was just turning his life around to pursue a promising career in rap music) was carrying the gun for the sole purpose of preventing injury or death. What would drive a storeowner to take the life of such a noble humanitarian?

Hemenway scoffs at the rote objection, "A determined criminal will always get a gun," responding, "Yes, but a lot of people aren't that determined. I'm sure there are some determined yacht buyers out there, but when you raise the price high enough, a lot of them stop buying yachts."


Self-preservation: It's not just for rich folks.


Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Massachusetts - A Rapist's Best Friend

If anyone can come up with a compelling reason why this worthless piece of shit shouldn't be locked up for the rest of his life (or treated to a small-caliber slug behind the ear during "questioning"), I'm listening.

A twice-convicted rapist, who a jury refused to keep locked up, is accused of kidnapping a teenage girl in Framingham and gang-raping her with three other men.

Authorities say the 18-year-old girl was grabbed in front of an apartment complex and driven to a nearby town where the men took turns raping her.

[snip]

Davila was first convicted of rape in 1995 as a 15-year-old, Hettinger said. He was put under the supervision of the state Department of Youth Services.

"In 1998, he was at home, still under the supervision of DYS, and he committed another rape," Hettinger said.

According to published reports, Davila, then a 17-year-old high schooler, grabbed a 19-year-old woman as she walked by, dragged her into a bar parking lot in Framingham and raped her.

Davila served more than two years in prison for that crime. Prosecutors attempted to have Davila civilly committed, but failed, Hettinger said.

"Mr. Davila was released by the jury," said Hettinger.


Looks like they took that whole "jury of one's peers" thing quite literally and empaneled a bunch of like-minded, rapist-sympathizing derelicts to fill the twelve seats.

"He was not found to be a sexually dangerous person."


Yeah, it's not like he had raped three women...yet.

Davila is also a registered sex offender, but the Sex Offender Registry Board has not designated what level he is yet.


Well, seeing as the scale only goes up to "Level 3" at the moment, I'd say this isn't too tough a call to make now.

But, remember, it's the high cost of housing that's driving people out of Massachusetts, the only state to experience a decrease in population, per the latest census reports.

"Officials" said so.


Sheehan Julio Down By the Schoolyard



In a couple of days they come and take me away
But the press let the story leak
And when the radical priest come to get me released
We was all on the cover of Newsweek


Taunton, Massachusetts

What's not to Love?

Uneasy feeling on streets

TAUNTON - Jessica Corriera, 19, got so tired of being harassed when she took her baby out for walks that she got a license to carry pepper spray for protection.


Yes, she had to apply to the state for permission to protect her baby, wait for the application to be processed (which included a criminal background check and fingerprinting), and on top of that, pay $25 for the sacred privilege.

"I don't feel safe around here," Corriera said one recent morning as she walked her 5-month-old baby in a carriage to the store.


Nor should you, Jessica, knowing that the Commonwealth of Massachusettss cares more about getting their $25 than they do about allowing you to provide for the safety and well-being of your child. What are you trying to be? A responsible parent? There's no room for dangerous subversives like that here in the People's Republic.

"I got the pepper spray for our protection," said Corriera, who lives on Fourth Avenue near St. Jacques Church.


I just hope she's equally prepared to defend yourself in a court of law should she ever have to use it.

You're honor, I would submit to the court that it is an integral part of my client's cultural heritage to approach strange women on the street, grab his crotch, and bestow such complimentary remarks as, "Yo, Chiquita! You want some of dis? Back dat ass up and gimme some!"

Subsequent to my client practicing his constitutionally-protected right to cultural expression, the defendant violated said civil rights by ruthlessly assaulting him with pepper spray. Her subsequent screaming has left my client with deep emotional scarring that will now haunt him for the remainder of his days.


"I go for walks with my son on these streets all the time and there's always punks and weirdoes hanging around."


Now, what exactly could she be referring to? I mean, come on, it's not like the Bristol County prosecutor's office just lets admitted child molesters roam the streets at will.

Oh, wait...never mind.

OK, so maybe they let one sex offender go free. At least they're keeping all the other criminal scumbags locked up, right?

Well...not exactly.

Matt Mello, 22, also of Fourth Avenue, says he doesn't "feel safe at all on my street."

"The police are on my street every week, sometimes twice a week. There's a few houses where there's always trouble and drugs," he said. "They harass me and they even harass my father."


You mean the special crime-fighting street lights and anti-crime fences they installed a while back aren't getting the job done?

Stunning.

Kara Narciso said she does not feel safe taking her children for walks in the Oak Street area near the fire station.

"I don't want my son exposed to the stuff and the people I see around there," she said.


Again, what could these people possibly be talking about? Massachusetts is the proverbial "tough on crime" yardstick, to which all other states should be compared - or so our elected officials would like us to believe.

Do these people honestly think there are deranged lunatics walking the streets of Taunton who would bludgeon them to the edge of death with a hammer over a few dollars?

Can't say as I'd blame them for it.

Instead, she takes her children to Boyden Conservation Refuge on Cohannet Street, but even that area has been vandalized over the past year.

Narciso also takes her children to Hopewell Park, where on a recent morning she was playing baseball and running bases with her son Noah, 4.

"We like it here," she said as her 7-week-old son Elijah slept in his carriage. But...


Wait for it...wait for it.

"My husband is looking at property in New Hampshire."


The parents of a young child are looking to escape an environment of drugs, vandalism, and violent street crime by moving to a state where all you need to buy a scary-looking "assault rifle" is a driver's license and a clean record? How can that possibly make sense?

Senator Barrios? Representative Linsky? Toomey?

Anyone?

To paraphrase Sergeant Al Powell from Die Hard - you got yourself a good man there, Kara.


Monday, August 29, 2005

Pulling Up the Tent Stakes

Forgive me for the length of this post, but it would be grave disservice to pull out just a paragraph or two from this column by Keith Murphy in today's New Hampshire Union Leader. As they say - READ THE WHOLE THING.

Welcome to our state, please help keep it special
By KEITH MURPHY
Guest Commentary


DEAR NEW neighbor,

Welcome to New Hampshire. You have made a tremendous decision in moving to this state, this hidden jewel. It is a not a decision you will regret.

New Hampshire's crime rate is consistently ranked among the lowest in the United States, while the per capita income is among the highest. For two years in a row, New Hampshire has been recognized for having the highest quality of life in the nation, as well as for being the healthiest state in which to raise a family. For a small state, New Hampshire's terrain is amazingly diverse. From the tallest peak in the Northeast to the shores of the Atlantic to idyllic New England towns, you will be stunned at the sights you will see and the experiences that await you. New Hampshire is as America was, and we welcome you.

In adopting New Hampshire as your home, you have adopted a sacred duty: to keep it the special and unique place that brought you here. To do this, you must understand why New Hampshire remains the fastest growing state in the Northeast while our neighbors struggle with social and economic instability.

The key to New Hampshire's high quality of life is that our government is small. Our citizens have wisely avoided a general sales or income tax, starving our government of the main sources of funds that have created bloated, ravenous bureaucracies in other states.

We know that the proper purpose of government is to protect people from each other, not to run a giant charity operation. Even if it were moral to take money from people and give it to others, government is inefficient at it anyway, and taking care of the needy is too important not to leave to voluntary church and community groups.

New Hampshire's tiny government, small tax rates, and high incomes and quality of life must seem a contradiction to people in other states. The truth is that because our government transfers less money to the needy, we're more likely to help our family members and neighbors in private ways, without a tax agency getting involved.

Most of our legislators still respect our inherent rights as a free people, rights that have been declared archaic and legislated away in other states. In New Hampshire, we are still free to carry a firearm in public if we choose. Again, this fact combined with our minuscule crime rate must strike people from elsewhere as a contradiction. The truth is that because we are free to carry firearms, criminals live in fear of us and not the other way around.

We are free to not wear a seatbelt, or to not wear a motorcycle helmet. Most of us do these things anyway, given that it is good common sense, but we recognize that legislating common sense is a dangerous slippery slope we don't want to approach. We are happy to make our own decisions as adults, and to let our neighbors make theirs, knowing that each of us must live with the consequences of our decisions.

In short, it is because we are still free that we are so successful as a state. We ask no more of our neighbors than absolutely necessary, and when it cannot be avoided we keep the decision-making as local as possible. Thus, whereas most of the "local" decisions nationally are made by counties or regional authorities, we in New Hampshire still prefer to do nearly everything at the town level.

If a native should give you a sideways glance upon learning of your foreign origin, please understand it is because many thousands of people have been drawn here by our freedoms and the resulting opportunities. So many of these people fail to realize what makes New Hampshire such a great state, and upon arrival they set about voting for bigger and bigger government. The tragedy is that they could unwittingly change New Hampshire into the place from which they've just escaped. This year's cigarette tax increase and law mandating bicycle helmet use for children are just the latest holes in the dike.

Please, now that you know what makes your new home so special and unique, help keep it that way. Vote for candidates and policies that will result in smaller, less intrusive government.

"Live free or die." Welcome home.


Meanwhile...

A task force formed by Massachusetts mayors wants the state to consider boosting excise tax rates on cars and city taxes on restaurant meals, and moving thousands of municipal retirees to Medicare, according to the group's draft report.


When was the last time anything good came out of a "task force" formed by Bay State politicians?


Save the Date

Still more than four months out. Damn.

"24" will have a four-hour, two night season premiere on Jan. 8 and 9, (8 p.m. EDT), before moving to its regular Monday slot on Jan. 16.


Prepare For the Worst, Pray For the Best

Katrina Charges Toward New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS - Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore early Monday and charged toward this low-lying city with 145-mph winds and the threat of a catastrophic storm surge.

Katrina edged slightly to the east shortly before making landfall near Grand Isle, providing some hope that the worst of the storm's wrath might not be directed at the vulnerable city.


Friday, August 26, 2005

Why?

On the heels of yesterday's post about the recent stabbing death of a cab driver in Boston, we have this follow-up piece from the Boston Herald.

Stunned family of slain driver left asking: Why?

Heros Previlon felt immune to the dangers of driving a taxi cab at night in Boston, assuaging his family's fears by saying: "What can happen? I have God."

Yesterday, after the hardworking Haitian cab driver was slain over a $7 fare, Previlon's extended family, six siblings who live in the Boston area, cried out to God with one word, "Why?"


My heart goes out to the family of Mr. Previlon. I'd really like to say I was shocked to hear of such a senseless killing in the city I call home (for now), but I'm not.

As far as why this happened, try this on for size.

Because despite one's admirable and optimistic faith in God and the goodness of humanity, we have little choice but to share this planet with violent criminals who will feel no remorse in stabbing you to death over a pocketful of change, and equally morally-bereft politicians whose sincere belief it is that you do not have the right to defend yourself from said criminals.

Yes, it's that simple.


Stop the Presses!

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are actually considering treating their adult subjects like...adults? I'm stunned. No, really, I am.

Mass. may allow diners to take wine home

BOSTON --Diners who can't finish that bottle of wine at dinner might not have a problem anymore. A bill sponsored by Sen. Richard T. Moore would allow people to take home leftover wine from restaurants, The Boston Globe reports.

At least 30 states, including New York, Connecticut and Vermont, allow diners to take home wine that is left in the bottle. But Massachusetts law limits the sale of wine in restaurants and hotels to dining areas.

"It's not a radical idea" to let people take leftover wine home, City Councilor Paul J. Scapicchio told The Globe.


I'm not sure Councilor "Let's tax people for the privilege of driving into Boston" Scapicchio would recognize a "radical idea" if it walked up and bit him square in the nuts, but it's refreshing to see him displaying a bit of common sense here. Of course, I suspect the fact that his constituency includes the owners of numerous Italian restaurants in the North End may have been somewhat influential in sculpting his position on this issue.

The bill would require the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission write rules on how restaurants could send opened bottles of wine home with diners.


Uh-oh, I can see it now. They're going to take an otherwise perfectly good idea and Massacrucify it. You wait and see.

Opened bottles of wine must be transported in the trunk of the vehicle or the rearward-most portion of the passenger compartment, in a locked case, or with a state-approved cork locking device installed. All corkscrews and glasses must be securely stored in a separate locked container.

Some diners said the idea makes sense.


Only "some"? I guess I'm not terribly surprised by that. Any argument against this bill would have to be based on the assumption that people are, by default, too irresponsible to be held accountable for their actions, no matter who they are or how law-abiding a life they lead. Sound familiar? Given that, I'd say passage of this bill is anything but a sure thing.

Now compare that to the mentality of the people up in Madison, New Hampshire, where public drinking has been recently made legal. I ran out of fingers and toes quite some time ago counting up the reasons to pull up the tent stakes and head north.

N.H. town is drinking in peace

MADISON, N.H. -- When a police car inched up the dirt road next to the town softball field, the people gathered there on a recent Friday night -- some with beer cans in hand -- barely looked up. None of them moved. There was no need to hide the cooler or toss the open cans.

It is far from Madison to the French Quarter, but public drinking is legal in this picturesque White Mountains hamlet. And that is exactly how residents here like it.

"People should be able to have a drink and socialize, and the assumption should not be that they are irresponsible," said Jane Lyman, who had gathered on the softball field at dusk with her husband, Chuck, and a half-dozen other organizers of the town's "Old Home Week" celebration.


Welcome to New Hampshire: The Anti-Massachusetts


Thursday, August 25, 2005

Life Imitates This Blog (Sadly)

mAss Backwards, November 16, 2004:

Ladies, take action now! Head on down to your local police station to pick up your "No Raping Allowed" buttons. These attractive buttons are 3" in diameter, come in bright easy-to-see colors, and are now available for a $25 fee (pending applicant's criminal background check and fingerprinting). Order now and receive, free of charge, a set of four "Don't Abduct Me" buttons for your children.


The Boston Globe, August 25, 2005:

Yeslinette Burgos says she is asked for sexual favors by males almost every day.

In the 10 minutes it takes for her to walk from the Jackson Square MBTA station in Jamaica Plain to her summer job on Centre Street, Burgos is whistled at, followed, and often peppered with obscenities by groups of men, young and old, who hang out near the housing developments, barber shops, bodegas, and street corners along the way. She just turned 16.

"Every other block there's a guy saying things," said Burgos, a diminutive teen with dyed blonde hair, a pierced tongue, and sheepish smile. "You walk by, you put your head down, and you walk faster."

It'll get worse when school starts and the crowds at the T station grow larger, Burgos said. But she and a dozen other girls her age who reside and work in the area have devised a plan to deal with their harassers.

They are going to hand the men cards that say "Please Respect Me" and spell out definitions of sexual harassment.


I hereby declare this the most stupid idea I've ever heard.

It's a move designed to educate the men and boost the girls' self-esteem, said community organizers who helped guide them -- but it also puts some Boston police officials on edge as they urge the girls to avoid confronting potentially threatening people.

Jackson Square has been the scene for rape and other violence against women.


The first rule in self-defense is awareness. Having awareness of your surroundings and the ability to avoid situations in the first place where self-defense might be necessary.

Encouraging young women and girls to approach a potential assailant on the street is so far removed from anything resembling common sense, that it defies definition. Of course, that is the pre-requisite for a true "Massachusetts Solution" to whatever societal woe ails you at any given moment.

Last year, 14-year-old Kelly Lee Johnson was stabbed in the abdomen after exchanging heated words with a 15-year-old boy as she waited to take the bus to school at the MBTA station. In November, a 17-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped by five teenage boys after she left the station and was forced into a basement inside the nearby Bromley-Heath Housing Development at gunpoint.


If only they had some 3-by-5 index cards with which to defend themselves.

Welcome to Massachusetts.


Home Invading Thug vs. Disarmed Homeowner

Don't worry, everything's fine, folks. The victim of this latest home invasion in Boston was only assaulted in his home at night, tied up, and had his valuable possessions stolen by some lawless scumbag who, naturally, got away scot-free - virtually guaranteeing he will strike again.

Police Probe South End Home Invasion

Victim Not Injured

BOSTON
-- Boston police are looking for a man behind a brazen, late-night home invasion in Boston's South End Wednesday.

Police said a man made his way into an apartment at 106 St. Botolph St. just before 10 p.m. Wednesday.

There are reports the man climbed up construction scaffolding surrounding the building. Once inside, the man tied up the homeowner and made off with cash and jewelry.

The victim was not injured.


But, as both the headline and the story itself emphasize, "the victim was not injured". Well now, that changes EVERYTHING! I guess we can all stop locking our doors now. Personally, I plan on leaving a tray of finger sandwiches out before going to bed at night.


Armed Violent Assailant vs. Unarmed Cab Driver

The Menino Citizen Disarmament Plan continues to yield its all-too predictable dividends. Congratulations, Mr. Mayor.


New Contest

Guess the name of the individual who penned this particular passage on her (hint) blog. I say "individual" only because I find myself continually dumfounded as to how this person actually became a celebrity.

there is a guy on espn
world poker tour
slicing a carrot
by flinging playing cards
with stunning accuracy

seems impossible
and a tad scary


If you were wondering, yes, her entire blog is written in that clever, yet rarely imitated "e.e. cummings meets a Special Olympics haiku-writing contest" style.

Sorry, no fabulous prizes will be awarded this time around - and no Googling allowed. Answer to be posted tomorrow.


Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Waxing Nostalgic (and Lazy)

No blogging today. You'll just have to make do with these re-runs from August 24th of last year.

If the Shirt Fits...

When bingo is outlawed...

Yeah, OK, so I'm actually posting this at 11:32 on Tuesday night. Sue me.

UPDATE: Updates don't count.


The Blame Game (cont.)

Following up on this previous post, we now travel to Canton, Ohio for the next round of the Blame Game. Read this article and tell me we're not in serious danger of raising a generation of kids with no concept whatsoever of personal responsibility.

65 Girls At Area School Pregnant

CANTON, Ohio -- There are 490 female students at Timken High School, and 65 are pregnant, according to a recent report in the Canton Repository.

The article reported that some would say that movies, TV, videogames, lazy parents and lax discipline may all be to blame.


Jesus, I'm surprised Halliburton didn't make that list.

Funny, there's no mention of the juvenile delinquent sperm donors involved, or any indication that folks out there are ready to assign some portion of the blame on these girls who seem all too willing to spread their legs for any punk/gangsta wanna-be who knocks on their bedroom door.

But don't worry, it gets worse. It always does.

School officials are not sure what has caused so many pregnancies...


And these people are in charge of educating our kids?

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

UPDATE: As reader Joe points out in the comments, the mascot at Timken High is, ironically, the Trojans.

I don't care who you are - that's funny.

UPDATE #2: A faint flicker of hope.

Yeah, I know I said "no blogging" today, but this is technically just an update, so it doesn't count. My blog, my rules - so there.

It seems a certain judge in the Boston Juvenile Court shares the frustration of many in the community regarding the number of kids walking around with illegal firearms and the overwhelming lack of personal responsibility being flaunted by both the youthful offenders and the parents that make their way through his courtroom on a daily basis.

Judge sets $250,000 bail for boy, 12


A loud pop on a city street corner. A gun confiscated. A 12-year-old boy arrested. Amid the daily grind at Boston Juvenile Court, it was pedestrian fare, and prosecutors requested $5,000 bail.

But to Judge Paul D. Lewis, the case was fresh evidence of a world gone mad. He set 50 times the bail, $250,000 cash, for the South End boy yesterday morning.


Well, that's a start, anyway.

"These kids don't take responsibility for anything," Lewis, 64, said in an interview after the court hearing. "They're fearless. It's out of control. It's beyond out of control."


Not everyone shares that sentiment.

"I was shocked," said the lawyer, Mariann Samaha, who plans to appeal the bail. "God, he's 12 years old. He has no judgment."


On the other hand, if he was a 12-year-old girl looking to get an abortion, why he'd be a veritable judicious pillar of morality, with wisdom and insight beyond his years.

While I'm glad to see the attention being focused on the perpetrator of the crime, instead of the law-abiding would-be victims (a more than welcome change of scenery around here), I worry that until this becomes the rule instead of the radical exception to the rule, things aren't going to get better any time soon.

What Judge Lewis did here just represents the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot of work still to do, like starting to put some of the blame on the apathetic, if not criminally negligent, parents of the juvenile delinquents roaming the streets of the city. Not to mention going after the dirtbag who gave a loaded gun to a 12-year-old.

Just don't hold your breath waiting for Mayor Menino to do too much about it other than issue a boilerplate press release expressing his outrage, sharing the concerns of the community, and vowing to (someday) get tough on crime in these neighborhoods. Look for him to get this story swept under the rug in as expeditious a manner as possible.

I mean, get real - he's got more important things to worry about, like getting re-elected. And we wouldn't want the people of Boston to get the impression that after more than 4,400 days serving in the capacity as mayor of this city, a 12-year-old kid can still walk down the street and acquire a loaded handgun as easily as he could a pack of gum.

And, lest we forget, Massachusetts has the "most effective gun laws in the country".


Daydreaming and Real Estate (cont.)





Oversized antique farmhouse (1822) with today's updates!

3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 3,450 sq. ft. on three acres.

Beehive fireplace in kitchen, classic curved granite countertops
and new cabinets, beautiful fireplaces throughout. Remodeled
baths, 18'x30' addition armory with new carpets and separate
entrance, L-shaped farmer's porch, and impeccable landscaping.

Derry, New Hampshire - $464,000


OK, this one's at the extreme upper end of our price range, but it's pretty much exactly what we're looking for.

More on our pending escape from Massachusetts:

We met with a real estate agent to discuss the ins and outs of converting our two-family house to condominiums, so as to maximize our profits when we finally sell. Our current tenants, who were renting on an "at will" basis, have given their notice and are moving out on August 31. We found a couple to rent the apartment to on a short-term basis through the end of December.

Starting January 1st and proceeding through the rest of the winter, we will be taking care of any necessary updates and renovations to prepare the units to go on the market in the spring. Then we go hard into job and house hunting mode.

Freedom, she is near!


Playing the Blame Game

Once again, the "experts" are blaming high gas prices for the increase in gas station drive-off thefts (previously blogged here). Don't be alarmed, folks. That banging noise you hear is just the latest nail to be driven into the coffin as we make final funeral preparations for the concept of personal responsibility as we know it in America.

Rising Gas Prices Spur Thefts, Violence

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Gas station owners are wrestling with a dilemma. They are trying to make sure people don't steal gas without hurting profits from other parts of their business.

Many stations have gone to a pay-first policy, but they said that cuts down on browsing and buying in gas station stores, which is a big chunk of their income.

The case of an Alabama gas station owner run down and killed by a driver who police believe was escaping with $52 worth of fuel comes as no shock to industry experts.

"As the price of gas climbs, people's values decline," said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Lenard said the death of Husain "Tony" Caddi, 54, has captured national media attention for two reasons: It shows that soaring gas prices make people angry enough to steal, and gas retailers are tired of putting up with it.


What a complete load of crap.

The price of gasoline has nothing to do with it. Either you believe it's morally wrong to steal other people's property and therefore you don't, or you're one of the morally-bereft individuals walking among us who believes such theft can be easily justified by blaming it on some external societal factors outside your control.

The painfully obvious reality (at least, to those of us with above room temperature IQ's) is the price of gas could hit $100 a gallon, and the overwhelming majority of Americans will continue to abide by the laws pertaining to the unlawful taking of the property of others (though, I can't necessarily make the same claim about any local ordinances prohibiting the public use of profanity).

Why this remains a difficult concept for some to grasp, I'll never know.

But, to imply, as this story does, that the high cost of gas is turning otherwise law-abiding citizens into common criminals, capable of running someone over just to get their tank filled up for free, is just plain ignorant.

"We're in uncharted territory. We're seeing more people going to prepay than ever before," Lenard said. "I think we'll look back on 2005 and say 'Remember when we used to be trusted to pay for our gas?"'


How many gas stations today actually let you pump your gas without paying for it up front? I certainly don't live near any of 'em. Substitute 1985 for 2005, and I've been asking that same question for quite some time now.


It's For the Children...Again

Reader, and newcomer to the blogosphere, Johnny of The Independent Jerk, kindly provided me with this link to the Worcester Police Department's Firearms Removal Program in the comment section to a previous post.

Firearm Removal Program

Contact Detective James Heffernan at (508) 799-8651
to arrange removal of unwanted firearms.



I would LOVE to have a peek inside Detective Heffernan's home gun safe.

And, I would now like to take this opportunity to launch my new anti-crime initiative. If, in fact, these "firearm removal programs" are as effective as the police and gun control advocates claim they are, then surely they wouldn't object to me starting one of my own to get even more scary guns off the streets - you know, "for the children" and all.

Introducing the...


mAss Backwards

Firearm Removal Program


Is there a "silent killer" lurking in your sock drawer?

Is Grandpa's old service pistol hiding out in the attic, just waiting for the opportunity to lash out and shoot the next innocent child to poke his head through the door?

Do you hear voices coming from that old shotgun resting against the wall in the closet?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I implore you to take advantage of my free firearms removal program.

That's right - FREE!


At absolutely no cost to you, I will drive to your home and pick up these dangerous weapons of mass destruction to ensure that they will never act out on their own accord and injure or kill your loved ones. The safety of all our children is at stake. You can't afford not to take advantage of this program.

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER! ACT NOW!


Be one of the first 100 people to participate in this bold new crime-fighting measure and receive, absolutely free, this wonderful gift.


Self-Defense, Massachusetts-Style

NEWS FLASH: GUN CONTROL SAVES LIVES (of murderous scumbags). Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Carl Ruth is being held without bail in the death of Janice Ruth, whose body was found May 5 in the couple's apartment. She had taken out a restraining order against her husband in 2003.


Yet, for reasons beyond my comprehension, State Senator Jarrett Barrios and his ilk would still have us believe the world is a better place with Janice Ruth removed from it and her murderous husband still drawing air, instead of the other way around.

Gun control fanatic and Massachusetts senior senator, Ted Kennedy, who has actual real-life experience in removing women from society, was unavailable for comment.


Monday, August 22, 2005

In the Words of Norm Abram

"Measure twice, cut once."

Prisoners nearly tunnel out of jail

A gang of prisoners tunnelled out of a Brazilian jail - only to emerge in the prison yard.

The 67 men emerged just 30 centimetres short of Timoteo Prison's main perimeter wall.

They had painstakingly planned the break out but failed to build the tunnel long enough.

As they emerged from the tunnel, they found guards already waiting to take them back to their cells, Jornal da Globo reports.

A police spokesman said: "They were so frustrated and we could not hold our laughter, they were really dumb!"


Saturday, August 20, 2005

Quotes of the Week

So many good quotes from one article, it was tough to select just one for QotW honors.

"In this particular community, there was an incident involving gunfire, and we sent a squad on bicycles the very next night."

- BPD spokesman, Sergeant Thomas Sexton


Catch 'em?

"I know, it was stupid, but I thought the camera would scare them."

- South End resident and crime victim, Carlos French


Might I suggest a tray of finger sandwichwes next time? It'll have the same effect, but at least everyone will get a little snack.

"But I can't judge an individual for trying to keep his family safe."

- Sandy Martin, coordinator for the South End Lower Roxbury Youth Workers Alliance (on Mr. French's decision to "arm" himself with a video camera to protect his family from gun-toting thugs)


A bottle of scotch says Sandy here would change her (his?) tune pretty fast should the residents on her street express the desire to carry a firearm for the same purpose. I could be mistaken, but that's highly unlikely here.


Friday, August 19, 2005

Your Weekend Reading Assignment

Your homework assignment for the weekend is to read this article by David Bernstein of The Boston Phoenix. Yes, that Boston Phoenix.


For years, Boston has been one of the least successful cities in the US at catching and prosecuting murderers, and it's only getting worse.

[snip]

Simply put, the BPD's homicide unit has the worst track record of any big-city police department in the country.

At the same time, Boston's homicide rate continues to rise, in sharp contrast with the trend in other US cities. Nationally, the murder rate is at its lowest in decades and still dropping. But Boston is on track for its highest murder tally since the early 1990s - even though its population has shrunk. Boston had an official total of 225 homicides between 2001 and 2004 - an increase of more than 50 percent from the previous four years. No other US city experienced anything similar.


Thus, the Menino Legacy grows.

But, hey, I know I'll be sleeping more soundly tonight knowing the BPD has all the necessary resources to pull off this latest crime-fighting initiative.


BOSTON - While fans are rocking to the Rolling Stones inside Fenway Park, police officers armed with noise meters will be positioned outside the ballpark Sunday night.

If the noise surpasses 70 decibels on the surrounding streets, Patricia Malone, director of the Mayor's Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing, will be alerted, and she will tell concert host Clear Channel to turn it down.


Now, to give you an idea of what 70 decibels sounds like:


80 dB = Noisy office, electric shaver, alarm clock, police whistle

70 dB = Average radio, normal street noise

60 dB = Conversational speech


Note: Fenway Park is located approximately 200 feet from the Massachusetts Turnpike.

The streets immediately surrounding the ballpark will be swarming with idling media trucks, TV news crews doing their "live" remotes for the evening news (and those NEVER generate screaming mobs of drunken wahoos in the background), hordes of people milling about looking for tickets to the show or just coming down to the area to listen to the music from the sidewalk, and of course, the endless cries of "Sausages! Get your fresh hot sausages hee-ah!"

That ridiculous 70-decibel limit doesn't stand a chance. And it will have very little to do with the noise coming from inside the ballpark.


Screw The Children!

Won't someone please think about those precious carbombers?*


(Associated Press photo)



I wasn't going to blog about the "Peace Mom" and her gaggle of followers camped out outside the President's ranch, but this picture was too good to pass up.

Also, my apologies to the inimitable - and, not to mention, easy on the eyes - Michelle Malkin, but to label folks such as these as being merely unhinged is a major understatement.

* Alternate Title: "Why the left in this country is having such a hard time connecting with Middle America"


What Flavor is YOUR Kool-Aid

From the always entertaining Letters to the Editor section of the Boston Globe comes this recent gem.

GARY HILLMAN summed it up when he pointed out that bigger savings can be had during regular sale offers ("Tax-free weekend a gift to retailers," Aug. 15), but no one has mentioned that consumers were only cheating themselves by not paying a sales tax.


It takes a real "progressive" mentality there to see the working people of Massachusetts actually pocketing more of their hard-earned money, and then say that's a bad thing.

Five hundred million in retail sales equals $25 million in lost tax revenue -- money that could have gone to public schools, transportation, or public safety. I'm sure Massport would have appreciated some extra funds to keep our transportation hubs suicide-bomber-free.

MITCH KRPATA
Brighton


And, Mitch, just think of all the illegal aliens we could be providing with free health care and sending to college with that much money.

Why, if our compassionate leaders are hindered in their noble task of distributing the personal wealth of the commonfolk, then all these unenlightened peasants, of whom you speak, will be more likely to go out and spend that money on such frivolous items as food for their children, or clothes, or maybe even (gasp!) school supplies! Or worse yet, plasma TV's, new golf clubs, amusement parks, ski lift tickets, and single malt scotch. Oh, the horror.

For the sake of our children, people, and the preservation of Mitch's Utopian, neo-socialist paradise, we need to do everything in our power to prevent this outbreak of happiness from gaining a foothold in the Commonwealth.

One more thing - I will bet anyone a pint case of Guinness that Mr. Krpata here "forgot" to check off the voluntary higher tax rate box on his Massachusetts state income tax form last year.


Thursday, August 18, 2005

The Times They Have A-Changed

The state motto of Massachusetts (first adopted in 1775):

Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem


Translation:

By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.


A quick game of "Spot the Irony", anyone?

(source)


Southern Northern Comfort

I realize this news would quite literally scare the piss out of most of the folks in my neighborhood, but I found it very comforting, as I suspect will many of my readers. From the latest mailing list e-mail from Four Seasons Firearms in Woburn, Massachusetts.

We ran out of Federal XM-193 .223 FMJ ammunition on Tax Free Day but a new shipment arrived on Thursday.


No wonder Ted Kennedy wants to ban it - it appears to be quite popular with the unwashed masses. Common Sense Gun Control: If it makes sense to the common folk - OUTLAW IT.

And yes, I realize that cartridge is considered by many to be somewhat of a "poodle-shooter", but as I've said before, with a 100-round BETA C-Mag...what poodle?


Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Pop Quiz Time Again

So, I'm driving home from work last night, up Washington Street in Roxbury, heading toward Jamaica Plain, when I see a guy lying on the sidewalk. Let me clarify - I see a guy with his legs half in the gutter, and the rest of his body sprawled awkwardly on the sidewalk, definitely not your typical homeless person taking in a late afternon nap.

And he's not moving.

Traffic was as expected for that time of day, moderately heavy. From all the cars on that particular stretch of road at that time, how many people do you think actually pulled over and got out of their cars to check on this man's condition and call for an ambulance.

A) Why, hundreds, if not thousands. All those John Kerry voters take great pride in being compassionate liberals, who care deeply for their fellow man person - especially those less fotunate individuals living in the lower-income, minority neighborhoods.

B) At least five or six. I mean, who wouldn't?

C) One.


I wouldn't go so far as to call that guy some kind of hero, or "super-citizen" . He only did what any decent, civilized person would have done in that situation. Yet, NO ONE before him stopped. They just pretended not to see what was in plain sight and kept on driving like a bunch of ostriches with their heads stuck in the sand.

What's that? A black guy in the gutter? In Roxbury? Not my problem, pal!

You know what - screw the damn chickadee! I'm going to petition the legislature to change the official bird of the Commonwealth to the ostrich. Or at least find some fifth-grade class to take it up as their special Civics project. Our leaders up on Bacon Hill (not a typo) love working on important shit like that.


For What It's Worth

Poll says Iowans like Rice in '08

DES MOINES -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a surprising top choice for president among Iowa Republicans, according to a poll to be released today -- more than two years before the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses.

Among 400 Republicans who said they are likely to attend the 2008 caucuses, Rice received the backing of 30.3 percent. U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was second in the survey with 16 percent, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani received support from 15.3 percent. Roughly 20 percent were undecided.


At this juncture, I'd recommend taking the results of any such any presidential poll with a grain of salt the size of Mayor Menino's ego. But, the entertainment value of a Condi Rice nomination alone (watching Al Sharpton's skull implode on network TV) would make it all worthwhile.


Do You Really NEED Windows?

Woman Pushed Out Window; Police Search On

BOSTON -- Boston Police are on the hunt for a man they say pushed a woman out a second-story window.


Let us now enter the bizarre world of big government, liberal la-la land. Hold on tight to the safety line, people. You don't want to get lost in there.

Open letter to Mayor Menino:

If it saves just one life, wouldn't a city-wide ban on windows make sense. Now, I won't go so far as to suggest a total ban on the transmission of sunlight into people's homes, but would propose a "common-sense" piece of window safety legislation that would outlaw all open windows located on the second floor or higher. In the interest of striking a "compromise" between the "window safety" supporters and the "pro-window violence" crowd, this ban would apply to new construction only.

Current property owners in the city could apply for a Class "B" Transparent Wall Opening License ($100 filing fee) that would permit them to comply with the new regulation by having solid Plexiglas panels installed in all windows 15' or more from ground level.

Residents who wish to keep their high-altitude assault windows will need to apply with the Inspectional Services Department for a Class "A" High-Altitude Windows License. Applications for such must be accompanied by a letter demonstrating the applicant's need for functional windows. Merely expressing the desire to listen to the birds outside, or to allow the circulation of fresh air in one's home will not be considered a sufficient reason for issuance of said license.

Please, Mr. Mayor - it's for the children.


I Think Someone Lost His Blankie

From the Allston-Brighton TAB police logs:

Kenneth M. Kemp, 29,...


29 years old. Remember that.

...of 59 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, was arrested Aug. 5 on charges of drunken driving, according to a report. At about 2:40 a.m., a car reportedly sped out of the drive behind the fire station and pulled out onto Cambridge Street, in front of a police cruiser, causing the officer to brake sharply. The car had no lights on and was stopped at a traffic light, police said. The suspect was allegedly argumentative and incoherent during questioning.


Just your run-of-the-mill drunk driver, right?

Hardly.

During booking, the suspect reportedly cursed officers and refused a Breathalyzer test. While being bailed at about 4:20 a.m., the suspect allegedly argued with police and called them names. "You have no ****ing idea how ****ing connected my mother is to Mayor Menino," he reportedly yelled. "My mother is the ****ing deputy superintendent of the Boston schools."


And quite proud of her son now, I imagine. As if Menino's going to pull any strings in the middle of an election campaign to help the son of a politically-connected ally beat a drunk driving rap. You think the Herald might run that story?

He continued to curse and yell and suddenly ran down Henshaw Street and officers lost him, police said. He was soon reportedly found hiding under a porch and was caught and handcuffed on charges of disorderly behavior. He made a phone call at the desk saying, "Mom, come use your clout," according to the report.


29.

A bit late in the game to be playing the Mommy card, but to each his own I guess.


A brief aside to my detractors out there: Yes, I do enjoy writing posts like this. And, yes, I do find them highly entertaining. If you have a problem with that, you're more than welcome to click the "Back" arrow on your internet browser, so as to avoid any further reading of my website.


Chief Crowley Is At It Again

And there's pretty much nothing anyone can to do to stop him, short of a major re-shuffling of power up on Bacon Hill (no, that's not a typo). The chief is acting entirely within the bounds of the laws of the Commonwealth as they pertain to his authority in this matter.

From the Patriot Ledger:

QUINCY - Setting himself up for another showdown with gun advocates, Police Chief Robert Crowley has refused to let a downtown sporting goods store sell firearms and ammunition.

Ronald Hidalgo, owner of Sportsman's Den on Southern Artery, was denied the permit because of a 1983 assault charge and a 5-year-old restraining order, both of which were later dropped, Crowley said.

"I made my decision - and it was upheld by the State Police," Crowley said. "There is no blanket policy against opening a gun shop in the city of Quincy, but anyone who wants to needs to have an unblemished record."

Hidalgo, however, thinks the chief is abusing his authority and says he plans to go to court to prove it, claiming Crowley has a desire for "power and control."

Hidalgo, who has run the shop for nearly a decade, earned approval from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to be a gun dealer and he has a Quincy-issued license to carry a handgun.

"This is somebody telling me I can't run a business when the federal government even says I can," said Hidalgo, a long-time Quincy resident. "The only reason for the denial is his own agenda. If you allow people to abuse the system like this, they're going to do it until somebody stops them."


I think George Carlin summed it up best when he posed the eternal question:

"Do you know why the dog licks his balls?"

"Because he can!"


Hey, "Ryan"

To the person calling himself Ryan Depalma who left this comment...

bob, i can respect and answer you questions. he got the gun from a kid who had stolen it a couple months back, the cops have already arrested him. the got the gun because the week before a fight had broken out at his house with a few kids who are known to be dangerous and he was scared that they were going to come after him. when he had shot himself he had taken the clip out and didnt realize that there was still a bullet in the chamber and he had pointed it to his head(which i will addmit, wasnt smart) jokingly with a friend. ni a lot of guns the trigger wont pull back if the clip isnt in it, a glock .40 isnt one of those guns. and the next thing you know, i lost one of my dearest friends. and i dont mean to flip out but you guys got to chill. if you havent suffered a lost like this then you have no place add your two cents. keep it to yourselves

Ryan Depalma 08.12.05 - 2:18 am #


...on my post about Justin Stivaletta, the 20-year-old man who "accidentally" shot himself in the head while playing with a stolen handgun, you should expect the Dedham police to be in touch with you shortly, if they find reason to suspect you might have withheld information from them over the course of their investigation in to this matter.

In your comment, you imply that you have some information concerning the means by which Mr. Stivaletta acquired that stolen handgun - as well as information concerning other local youths who may be illegally carrying firearms in your community. I will therefore be forwarding that comment (and others) to the Dedham Police Department in response to this article from today's Daily News Transcript.

Stivaletta picked Glock after fight

DEDHAM -- Justin Stivaletta, the 20-year-old man who died in an apparent accidental shooting, got the stolen Glock that killed him for protection, after getting into a fight less than a week before he died, according to police.

Dedham Police Detective Robert Walsh said yesterday that police may be filing charges against the person or people who helped Stivaletta get the gun.

Police need the public's help making a connection between Stivaletta and the theft of the gun during a burglary in March in West Roxbury.


And to the commenter going by the name, Jane (who "Ryan" claims is his mother), If that is, in fact, your kid, may I suggest you drag his ass down to the Dedham police station and get him to tell the police everything he knows on this matter, if he has not done so already.

UPDATE: Post restored, back by popular demand.

Well, I had taken this post off-line, but the e-mail response was overwhelmingly in favor of restoring it, so the ensuing discussion could continue and be seen by others stopping by.

To those who find anything I've written on this site offensive in any way, might I suggest employing the "Back" button in the upper-left of your internet browser window. It's a wonderful innovation that can come in quite handy when one wishes not to be offended by someone else's constitutionally protected speech.


They've Got Him Now!

I love the opening line from this Washington Times editorial:

Democratic hopefuls for 2008 are sensing how vulnerable President Bush is on border control.


Yes, at long last, the Democrats have finally found that one hot-button issue that they can work to their advantage to prevent Bush from winning re-election in 2008.


Tuesday, August 16, 2005

It's The Thought That Counts

Let me see if I understand where the Bush administration is coming from on this one. They're afraid of the internet becoming a place where porn would be readily available?

Gee...can't let that happen.


From the Department of Standing Headlines

Big Dig Springs New Leaks

Channel 4 is also reported to be working on story today about bears shitting in the woods - stay tuned for more details as they become available.


Quite the Weekend

Well, we survived the girls' first camping experience this weekend (it helped greatly that they were able to sleep through a massive thunderstorm Sunday night). Time to get caught up with what's been going on in the world.

You've heard the expression that things "happen in three's". Well, let's hope that holds true in this case. I certainly don't need to be opening the paper any time soon to see yet another story of a licensed gun owner in Massachusetts shooting anybody outside the bounds of legal self-defense.

Neighbors say, 'We've had enough'

Marine of the Year Daniel Cotnoir remains a hero in the eyes of some Lawrence residents, despite being charged with attempted murder for shooting into a crowd early Saturday.

"Somebody had to step up to the plate," said Bruce Reynolds, owner of the Longhorn Gas Station on Broadway Avenue, who, like other residents is exasperated by late-night carousing and violence in Lawrence.

Cotnoir, whose lives next to the station, is accused of firing out of his second-floor window about 2:30 a.m. into a large crowd of raucous youths in front of Reynolds' station. The bullet hit a concrete island and shattered, sending shrapnel into the neck and leg of a 15-year-old girl and the leg of a 20-year-old man. Witnesses say someone in the crowd had thrown something at Cotnoir's house, and then threw a bottle through his window.


As is always the case, there's more to this story than the papers are reporting as of this morning. For instance, from what I've heard, one of the nightclub's owners is the son of a Lawrence police officer. And the state representative up there, who happens to be of Dominican descent, is alleged to have been pressuring the licensing board not to take action against this nightclub that caters largely to the Dominican population in the area. Again, this is just what I've heard. I'll try to get more on this story as the facts become known.

And, like flies on dog shit, the local news media is predictably "up in arms" over this. If you watched the latest report from Channel 7's consumer reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan last night, you might think that Massachusetts has been free of all gun-related violence right up until the three recent shootings involving licensed gun owners.

Never mind the thousands of instances of violent crime against unarmed citizens that take place across Massachusetts every year, or the increasing number of stories of gangbanging assholes shooting each other all over Mayor Menino's "safe" city, while the residents in those neighborhoods live shuttered inside their homes for fear of walking to the corner for a loaf of bread.

If they were to focus on those stories, why that might cast a negative light on our "most effective gun control laws in the country". Can't have that.

So, what exactly did "Help me, Hank" have to say on this?

License to Carry


"Lee" is a family man with a good job. He lives on the South Shore - and he's allowed to carry a gun. His firearm's for target practice, but he's legally licensed to carry it concealed - for self defense.


What do you think the target practice is for, Hank?

"I want the guarantee I can protect myself and my family," this gunowner says. "If I choose to carry, that's up to me."


Again, I thought it was "progressive" to be so "pro-choice".

In fact, our investigation found more than 194,000 people in Massachusetts - that's one in 25 Bay State adults--has the Class A license that could allow them to carry a concealed firearm. That's equal to one person on each city bus--or 10 moviegoers at a sold out show.


One licensed gun owner on every city bus? Sounds good to me. Though, I strongly suspect her intention in mentioning that wasn't to make people feel safer about riding the bus. But, hey, why waste a perfectly good opportunity to scare your viewers?

Chief Paul Frazier, President of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, says that he's "sure most residents don't know who has them and who doesn't have them."


True, but even the most mentally-challenged crackhead knows the odds are in his greatly in his favor when choosing the next innocent (and completely defenseless) person to volunteer for his latest personal income redistribution program.

But 7-NEWS obtained town-by-town numbers - and found the percent of adults with those Class A licenses depends on where you live. In Boston and Cambridge - the numbers are fewer than one percent. In Wareham and Millville -- around 9 percent. Rowe and Savoy more than 26 percent. And in Oakham, more than 44 per cent are licensed to carry firearms.


You want to know what kind of bloodbath the town of Oakham, Massachusetts is? I had never even heard of it before reading this.

Oakham Police Chief Donald Haapakoski says, "I think people are exercising their right to carry firearms."


OK, who let this radical nutjob into the state?

Police say Walter Bishop was licensed - and used his weapon to kill a man in a road rage dispute. Law enforcement confirms William Green was licensed to carry too--he's charged in another road rage shooting.

Officials say that even Massachusetts' extra-tough gun law - which requires criminal background checks and a gun safety course - can't predict the unpredictable.

Chief Frazier says, "Probably 99 per cent of people properly licensed to carry firearms do not commit crimes. So it's a very rare instance."


I'd say that number sounds about right - if you count parking tickets as "crime".

State law does give local police chiefs the power to refuse "unsuitable" applicants - those with a history of domestic violence, or substance abuse.


Of course, in towns like Brookline (and Quincy, Cambridge, Boston, etc.) everyone who isn't a police officer (or the son of a local baseball legend) is "unsuitable". Apparently, by merely living within one of these enlightened communities, you become a viable threat to society, whereas, if you were to move out to Oakham, the urge to mow down the innocent would magically subside.

Brookline Police Captain John O'Leary says, "We have to have the community's safety in mind, as well as the applicants safety."


I know what you mean, Captain. Why just this morning, I nearly impaled myself on a shampoo bottle in the shower. And then, when i got to work, I came this close to bludgeoning myself to death with my stapler. I sure wish I had a good friend like you to keep me safe from myself. I mean, as we speak, there's a reeeeally sharp pencil just inches away from me. I'm afraid I might jab it into my eyeball any second now.

Can I assume, Captain, that you will begin ordering all privately owned swimming pools in Brookline to be filled with concrete and paved over? You know..."for the children" and all?

I wonder if anyone watching 7 News last night will make the connection between this story and the one preceding it about the woman in Brookline who was out for a walk when a man wearing nothing but a mask jumped out of some bushes and assaulted her.

So, when Captain O'Leary says that women in Brookline don't need to own guns to protect themselves, he might as well be telling them they don't need to leave their homes after 8:00 at night. If they just pull the shades down, lock their doors and windows, everything will be just fine - as long as they remember to have the police come in ahead of time and clear their homes of all sharp, pointy objects.


Friday, August 12, 2005

The Mos Eisley Massachusetts State House

"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

DRIVING TO ENDANGER: Melanie's Bill endangered by petty politics, jealousy

BOSTON - A bill aimed at cracking down on repeat drunken drivers is generating an unusual level of political jealousy and spite on Beacon Hill.

Filed in May by Gov. Mitt Romney, the bill is named for 13-year-old Melanie Powell of Marshfield, who killed by a drunken driver two summers ago.

Rather than sorrow for the victims or rage toward repeat drunken drivers, the center of attention at the State House has been the political battle being fought along increasingly partisan lines.

[snip]

Pettiness is another emotion the relatives of victims say they've encountered during their time on Beacon Hill.

Earlier this week, the chairman of the Senate committee considering Melanie's Bill refused to meet with Melanie's parents, Tod and Nancy Powell, when they spent the day at the State House lobbying for the bill.

"I won't be a part of anyone's circus," said Sen. Robert Creedon, D-Brockton, the committee chairman.


"Part of anyone's circus"? Wake up, you bumbling needledicks. You are the circus!

Creedon said he initially refused the meeting with the Powells in his State House office because the invitation came through Romney's office. The Powells called him directly after being rebuffed and are now scheduled to meet with him at the cafe they own in Plymouth.


I'd say "petty" is putting a gentle spin on things here.

Melanie's grandfather, Ron Bersani of Marshfield, said he's appalled by what motivates some legislators. He said some lawmakers have openly told him that they can't support Melanie's Bill because "it's Romney's."


WAAHHHH! MOMMY!!! MITT'S BEING A POOPYHEAD!

At least now we know who the infamous children are in "It's for the children!".

Indisputable fact: If it were a fellow democrat sitting in the corner office today, these same lawmakers would be clawing at each others' eyes trying to best position themselves in front of the TV cameras at the bill's signing ceremony.

No. Fucking. Shame.

And people continue to be perplexed as to why such a "progressive" paradise as Massachusetts is losing population. Help us, Obi-Wan!


Armed Home Invasion in Quincy

Gun-wielding thugs force their way into a home in Quincy, herd the occupants into an upstairs bedroom, and bind their hands and feet with plastic ties.

"We have no idea what the purpose for them being there was," said Detective Lieutenant Patrick P. Glynn, commander of the Special Investigations Unit.


Inspector Callahan, if you would, please.

When a naked 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!


The story says the perps were all carrying guns. Now, I wonder what these nice young men put down on their License to Carry applications as a "reason for issuance". As we know, Chief Crowley, isn't a big fan of issuing gun permits to anyone for any reason. These guys must have really won him over.

In response to this horrific incident, Quincy police plan to hire more officers to assist in the distribution of "Living with Criminal Scumbags" brochures to area residents.


Thursday, August 11, 2005

Kenmore Square Sleeper Cell?

You be the judge.


Who Says There's No Such Thing

...as a stupid question?

Mansfield Street residents said Reliable Paving Company blocked the street for two days earlier this month as contractors went door-to-door asking residents whether they needed their lawns paved.


Had to read that a second time to be sure I read it right.


Got 'Em!

Now hang 'em.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Reuters) - An escaped convict and his wife who shot a guard to death outside a Tennessee courtroom were apprehended at a motel in Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday.


Wednesday, August 10, 2005

SSI's PRI-MAX Shredder

Fuck yeah!

(link via Say Uncle)


But it's FREE!

From the Letters to the Editor of the Boston Globe:

The $1,300 wheelchair is no bargain

MY 83-YEAR-OLD mother has been put on oxygen, and received a wheelchair through Medicare. I learned that Medicare is being charged $275 per month for rental of the oxygen concentrator. There is also a rental fee for the wheelchair of $100 per month. I found I could buy the oxygen concentrator on the Web for under $1,000, and the wheelchair for less than $200.

I called Medicare, and then Healthnow (billing agent) to see why these items could not just be purchased. I was told that Congress is where I needed to take my argument because they need to follow "congressional mandates" for the process. In addition, I was told that after 10 months, my mother would receive a notice either to continue renting the wheelchair, or to purchase it (via Medicare). If she decided to purchase it, Medicare would pay the supplier three more months, and the wheelchair would be hers.

Medicare, which is paid for by you, me, and other taxpayers, will end up paying $1,300 for a wheelchair that can be purchased for $200. That is, of course, if my mother does not elect to continue renting it until she departs this world.

There is a major problem with the system. Why is this idiotic process allowed to happen? Why can't Medicare just purchase all equipment for citizens, with a buyback from the distributors when it is no longer needed?

ROBERT FOLEY
Georgetown


You had me at "congressional mandates".


Rockstar: INXS - Week 5 Roundup

Spoons sums up last night's episode quite handily.

My comments:

I'm finding it hard to disagree with anything you wrote. As for "the skirt", men have conquered nations for less. Yowza! That was more like a belt with the streamers from my kids' tricycle hanging off of it. I didn't Tivo it, but I thought I clearly saw ass check hanging out.

Clear winner of the week was Marty.

Jordis, who'd been on a tear as of late, had a chance to extend her "lead" in this thing, but yeah she blew it with that version of Layla.

Rule #17 (for Jordis and Jessica): If a song was written and recorded by someone balls-deep in a heroin addiction, it should be sung as such.

As for Brandon - just go away, man. You're really not that good.

I though Ty's "No Woman, No Cry" was just OK. The band will probably give him the "reward" encore performance.


On Marty, Chris at Anarchangel begs to differ:

Marty - The Killers, "Mr. Brightside": Yaknow, Martys voice just sucks, but it wasn't that bad for this song. The balls he threw into that were jsut great. I'd love to see this guy do something a little quirky.. maybe some madness, or blur, or somthing 90's angst rockish. I liked it, but I think he's gonna be on the block this week for sure.


Funny (though far from surprising) how all the exit polling has Brooke Burke's "skirt" as the clear frontrunner in this thing.

Huh huh huh...I said "polling".

UPDATE (8/11/05): Ask and I shall receive.

BRANDON BIDS ADIEU


Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Jerk du Soleil

Five bucks says he was loaded and jumped.

UPDATE (8/10): Yeah, that was a safe bet.

THEN:

A fan reacts after falling from the upper deck onto onto the netting behind home plate during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium Tuesday Aug. 9, 2005 in New York.


NOW:

Harper told three friends he was sitting with that he was going to test whether the net would hold his weight -- and then he jumped, police said.


The story doesn't mention anything about his state of sobriety, or lack thereof, so I guess the jury's still out on that count. Funny thing is though, from what I've seen and read, kids today are in fact this stupid all on their own. When I was 18-years-old, we required alcohol, and lots of it, to do stupid shit like this.


Got Milk Ten Bucks?

The GOAL Foundation - Lucky Twenty Gun Raffle

PRIZES

1. Bushmaster DCM - .223 cal.
2. Smith & Wesson 1911 Target - .45 cal.
3. Beretta 391 - 12ga
4. Remington 870 Wingmaster - 28ga
5. Ruger Vaquero - .357 cal.
6. Smith & Wesson 625 - .45 cal.
7. Mossberg 500 - 12ga
8. Remington 7400 - 30-06 cal.
9. Sigarms 239 - .40 cal.
10. Stevens Favorite 30R17 - .17 cal.
11. Smith & Wesson 637 - .38 cal.
12. Knight Disc Elite - .50 cal.
13. Charles Daly Hunter Camo - 12ga
14. Remington 700 SPS - 7mm Rem Mag cal.
15. Ruger Red Label, 12ga
16. Sigarms 232 - .380 cal.
17. Thompson Center Hawken - .50 cal.
18. Savage 64FXP - .22 cal.
19. Smith & Wesson SW99 - 9mm
20. Savage 10 FP Tactical - .308 cal.

To quote Geddy Lee (again), "Ten bucks is ten bucks, eh?"


Saturday, August 06, 2005

2005 Northeast Bloggershoot - The Aftermath

What do you know? A good time was had by all.

Here are a few pics to whet your appetites for what we hope is a follow-up Bloggershoot in early October. Please bear in mind as you salivate over the pictures that this event took place in Massachusetts. Do you think State Senator Jarrett Barrios will be free to attend our next get-together? Perhaps that world-reknowned sportsperson, John Kerry will tag along and bring his favorite Chinese assault rifle.

Anyway, enough of them - on with the show. The event started at (and stayed and ended at)...



... the machine gun range. Did I mention this was in Massachusetts? (insert big freakin' crap-eating grin here)

The hardware assortment was impressive, to say the least. And to be politically correct, diversity was heavily celebrated. There were evil, sca-a-a-ary, black guns.



But, fear not, all you hopeless romantics out there (Kim). They were handily outnumbered by the wood and steel variety.







OK, there might be some repetition with these pics, but what would you rather I do? Not post them? Surely, you jest.





There will be a few video clips uploaded at some time in the future for your viewing pleasure. Of course, the camera wasn't rolling when yours truly hit the 2-liter bottles with Jay's "new" Mosin Nagant 91/30 (named Svetlana) and Mark's Mosin Nagant carbine (I gotta get me one of them), and then finished off the last bottle standing with the Security Six (one-handed).

Three shots, three kills.

Yes, I had to mention that. What I won't mention is that Jay missed with his first attempt with Svetlana. Oops...did I just type that?

Other notable notes:

Jay's old pump-action .22 is an absolute [expletive deleted] joy to shoot.

Shooting a full-auto AK-47 is fun.

The 5.56mm NATO might be a poodle-shooter, but with a 100-round Beta-Mag, that's 100 dead poodles.

Ted Kennedy can still kiss my ass.


Well, that's it for now. More to follow, I'm sure. And now the obligatory group photo.



(back row: Jack, Andrew, Brian, Bruce; front row: Mark, Alan, Jay)


Not much more to add to that. Kim will probably have an appropriate greeting for a few select senators to accompany that pic. I'll just close with - God bless the United States of America, and may I reside there soon.

UPDATE - Words of belated thanks:

Thank you to Mark for driving down from New Hampshire, USA and providing us with a trunkload of rifles to play with.

And thanks to HSC member Jerry for the use of the full-auto AK. I suspect the old adage will hold true - you never forget your first time.

UPDATE: For Aaron



"Happiness is an unfolded bayonet…" - Jay G.

(pic courtesy of Toys in the Attic)