Heading For the Hills

We're heading up to the family compound in Sebago, Maine for the week. And not a moment too soon, it seems.

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Oh, no!!! Don't make me spend the whole week sitting on the front porch of our cabin up in the hills, listening to the water lapping the shore of the lake, drinking cold beer, playing cribbage, and enjoying the cool breeze.

Anything but that!

Adios, amigos! See you next week!

Play nice.

Reserve Your Advance Copy Today

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From the Dummiez Book Cover Maker 2006

(link via Coyote33 at NES)

Microthinking

Doesn't this piece-of-shit lowlife sound like just the kind of individual the mayor claims will be deterred from a life of crime, if only we could pass a "common sense" law requiring microstamping of a gun's serial number on the spent cartridge casings?

Duarte, 24, walked up to the man who had slapped the girl, standing near 242 East 9th St., and told him and his several friends, "If you want to shoot someone, then why don't you shoot me?" said the girl whom Duarte defended . (Her name is being withheld because she fears for her safety.)

According to the teenager and other witnesses, one of the men pulled out a large gray rifle. Duarte was shot four times, falling onto an asphalt - covered lot bordered by two large red-brick buildings, making him Boston's 47th victim of homicide this year and the first in South Boston .

Yeah, right.

Also, from the Boston Herald:

A heartsick Southie neighborhood is mourning the senseless slaying of a 24-year-old father of three who friends and family say took a bullet for a young woman who’d been beaten up.

Alberto Duarte of Roxbury was dedicated to his tots and is the last person one would expect to die in street violence, said his friends and family, who erected a memorial in his honor at the Old Colony housing projects, where he was shot and killed at 1 a.m. yesterday.

[snip]

Duarte’s loved ones exchanged harsh words with police yesterday when, 15 hours after his murder, they pointed out shell casings just feet from the crime scene that police apparently missed. Officers cordoned off the area and took the casings as evidence.

Step 1: Locate, document, and collect spent shell casings.

DOH!

Now, THIS Will Solve Everything

First, they told us that tougher gun laws were needed, and that the Gun Control Act of 1998 would help curtail the rate of violent crime in our cities.

It hasn't.

Then they told us that also establishing an "Approved Fireearms Roster" would cut down on the bloodshed.

It hasn't.

Then they told us that also limiting the number of rounds our guns can hold would help.

Any guesses as to how well that's worked?

Then, not only were we told that the recent gun buyback program would reduce violent crime, but we were then told, point blank, that it had been a "major success".

Guess what. It hasn't.

So, when they tell us now that "microstamping" will help fight crime, well, take a look at their track record and decide for yourself.

This isn't the first time this topic has reared it's ugly [read: foolishly misguided] head in the Bay State (see previous post here), and you can bet it won't be the last.

Menino, BPD Pushing New Ballistics Technology

The Boston Police Department and Mayor Menino are touting new ballistics technology called "micro stamping". Guns with this technology would leave an imprint of the serial number on the bullet casings.

Yeah? Then what?

I suppose we'll just trace that gun back to the 16-year-old shooter who registered it with his local police department upon purchasing it from a federally-licensed firearms dealer.

Law enforcement officials say this new technology could potentially help them solve gun-related crimes.

Yeah, and it could prove to be as useless as tits on a chair. But, hey, when in doubt, why not err on the side of negatively impacting the firearms industry and its law-abiding customer base?

"There is a crisis across this country - guns are too easy to get and people are using them with little regard to the consequences," Mayor Menino said in a statement.

First up, fuck you, you lying sack of shit.

There is no crisis "across this country". There is a crisis in our inner cities, where the drug trade, the hip-hop "culture", and the lack of quality parenting have been feeding the fires of youth violence for decades.

And, where has this crisis loomed largest?

Hint: the answer is not "Vermont", a state with virtually no gun control in place at the state level. This crisis, of which you speak, is playing out on the streets of Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, and every other major city affected by drug-fueled gang violence.

Secondly, Menino would have us believe that requiring guns to imprint the serial number on the shell casing will (a) affect the ability of some murderous, scumbag drug dealer to illegally purchase an older model gun on the street, and (b) magically instill a set of moral values into the conscience the aforementioned scumbag, causing him to renounce his violent, lawless ways.

Some days, it's hard to tell if Mumbles is blowing smoke or smoking blow.

"This new micro stamping technology could help police officers solve gun crimes and make our streets safer.

Fast forward to the summer of 2012:

"Hi, is this Mr. Bill Johnson, of 149 Elmwood Drive in Albany?"

"Yes it is. Who's this?"

"This is Detective Schifferbreins with the Boston Police Department. We recovered some shell casings at the scene of our city's latest homicide, and we traced them back to the Smith & Wesson .45-caliber handgun you reported stolen five years ago."

"Wow, that's amazing!"

"I know. It's this great new microstamping technology that made it all possible."

"So...you were able to catch the bastard who broke into my house, raped my wife, and stole my guns while I was out of town?"

"Well, um...not exactly."

"Oh. Well, did you catch the shooter from the homicide you're investigating?"

"Um...not exactly."

"But, you have a good idea who it was, right?"

"Um..not exactly"

"Oh. Well, did you recover the gun?"

"Um...not exactly."

"Oh. Well, when you do, can I have it back?"

"What are you, retarded?"

Yeah, I feel safer already.

It would be one more tool in our toolbox to help combat crime."

Takes one to know one, I suppose.

So, tell me. After an afternoon at the range, what am I supposed to do? Sort through the hundreds of shell casings on the floor to pick up the ones with my guns' serial numbers on them, and destroy them, so they don't make their way into the spent shell casing black market?

And what, pray tell, would happen when I finally wore of the face of the firing pin after putting a sufficient number of rounds through the gun?

Would I then be in possession of an "illegal" gun? Would the law require me to purchase and register a replacement firing pin (for a reasonable re-registration fee, no doubt) with the local P.D.?

Would I be required to return my old firing pin to a licensed firearms dealer for disposal, so as to prevent it from making its way to the illegible firing pin black market?

Equipping guns with this technology will not be easy. A federal law would be needed to require gunmakers to add the technology.

And a 12-year-old kid with a bottle of rubbing compound or a sheet of emory cloth is all that would be needed to render it completely meaningless and ineffective.

"Yes, but we'll pass a law to make it illegal to do that."

(groan)

The only argument I can see, in favor of this idiocy, would be that this could act as a deterrent to potential straw purchasers (e.g. women who legally purchase guns and then sell them to their scumbag, drug-dealing boyfriends).

Of course, the fact that they're already committing a federal crime - one that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence - doesn't seem to be deterring them all that much, as it is. That's the funny thing about criminally-minded folks...they COMMIT CRIMES.

Also, if someone is smart enough to be deterred by the microstamping of a gun's serial number onto the shell casing, they're probably also smart enough not to be dating crack-dealing, gun-running scumbags in the first place. That's the funny thing about us educated, law-abiding folks...we DON'T commit crimes.

So, now we've got Menino, and his comrades down at Gun Ban Incorporated, arguing that this technology will work, on account of the average criminal not being clever enough to deface a gun's firing pin, to collect other people's shell casings(or pick up their own after conducting their business), or simply use a revolver which doesn't eject the shell casings, in a calculated attempt to circumvent this proposed technology.

While, at the same time, arguing it will work, because these potential straw purchasers (read: average criminals) are smart enough to be deterred by this technology, and any increase in the chances of getting caught that it might bring about.

So, you see, it wil work, regardless of a criminal's level of intelligence. Pay no attention to those who would argue it won't work, regardless of a criminal's level of intelligence. They're most likely Republicans, who need to be ignored, at all cost...for the children.

Shocking that Menino would come down on the gun control side of this fence, no?

Basically, what we're looking at (again) is a group of sadly-misguided individuals passing laws to supposedly deter the criminally-inclined from acting in a criminal manner. This is little more than an all-too-typical excercise in feel-good, do-nothing, legislative masturbation, based entirely on the flawed belief that you can actually legislate morality to the masses.

It failed miserably with Prohibition.

It's failing miserably with our so-called war on drugs.

And, likewise, the failure of this foolishness is equally as predictable.

The only people who will be negatively impacted by this nonsense would be our country's gun manufacturers and their law-abiding customers. But hey, what's more important? Actually making the streets safe for our kids to play in, or scoring political points against those whose ideology differs from yours.

You really want to make the streets safer?

Find the drug-dealing/using scumbags who are turning America's inner cities into their personal shooting galleries. Arrest them. Throw the proverbial book at them. And find yourself some judges who don't consider thirty years hard labor to be "cruel and unusual punishment" for these pieces of subhuman filth.

What's my "common sense" solution?

1. Mandatory 10-year sentence for illegal possession of a handgun by a prohibited individual.

2. Mandatory 20-years in the can for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (other than the felony of felonious gun possession - see above).

3. Mandatory death penalty for any unjustifiable homicide, whether the killer used a gun, or a rock, or a bathtub, or a Prius, or...

And, no, I certainly wouldn't expect any of this to have any kind of "deterrent effect" on the country's criminal population. As I've said before, I'm going more for the "detergent effect" - cleaning this scum from our streets (if even for a 10-year stretch at a time).

In the words of Travis Bickle*:

"Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets."

And, oh yeah...mandatory croquet mallet to the groin for any judge, politician, or police officer who has a problem with any of that.

* If you read that and had to ask, "Who's Travis Bickle?", I don't want to know you.

Amorello to Resign

BREAKING NEWS: WRKO (680AM) is reporting this morning that Matt Amorello has agreed to resign as chairman of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

More later.

UPDATE: From the Boston Globe...

Under fire Mass. highways chief resigns

BOSTON --Massachusetts Turnpike Authority Chairman Matthew Amorello, under fire since part of a Big Dig tunnel collapsed and killed a passing motorist, agreed Thursday to resign after weeks of pressure on him to step aside.

His decision comes after pressure from fellow Republican Gov. Mitt Romney for Amorello to step down -- pressure that has intensified since July 10, when 12 tons of ceiling panels fell from a Big Dig tunnel, crushing a passing car and killing the passenger.

Amorello's resignation will be effective Aug. 15, but he will continue to receive his $223,000 annual salary through Feb. 15.

He announced his decision an hour before a scheduled hearing in the governor's office during which Romney planned to seek his removal.

"This avoids a potentially protracted and costly process to remove Mr. Amorello from his position," said Romney communications director Eric Fehrnstrom. "Ultimately, it is the right thing in order for the Turnpike Authority to move forward and regain the confidence of the public."

Toy of the Year - 2006

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Get yours now!

Tackling Boston's Spiraling Crime Grime Epidemic

Here's a two-fer from the Boston Globe:

Menino fights garbage with solar-powered trash cans

Mayor Thomas M. Menino this morning unveiled his latest city improvement: solar-powered trash compactors.

"I think they're great," said Menino, adding that the city will save money because trash workers will have to empty the bins fewer times.

If he honestly believes that city workers will start clocking fewer hours, or getting more "work" done, as result of this, then he's even further detached from reality than I thought. And, that's no easy feat on his part.

"Our goal is to do the best we can in the cleanliness of our city."

So, how are they at getting blood out of concrete?

Man shot to death on Dorchester street

A 20-year-old man was shot to death on Intervale Street in Dorchester late last night, police said.

The victim was riding a bicycle and stopped to talk to friends when several shots from a car rang out about 11:30 p.m, scattering residents on the street.

Neighbors said up to ten shots were fired, hitting the victim multiple times. His identity has not been released.

Well, thank God no one invoved in this shooting, apparently, had a gun capable of accepting a "high-capacity ammuntion-feeding device".

Someone could have gotten hurt.

Yeah, But THIS Time He Means It!

February 2004:

"We're frustrated. We're angry," affirmed Mayor Menino. "We're not going to allow anybody to take over our streets."

August 2004:

"We're not going to let any hoodlums take over our city," Menino told reporters after the meeting.

May 2005:

Menino asked for the public's help in capturing the suspects who murdered Beresford, saying, "Those hoodlums are not going to take over our streets."

July 2005:

No arrests have been made in that case, police said. Menino said the call boxes are part of his attempt to reclaim parks like Ronan.

"We're not going to let the hoodlums take over," he said.

December 2005:

"This is not cowboy city, we are not going to let this city be taken over," Menino said.

January 2006:

"I will not allow a handful of thugs to destroy families and lives," [Menino] said.

July 10, 2006:

"We've got to stay focused," [Menino] said. "We're not going to let the bad guys take over our streets."

Yesterday:

Anna Perry, 20, was gunned down on Albert Street Saturday night while lighting a candle in her brother Bobby’s memory at the exact spot he was killed four years earlier to the day.

[snip]

...Mayor Tom Menino admitted he did not have all the answers...

This week's nominee for "Understatement of the Decade" honors.

"You got to continue to be out there. We're not going to give up. We're not going to let the hoodlums take over our streets – We're gonna be there."

Nothing further, your honor. The prosecution rests.

Rope, Tree, You Know the Drill

In a perfect world, we'd likely need to build a new prison to hold all the guilty parties connected to this travesty we call the Big Dig. But seeing as it's Massachusetts, instead, I'll settle for a new 25-cell wing being built onto one of our existing prisons.

From the Boston Herald:

A memo written after a January 10, 2000, meeting of project officials notes "an apparent failure of the epoxy" for ceiling anchors in the first 100 feet of the Interstate 90 Seaport connector tunnel. It was in an adjacent section where ceiling panels collapsed and killed Milena Del Valle, 38.

The chilling notation was made on Massachusetts Turnpike Authority letterhead and was known to a project team reviewing construction disputes relating to the ceiling support problems and other issues. Officials copied on the note included Kurt Dettman, the state's top Big Dig top attorney at the time; Matt Wiley, the top project official for Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff; and a federal highway official.

From the Boston Globe:

The on-site safety officer for the Interstate 90 connector directly warned his superiors at contractor Modern Continental Construction Co. that the tunnel ceiling could collapse because the bolts could not support the heavy concrete panels, and feared for his conscience if someone died as a result.

John J. Keaveney -- in a starkly-worded two-page memo sent in 1999 to Robert Coutts, senior project manager for Modern Continental -- wrote that he could not "comprehend how this structure can withhold the test of time."

Keaveney added: "Should any innocent State Worker or member of the Public be seriously injured or even worse killed as a result, I feel that this would be something that would reflect Mentally and Emotionally upon me, and all who are trying to construct a quality Project."

We're gonna need some more trees.

Indiana Highway Shooter Nabbed

Good.

But, more important, we find out what kind of "military-style", "sniper", "cop-killer", "assault weapon" the little shit used, and which will surely be the object of Dianne Feinstein's impending wrath.

...investigators followed up on the tip Monday night, searched Blanton’s home and found a Remington Model 710 rifle with a scope that fires a .270-caliber round.

Remington 710

Let's take a closer look...

Three locking lugs lock bolt directly into the barrel for unprecedented action strength.

60-degree bolt throw for fast follow-up shots.

Six-groove button rifled barrel.

Single-stage trigger boasts famous Remington, bolt-action rifle 3-millisecond lock time.

4-round detachable magazine box for convenient loading (3-round on Magnum models).

Rugged all-weather synthetic stock.

Equipped with mounted Bushnell® Sharpshooter™, 3-9 x 40 scope, bore-sighted from the factory.

Note that this gun, used by this little shithead to terrorize thousands, has NOT ONE of the evil features that Ms. Feinstein says makes an "assault weapon" so extra-deadly.

But...

"Unprecedented action strength", "fast follow-up shots", "3-millisecond lock time", and it's available in "Magnum models"! Wow, that's some real scary-sounding stuff there. Better get to work, Dianne. Clearly, this gun serves no "sporting purpose" other than to mow down acres upon acres of nuns and schoolchildren.

Stricter Yo-Yo Control Needed

No, I'm not talking about term limits for our state legislators.

Did you know, that in Massachusetts, literally anyone with three bucks in his pocket can just saunter into a Toys 'R' Us and walk out with a concealed assault yo-yo? No questions asked, no license required, no criminal background check.

Taxi driver assaulted by means of a Yo Yo

About 3:30am a victim walked into District 4 to explain that while parked at the corner of Boylston Street & Massachusetts Avenue in his taxi, a white male in a red Honda Civic pulled up to the rear of his vehicle and began blowing his horn. After blowing his horn repeatedly, the suspect pulled up beside the cab and rolled down his passenger side window. The victim then rolled down his driver's side window to explain that he was parked in a taxi stand when the suspect hurled a green "Yo-Yo", striking the victim in the left side of his face. The victim declined medical attention at the scene.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

From the Allston/Brighton TAB police logs:

Headline:

Police confiscate sawed-off shotgun

Accompanying story:

On July 12, police seized a sawed-off Crossman (sic) high-powered 66 Powermaster .177 caliber rifle in the parking lot of Tedeschi's Market, 509 Cambridge St. Police said around 6 p.m. they saw five young men in a vehicle in the parking lot acting suspicious. An officer reported seeing one of the men putting what looked like a shotgun in the trunk of the car and police approached to question the suspects. The suspects were questioned and released, but police confiscated the weapon.

Can I Get a Ruling Here?

So, I finally got around to taking the Ruger 10/22 down to the range yesterday to get the new scope dialed in. After 'bout a half-hour of twiddling around with it, it was getting "pretty close", so I sent the F.U.N. target downrange to give it a spin.

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Can I get a ruling on the second target in the fourth row?

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Class: Scoped rimfire rifle
Distance: 50' (man, I gotta get this rifle outdoors)
Score: 21 (or 22) of 25, pending resolution of the above.
Ammo: Federal bulk pack High Velocity .22LR (ou know, the real expensive stuff from Walmart)

A couple clicks on the elevation (it just had to be the scope's fault that I was shooting low), and I was good to go. Shot a perfect score on the next target, which shall remain nameless in an effort to protect a certain blogger from charges of conspiring to assassinate certain legislative assbiscuits.

Meanwhile...

Pay no attention to the ever-mounting number of dead bodies on the sidewalk, the mayor's gun buyback program was a "major success", damn it!

Four years to the day after her brother was shot to death, a South End woman was fatally gunned down on the same spot late Saturday as she knelt at the makeshift shrine to her slain sibling, friends and family said.

[snip]

The shooting happened on a bloody weekend during which at least one other person was killed and at least four others were shot in unrelated cases.

Not to worry, folks, the gun buyback program was but one prong in Menino's "six-pronged crime strategy to aggressively address crime issues".

We've still got five prongs to go.

Yippee.

Quotes of the Day

Regarding the allegations that several Boston police officers have been involved, for quite some time now, in a wide-ranging criminal enterprise, our esteemed mayor, Tommy "Captain Insight" Menino had this to say:

"This is a bump in the road[.]"

A "bump in the road"? Are you fucking kidding me?

I apologize for having to ask, Mr. Mayor, but my scorecard was printed without the handy "Mumbonics to English Glossary" on the back of it. Would a "bump in the road" be more or less severe than an "issue", where matters of public safety are concerned.

As the saying goes, the only things in life that are certain are death, taxes, and Boston Mayor Tom Menino being on the wrong side of the reality/fantasyland divide.

Here's the money quote from the above-linked Boston Globe article:

After the arrests, Boston police and the FBI vowed to continue the investigation. Pulido, whose cellphone conversations were recorded by investigators, "unwittingly provided extensive information about the illegal conduct of other Boston officers, other public officials, and private citizens," FBI Special Agent Michael J. Kreizenbeck wrote in an affidavit filed in US District Court in Boston.

Yeah...just a "bump".

Seriously, through, where does one even begin to describe how much of an utterly disgraceful clusterfuck this is? One thing is certain, if the BPD wishes to regain [read: gain] the public's trust, in the wake of everything that's come to light here, every single dirty cop and public official tied up in all of this must be rooted out, tried, convicted, and strung up by his balls* in the middle of City Hall Plaza.

No plea bargains. No mercy.

*Figuratively speaking, of course. Can't string 'em up by what they don't got.

You Don't Say

Tabasco sauce ice cream wasn't such a hot idea

No Comment

None needed.

An employee from an Old Country Buffet in Dartmouth has been arrested for allegedly murdering the restaurant's general manager, who appeared to have been stabbed with a knife and struck with a kitchen appliance, according to police.

Damon Suck(er)s

By now, most of you have probably heard the story of the woman who was selling "Damon Sucks" bibs on eBay. That is, until Johnny Damon's agent decided that such mean-spirited baby clothes would hurt his client's feelings.

Yeah, I know...cry me a goddamn river, too.

Anyway, the two parties reached an agreement that allows her to continue selling these bibs online. But, here's what boggles my mind, to no end. Go to her eBay store, and check out her bib page.

Now, scroll down to the "Damon Sucks" bib (or click on the screenshot below).


Yes, as of 1:30 this afternoon, bidding was up to $102.50 for this "one of a kind" item.

P.T. Barnum, please come to the front desk to pick up your MENSA membership card.

Apparently, some folks out there have never heard of CafePress.com, where anyone with the ability of your average 12-year-old to work Microsoft Paint can log in, create his own "Damon Sucks" bib, and buy it for $5.99 plus shipping.

Besides, if it's a new bib for your little one that you're looking for...

Ted Kennedy's Worst Nightmare (cont.)

An armed citizen stops a rampaging, knife-wielding nutbag dead in his tracks, without firing a single shot.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -— A knife-wielding grocery store employee attacked eight co-workers Friday, seriously injuring five before a witness pulled a gun and stopped him, police said.

I blame Tennessee's lax cutlery laws.

The attacker, chasing one victim into the store's parking lot, was subdued by Chris Cope, manager of a financial services office in the same small shopping center, Higgins said.

Cope said he grabbed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol from his pickup truck when he saw the attacker chasing the victim "like something in a serial killer movie."

"When he turned around and saw my pistol, he threw the knife away, put his hands up and got on the ground," Cope told The Associated Press. "He saw my gun and that was pretty much it."

A mere commoner? With a gun? Saving lives? Dianne Feinstein fucking hates when that happens!

Now, I've re-read the article several times, and simply can't believe that no innocent children were gunned down by this gun-toting hillbilly. How can that be? Everyone knows guns have just one purpose in life - to kill as many people, in as efficient a manner, as possible.

Of course, Kennedy, Feinstein, and the rest of the Oblivious Dipshit Coalition would have preferred to have everyone involved in this incident just "give the guy what he wants". It matters little [read: not one fucking bit] to these elitist, gasbag politicians that the "what he wanted" was, in fact, to attack everyone in sight with a couple large kitchen knives.

The ceding of one's personal sovereignty to an armed lunatic is just the price they expect us to pay, with a smile, in order to bring their gun-free, Utopian land of gumdrops and butterflies to fruition.

"Common sense", to these loathsome assnuggets, means being forced to rely on the "kindness" and "mercy" of a knife-wielding fruitcake for one's safety and well-being.

It's FOR THE CHILDREN^TM. Surely, you understand.

And, of course, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Ownership had to give Tennessee a D+ (no, I won't link to it) on last year's "report card", on account of their redneck gun laws that made this happy ending possible.

Useless fools.

(link via Zendo Deb at TFS Magnum)

Common Sense 101

From Worcester, Massachusetts:

Several people, including many children, were injured Friday evening when lightning struck a tree outside a church in Worcester.

[snip]

We're told ten people were standing underneath a tree when it was struck.

Whatever happened to teaching our kids a little common frickin' sense? Isn't "Don't stand under a tree in a thunderstorm!" something that you learned when you were, like, six?

I'm guessing they can't fit such trivial lessons into the teaching curriculum anymore - not enough time between "Diversity Awareness" training and "How To Put On a Condom" class.

UPDATE: New England Cable News interviewed an eyewitness at the scene who said an adult nearby had told the people there to get out from under the tree just seconds before the lightning struck. Good advice - just a tad late, it would appear.

And for those of you who might object to my "condom class" comment above, on the basis that the injured were likely part of a local church group, feel free to substitute "Creationism 101" and "Vote Republican, Go to Heaven" in the sentence above.

Either scenario works for me.

From the "Mumbonics to English" Dictionary

Today's word:

MAJOR (adj) - Great in scope or effect

From BPDNews.com:

Today, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Acting Commissioner Al Goslin, in conjunction with the Boston Police Department and numerous community and faith-based organizations, is pleased to announce that the 2006 Boston Gun Buyback “Aim For Peace” was a major success.

Got that? It's now a "major" success.

I don't have all the numbers in front of me, but I'm not seeing anything these days that would lend the slightest bit of credence to this never-ending line of shit the mayor's shoveling here.

Last night:

Dorchester Shooting Leaves 1 Dead, 2 Injured

One person is dead and two others are wounded in an overnight shooting in Dorchester.

Earlier this week (post-gun buyback):

Mattapan man dies in daylight shooting

The "tallest man" on Woolson Street in Mattapan who was beloved for his magnetic personality, caring and charm was shot dead yesterday morning in a brazen daylight shooting.

Violent Night In City Leaves 1 Dead, 2 Injured

A 30-year-old man was shot and killed at 34 Danube Street, said Boston Police. The victim was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead around 11:45 p.m.

Man shot to death in Dorchester

A 44-year-old man was fatally shot yesterday at Dorchester's Franklin Field Public Housing Development, making him the city's 39th homicide victim this year, police said.

Homicide On Woolson Street

On July 19, 2006 around 11:29am, officers from District 3 responded to 14 Woolson Street in Mattapan for a report of a person shot. On arrival officers located the victim, a black male suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported to Brigham and Women Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Did I miss any? I didn't bother to include all the non-fatal shootings, gun possession arrests, and armed robberies. Who's got the time?

I'm almost afraid to ask, what would it take for this gun buyback program to be deemed a failure by our lexiconically-challenged mayor?

So, once you're finished patting yourself on the back for getting all those crime-causing guns "off the street", what do you say you leave the bodyguard at home, Tom, and spend a week or two living in these neighborhoods with the people, about whom you profess to care so deeply?

In Priscilla Megie's Dorchester neighborhood, a slope of ramshackle tenements, uneven lawns, and cracked sidewalks, the curtains are drawn and most shades are down. No matter how hot it gets, she said, her three children, ages 8, 5, and 2, are not allowed to play outside, go near the windows, or sit on the porch. And when they hear the crackle of gunfire, which is nearly every day and night on Hamilton Street, she said, the children are trained to hit the floor -- fast.

After all, with all those guns on their way to the foundry, what harm could possibly come to you?

Mayor Menino joined by the Boston Police Department and members of the community will announce the grand total of collected “buyback” firearms. The Boston Police Ballistics Units has completed auditing the inventory of collected weapons and the final tally is in. On hand will be hundreds of firearms that have been removed from city streets. The media will witness a large collection of these firearms being loaded into a BPD Patrol Wagon and sent to an “undisclosed” location to be melted into sewer caps.

"YESTERDAY'S GUNS"? What a fucking joke.

I'm sure these new paperweights will provide a great deal of comfort and solace for the people whose neighborhoods have been turned into warzones by TODAY'S CRIMINALS!

Perhaps, these parents could take a page from the Clint Eastwood Playbook, and send their kids out to play with Menino's new mini-manhole covers sewn into their clothes to deflect any stray bullets coming their way.

Who knows, if this could "save just one life", perhaps this gun buyback program could prove itself to be somewhat useful after all.

* That's the Marty McFly Playbook, for my younger readers.

Another Globe Reader Responds

Just a little more nitpicking to start the day - bear with me.

Cavalier attitude toward aiming and firing

REGARDING "ANNIE, get your Glock" (Living/Arts, July 18), I was struck by the writer's cavalier attitude toward firing bullets at the figure of a man: "Several dime-size holes pepper the target's man-shaped silhouette. If this were a back-alley thug, he would be wounded but probably still on his feet."

What? Maybe if he were Robo-thug.

But no one should think that a human body can absorb three or more shots from a 9 mm Glock (standard issue for the Boston police) and likely remain upright.

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, the "standard issue" pistol ammunition for Boston Police is .40 S&W round. At least that's what this cop was packing the morning he *allegedly* shot his fellow officer in the leg after a long night of drinking.

As for being able to "absorb three or more shots" from a 9mm handgun, I'm no expert in the field, but I could easily imagine three hits to non-vital regions not having the stopping power one would hope to see in a "back alley" self-defense scenario. Shooting the guy in the left arm when the knife is in his right hand might not do the trick.

Perhaps, someone with more knowledge on this could chime in here.

Also, the shots in question, from the Globe article, were said to "pepper" the target. Had they made a quarter-sized group at "center of mass", I'd wager the choice of verb and the hypothetical outcome of the shooting, as provided by the writer, would have been quite different.

I don't begrudge anybody's right to go to a shooting range and become competent and skillful with a weapon. It is the responsible way to own and use one. But let's not pretend that firing that gun at a "back-alley thug" is anything but a potentially deadly proposition.

DAVID WEBER
Dorchester

Likewise, let us also not pretend that Hollywood's depiction of a bad guy getting blown 10 feet backwards through a plate glass window, after getting shot with a .38 revolver, has any basis, whatsoever, in reality.

Two In Two Days

It must be something in the water.

This is the second local story, in just two days, on the subject of the increasing number of women owning guns and getting involved with recreational shooting. And, this one's refreshingly void of any anti-gun propaganda - cut n' pasted from some Brady Center press release - being passed off as legitimate journalism.

From CBS4Boston.com (7/19/06):

Boston Women Empowered By Pulling The Trigger

(CBS4) BOSTON When it comes to gun ownership, women are a growing market. You don't have to look any further than Boston to find out why.

It's the fourth Friday of the month, and as gunshots ring out, members of the Second Amendment Sisters are practicing at the Boston Gun and Rifle Association. They're target shooting with handguns. Why? "It's fun, it's empowering," says Jacqueline Scott.

"Empowering" women? How dare they? Why, everyone knows women should be rendered weak and powerless, and that any choices to be made pertaining to the preservation and well-being of their bodies should be made for them by high-ranking, male government officials.

Well, that's Mayor Menino's take on this subject matter, anyway, for women "lucky" enough to be living under his authority.

Katherine DeSilva says "More women are living alone now. They want to have a firearm in their home." Deborah Spence adds, "I actually find it relaxing. There's also a great camaraderie."

Lynne Roberts is the coordinator for Second Amendment Sisters, which organizes shoots for women in Boston and in Braintree. She says membership is booming. "When I started here four years ago I had maybe 12 or 15 members on an email list. Now there's 200," says Roberts.

"...one person at a time." ~ KdT

Women's interest in shooting is growing across the country. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, in 1995 there were 2.7-million women involved in target shooting. Last year that number was five-million. Why are more women using guns?

Compensation, no doubt, for their small...ummm...never mind.

Reasons range from self defense and sporting fun to a sense of empowerment.

Bingo!

And, there lies the big difference between this piece and the one the Boston Globe ran on Tuesday of this week - the recognition of the concept of LEGAL, ARMED SELF DEFENSE.

The Boston Globe is known to trot out what appears to be a pro-gun article from time to time, but upon closer examination, you'll find they're always centered around the belief that guns are OK, as long as they're to be used only for target shooting, at a government-regulated shooting facility, where they can be checked out by the proletariat, like library books, for use on the premises.

It's all part of that whole "individualism vs. collectivism" thing that lots of folks 'round here can't quite get their heads around.

In other words, don't hold your breath waiting for the Globe to print anything that could be interpreted as being supportive of the rights of individuals to actually own and carry firearms for the purpose of personal protection.

You want to go duck hunting with a break-action shotgun? Senator Kerry gives you his blessing. You want to go to a local pistol range and do a little target shooting? That's OK with the friendly folks at the Boston Globe. It's what they call being supportive of your second amendment rights.

And an industry is growing up around it. They have their own magazine called "Women And Guns" with a growing circulation, manufacturers are making firearms to fit smaller hands, women's shooting apparel is popular, and the National Rifle Association sponsors a national program called "Women On Target" organizing shoots for women at gun clubs.

At the Boston club every session begins with safety instruction, even if a woman is an experienced shooter. For first timers the instruction session is longer and more detailed. However, some gun control advocates are not at all happy with the growth in gun interest saying that more guns lead to more accidents and more gun use.

Well, if the gun-grabbers are happy, chances are I'm not. So, I'll be scoring this one as a win for the good guys. And as to their brilliant claim that "more guns" lead to "more gun use", well, I would certainly hope so.

But most of the women at the Boston session bristle at that. According to Katherine DeSilva, "If you take it seriously it's not a dangerous piece of equipment to have. I think a car is much more dangerous."

Indeed.

Top-10 Causes of Unintentional Deaths, 2003:

#1 Motor Vehicle Traffic 43,180
#2 Poisoning 19,431
#3 Fall 17,214
#4 Unspecified 6,610
#5 Suffocation 4,959
#6 Fire/burn 3,421
#7 Drowning 3,218
#8 Other Land Transport 1,542
#9 Natural/Environment 1,387
#10 Other Spec., classifiable 1,384

But what about those evil guns? Why, their sole purpose is to kill people in as efficient a manner as possible. It's what they were designed to do.

#15 Firearms 730

(source)

- CBS Channel 4 video here.

Boston Globe "Correction"

Well, they're getting closer.

Correction: Because of a reporting error, a story in yesterday's Living/Arts section about a Manchester, N.H., firing range mischaracterized Massachusetts gun laws.

You don't say.

Residents with a Class A gun license may purchase semiautomatic weapons.

The funny thing here is, the Globe article in question never stated otherwise. Perhaps, this is a pre-emptive correction for a soon-to-be published piece they're planning on screwing up in the near future.

Now, to clarify their "correction" - semiautomatic weapons can also be purchased by Massachusetts residents holding either a Class B License to Carry (for non high-capacity handguns, and semi-auto shotguns, and rifles), or a Firearms Identification Card (for non high-capacity semi-auto shotguns and rifles).

Residents without a Class A license may shoot semiautomatic weapons at a gun range or gun club that holds a Class A license.

As well as automatic weapons (machine guns) at gun ranges and clubs in the Commonwealth, properly licensed for such.

Certified police firearms instructors or firearms collectors who hold a machine gun license may purchase machine guns.

How long before Jarrett Barrios sponsors legislation to close this anti-child safety "loophole"?

Also, the story should have made clear that US laws prohibit private ownership of fully automatic machine guns manufactured after 1986. The Uzi mentioned in the story was never illegal because it was made before 1986.

And, therefore, not impacted in any way by the now-defunct federal ban on scary-looking semiautomatic weapons.

All in all, a decent correction, by Boston Globe standards. I'm guessing they received quite a few letters in response to that article.

Going From Bad to Worse to Worser

From Boston.com:

BREAKING NEWS: Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney this afternoon ordered an immediate shutdown of the Ted Williams tunnel eastbound to Logan Airport, 10 days after 12 tons of ceiling tiles fell from a connecting tunnel, crushing a motorist. - Story

A Globe Reader Responds

From the Letters to the Editor of the Boston Globe:

How soon we forget power of a .22

IN HIS breezy celebration of firearms ("Annie, get your Glock," Living/Arts, July 18), Michael Hardy observes that a .22-caliber rifle "is slightly more deadly than a slingshot." Perhaps Hardy is too young to remember that when Sirhan Sirhan assassinated Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, he used a .22-caliber handgun.

DERRICK TE PASKE
Belmont

Whatever Mr. Hardy's age, there isn't a single newpaper reporter in this town too young to remember the murders of Rachel and Lillian Entwistle in Hopkinton earlier this year.

The murder weapon? A .22-caliber handgun.

I was OK with "Snickers Satisfies"

But, I gotta question the wisdom (and motive) behind this latest Snickers ad campaign. Have you seen these around town on billboards and the sides of T buses? They're the ones with the long made-up words using the Snickers-style lettering, e.g. NOUGATOCITY, PEANUTOPOLIS, and this one...



"O, my!", indeed.

(photo via AdRants)

I Have But One Simple Wish

Please, God, please, let there be video of this.

Customer subdues robber with applesauce

The first paragraph, alone, is enough to put a smile on anyone's face (with the possible exception being the scumbag getting his skull beaten in).

PHILADELPHIA --A customer at a city grocery tackled an armed robber and beat him with a can of applesauce when he refused to drop his gun, police said.

But, like a fine wine, this story gets better with time - mainly, the four seconds it takes you to get to the next paragraph.

The suspect shot himself in the head during the struggle, and passed out after the 66-year-old customer administered four blows to the head with the Mott's applesauce.

Rule #1: Don't bring this guy to a gunfight.

The suspect, 23-year-old Thomas Reyes, was in stable condition at a hospital, and was expected to be charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery and other charges, authorities said.

Alas, no Darwin Award (this time around) for the little choirboy/budding hip-hop artist/doting father (choose two). But don't throw away those betting slips just yet. I suspect we haven't heard the last of this young rocket scientist.

Could "Justice For All" Be On Its Way?

Well, let me put it this way. That breathing sound you're hearing is me not holding my breath. Though, this story has taken a step (if ever so slowly) in the right direction.

Grand jury to decide in cop shooting case

It's taken nearly a month for Boston police and the Suffolk District Attorney'’s office to complete their preliminary investigation, but the embarrassing case of a Boston cop who allegedly shot a fellow officer following a long night of boozing is headed to a grand jury.

"Embarrassing"? Interesting choice of modifier there. I'd have gone with "disgraceful" or "inexcusable" myself. But, hey, that's just me.

While investigators sift through the evidence, taxpayers have shelled out $8,788, or $338 each day, to keep the two cops at the center of the investigation, officers Joseph Behnke and Paul Durkin, on paid leave.

Your tax dollars, as usual, hard at work.

Sources have told the Herald that early on June 22, Durkin, a 26-year veteran assigned to C-ll, and Behnke, who joined the department in 2002, went bar-hopping through Dorchester with fellow officers before they arrived at Behnke'’s West Roxbury home.

When Durkin attempted to leave, an argument erupted between the pair and Durkin allegedly shot Behnke with his department-issued sidearm. Behnke was treated for a gunshot wound to the hip.

Durkin's lawyer, Thomas Drechsler, refused to say what happened. "I'm confident my client committed no crime and that when the investigation is concluded the grand jury will not return an indictment," he said.

I'd be confident too, just so long as my homespun definition of "crime" excluded such things as assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on a police officer, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (did I miss any?).

If it was you or me, you could throw the phrase "with intent to murder" into the mix, and no one in the DA's office would so much as blink an eye.

Like My Momma Always Said

Life is like a box of fucking morons.

FULDA, Minn. -- It's probably not a good idea to switch drivers while the vehicle is moving.

The State Patrol said three young people were in a Chrysler Town and Country minivan on U.S. Highway 59 on Monday when they tried to switch drivers while the cruise control was set.

During the exchange, the van went out of control and overturned, sliding into a ditch. The van was totaled.

The driver, 19, was airlifted to a hospital with possible internal injuries. Two passengers were sent to another hospital with head injuries.

Looks like they'll live - a golden Darwin opportunity missed.

A Refreshing Change of Pace

Significant flooding and traffic tie-ups not caused by the Big Dig.

A sewer contractor drilling holes on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston's South End last night punctured a 30-inch water main, sending tens of thousands of gallons flooding into the streets and briefly leaving residents from Andrew Square to Tremont Street without water, officials from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission said.

On a related note, there were EIGHT uniformed Boston police officers at the corner of Washington Street and Melnea Cass Boulevard this morning at 8:00 directing traffic. Well, actually, two cops were in the intersection assisting the flow of traffic, while six appeared to be "supervising".

Nice to see, with shootings in the South End and Roxbury on the rise this year, that the police have their deployment priorities in order.

I guess there's no time like overtime.

Following the Money

From Adam G. at Universal Hub comes this "real shocker":

It's really painful [hmmmm...can't say that would be my first choice of words - ed.] watching Tom Reilly slowly implode. His flaks say the AG stopped taking contributions from Big Dig execs last year. Then Kimberly Atkins at the Herald spends five minutes with the state-run contributions database and discovers $500 contributions from a Modern Continental vice president and his wife just last month.

"Oh...that thousand-dollar campaign contribution!"

UPDATE: Hub Politics has the story of yet another Big Dig money trail, leading to the campaign coffers of a certain Attorney General (and other prominent Hub pols).

And, for Derek...

From the Pages of Not the Boston Globe

Needless to say, this is not exactly typical of stories you're likely to find gracing the front page of the Boston Globe's website, boston.com:

Annie, get your Glock

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Devon Chester, a petite 24-year-old in a pink sweater and designer jeans, plants her white Puma sneakers a little more than shoulder-width apart, squares her body, leans back slightly, aims her targeting laser, and empties the magazine of her Glock 9 mm pistol -- bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang! -- into the paper target 10 yards away.

[snip]

It's Sunday evening -- Ladies Night at the Manchester Firing Line -- and Chester and Armstrong-Levanthal are here to take advantage of free range time from 5 to 8 p.m. The Firing Line, a bunker like facility across from a little league field on a quiet residential street, started Ladies Night in 1999 to attract women who may never have visited a gun range or pulled a trigger before .

[snip]

Thanks largely to the popular Ladies Night promotion, women now represent about a quarter of the Firing Line's business, says owner Jim McLoud -- a veritable coup for the testosterone-driven gun range, where the only woman on a staff of six full-time and five part-time employees is a back-office accountant.

"Very few women were coming in before," McLoud says. "Now, a lot of the women are police officers and security guards. More women are going into that market. A lot of women bring in their children [Gasp! Oh, the horror! - ed.] because they want them to learn [how to shoot] right; they don't want them to learn from their friends at school."

Wow. Parental responsibility and educating one's children about the safe and responsible use of firearms...what a radical concept!

Naturally, the spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Ownership has nothing intelligent to say on the subject. So, as is the norm, he spouts out something mind-bogglingly idiotic and meaningless instead.

Zach Ragbourn , a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence , the country's major gun control organization, calls outreach efforts like the Firing Line's Ladies Night cynical attempts to expand the market.

"We don't think it's a gun issue and we don't think it's a gender issue," Ragbourn says. "[The gun industry] is selling a commodity, and they'll do whatever it takes. My boss likes to say that next year they'll target left-handed midgets and have Left-Handed Midgets Night at the gun range."

If that's your best game, Zach, bring it. I'm here all day.

And, of course, the Globe has to ruin an otherwise well-written piece with a sizeable dose of their own idiotic blather.

It's no accident that the Firing Line is in New Hampshire and so many of its customers are from Massachusetts. New Hampshire has some of the most permissive gun laws in New England, while Massachusetts prohibits any "assault weapon or large capacity feeding device [more than 10 rounds]."

No mention of lawfully-owned "pre-ban" high-capacity magazines (or fixed tube-fed magazines that can hold more than ten rounds and are entirely legal). I find it simply shocking that the writers at the Boston Globe would miss those points.

(The Brady Campaign gives Massachusetts an A- for its gun laws. It gives New Hampshire a D-.)

Needless to say, these silly "grades" are not based on the rates of gun-related crime in their respective states.

That means no AK-47s and definitely no M-60s.

That's strange, I've fired a 100% lawfully (and privately) owned, fully-automatic AK-47 in Massachusetts before. And, there are several Class III-licensed ranges in the state, as well, where the public can rent and use such weapons. Again, I'm stunned that the Boston Globe would prove themselves to be factually incorrect when reporting on this subject.

If you want target practice, stay in Massachusetts; if you want to play Rambo, go to New Hampshire.

Yeah, if you want target practice, stay in Massachusetts where it will cost you hundreds of dollars to get the State to grant you permission to even go shopping for a target shooting pistol. Only to find out, when you get to your local gun shop, that most target pistols are barred from being sold in the Commonwealth, on account of Attorney General Tom Reilly's need to "protect" you from such dangerous killing machines.

As Ladies Night draws to an end, the crowd at the Firing Line starts to thin out, but the Somerville couple who had never fired a gun before are still in their lane, having traded out their medium-weight Smith & Wesson revolver for an Uzi -- an Israeli submachine gun that was illegal in the United States from 1994 to 2003, when President Clinton's assault weapons ban, which prohibited most automatic weapons, quietly expired.

OK, do I have to state the obvious?

The federal "assault weapons" ban that expired in 2004, had no bearing whatsoever, on the sale or possession of automatic weapons.

And, as for the Globe's claim that this ban "quietly" expired? I'll wager no one at the Globe watched the "eloquent discourse" of Senators Kennedy and Feinstein on the floor of the senate in the days leading up to the vote that allowed the ban to sunset. There wasn't much "quiet" about it.

So, what started out as a well-written, and entertaining piece about firearms safety and the sheer fun that goes along with responsible firearms handling, deteriorates quite rapidly into the usual pack of lies and misinformation one would expect to find in a Brady Punch press release - kinda like frosting a cake with horseshit. Sure, the cake's in there somewhere, but who wants to eat it now?

Words Fail Me

From BPDNews.com:

Rookie Cop Attacked Making Arrest

At 7:46pm last evening, a rookie officer patrolling the Sonoma Street area made observations of four men behind a building that was posted “No Trespassing.” The uniformed officer exited his marked police car and walked to the rear of the building to investigate. Upon seeing the uniformed cop, all four males fled in different directions, one clinching his pants pocket as he ran. The officer chased the suspect who was holding his pocket believing him to be armed and apprehended him in the rear yard of 31 Sonoma Street. In the yard, the officer was cognizant of a children’s birthday party that was taking place with several children and adults present. The officer, fearing for the safety of all people present, ordered the suspect to show his hands. The suspect did not comply and instead stuffed his hand into his pocket to prevent the officer from conducting a pat frisk. A violent struggle ensued between the officer and the suspect when the suspect punched the officer in the face. During the struggle about 50 partygoers, both adults and children, surrounded the officer and the suspect and a child was knocked to the ground. The officer, now on the ground, was struck in the head by a set of keys thrown by an unknown female. Then about 20 of the adults began kicking and punching the officer as he struggled with the suspect. During the fight the suspect ripped off the pocket on the officer’s shirt causing the officer’s cell phone to fall to the ground. The suspect jumped to his feet and began to run at the encouragement of the partygoers. The officer was able to grab the suspect’s shirt and in an attempt to stop him, discharged his OC spray towards the suspect. The officer observed the suspect throw a plastic bag containing what the officer believed to be marijuana, to the ground as he tried unsuccessfully to break free from the officer. Additional help arrived and 24-year-old Jerome Goffigan of Boston was placed in handcuffs. Goffigan was charged with assault and battery by means of dangerous weapon, assault and battery on police officer, resisting arrest, disturbing the peace, willful destruction of personal property under $250, and possession of class D drugs. The officer and Goffigan were treated by Boston EMS at the station for non-life threatening injuries. The officers cell phone was stolen from the rear yard of 31 Sonoma Street and has yet to be recovered.

How About a Brain Buyback Program?

From the Boston Globe:

A 44-year-old man was fatally shot yesterday at Dorchester's Franklin Field Public Housing Development, making him the city's 39th homicide victim this year, police said.

[snip]

It was the second fatal shooting in two days after the city's gun buyback program expired. At the same time last year, the city had 37 homicides.

Over the weekend, police responded to at least three other shootings in Dorchester and Roxbury.

[snip]

In ending the gun buyback program, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said it had been a success, adding, "We took over 700 guns off the streets; that's 700 less in terms of potential for violence."

Just like his brain has the "potential" for intelligent thought, I suppose. And that's being generous.

Wi-Fi Gun Porn

Blogging wireless for the first time ever (yeah, I'm prehistoric...sue me), on my wife's new Toshiba Satellite U205 laptop. This thing's sweet.

But that's not what's important now.

My brother, Ken, made it through his "cooling down" period, and picked this beauty up a couple days ago. Yep...his first gun.

Smith & Wesson 686 - .357 Magnum (6-shot) w/ 4" barrel

Not too shabby there, Ken.

As someone once said...

"...one person at a time."

Menino: It Could Have Been Me

From the Boston Herald:

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said last night he is still reeling, after realizing he drove through the same Big Dig tunnel Monday just a little more than an hour before a 3-ton concrete slab broke loose, crushing a car and killing a Boston woman.

No...comment...must....resist.

"If I had come by a little bit later, it could have been me," the mayor said, expressing the chilling thought that he - or any other motorist - could have been the random victim of the I-90 connector ceiling collapse. The horror of the tragedy, he said, kept him up all night after he got the news.

Apparently, the fact that the criminal population in the inner-city is arming itself and shooting up the city in record numbers, putting every resident (without their own personal police protection) at risk of harm, hasn't hindered his ability to get a good night sleep in any way. But, the chance that he could have been personally harmed...now that's serious!

And he is outraged at the apparent missteps in the public construction project that took the life of Milena Del Valle.

Like the "misstep" of promoting unqualified persons [read: unqualified women and minorities] to the positions of Field Engineers, responsible for construction oversight and the reporting of deficiencies in the work?

Menino had eaten dinner on the South Boston waterfront Monday night and was heading to visit friends in East Boston around 9:45 p.m. as he rode through the I-90 Seaport connector tunnel in his police-driven SUV. At about 11 p.m. in the same tunnel, a concrete slab gave way, killing 38-year-old Milena Del Valle.

So, Mr. Mayor, did I pick up the tab for your dinner, as well? Or just the armed security/chauffeur detail to get you there and back? That's a pretty sweet deal you got going there. Does he pick out your PJ's and tuck you in at night, too?

Seriously, it must be nice having a "police driven SUV" to cart you around to dinner and for visits with friends. I'm glad my tax dollars could be of service to you.

"I was fortunate. But Mrs. Del Valle was not," Menino told the Herald last night.

What insight.

"It'’s unbelievable that a husband and wife are driving along and his wife was snuffed out. It'’s unacceptable."”

Unbelievable? Um...not really.

Unacceptable? Well, no shit, you don't say.

He said the news of the accident terrified him and he is furious that the accident that killed a beloved mother and city resident has now turned into a finger-pointing frenzy for state politicians - instead of a unified effort to calm fears and restore public trust in the Hub transportation system.

"Restore" trust? Try "establish" trust. The mayor is operating under the false assumption, apparently, that there was trust there to begin with.

"People have lost confidence in the Big Dig," Menino said. "“Now is not the time for an us-against-them attitude."

Again, need I repeat myself?

Emphasis On "Should"

I was going to comment on this story of a Shrewsbury homeowner who shot a police officer, whom he had mistaken for a burglar in his home. But, I'll hold off on that until we learn whether or not the homeowner will be facing any charges related to the shooting.

Seeing as it's still up in the air whether charges will be filed against the armed drunk driver who knowingly shot a Boston police officer outside the cop's house, and fled the scene, in West Roxbury a few weeks back, this guy from Shrewsbury should be in the clear here.

UPDATE: Bitter doesn't like the guy's chances, on account of this man's track record at recognizing gun owners' rights in "his town".

A. Wayne Sampson
Chief of Police

Considering the police chief in Shrewsbury is incredibly anti-gun, it probably won't be pretty by the time the fight is over. He doesn't issues LTCs. I think even people who move in with handguns have to beg and plead just to keep a restricted license that will cover them for possession.

To Protect and To Serve...

..and to spout out complete and utter horseshit like this, while keeping a straight face.

[New Orleans Police Department tactical officer, Louis] Faust said the steel core bullets used in an SKS strike the body then follow bone, so a bullet can "enter your shoulder and come out of your toe."

Wow.

Just wow.

(link via Smallest Minority)

Sixteen Counts of Treason

Score one more for the good guys.

Senate votes to bar emergency gun confiscation

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to prohibit the confiscation of legally owned guns during an emergency like last year's Hurricane Katrina, marking another victory for the gun lobby.

By a vote of 84-16, the Senate embraced an amendment by Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican. He attached his measure to a domestic security spending bill for the fiscal year starting October 1 that the Senate is expected to pass soon.

[snip]

Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, called the amendment "pay-back time by the National Rifle Association," a powerful lobbying group that opposes gun controls.

Up yours, fuckface!

This isn't about "payback". It's about recognizing the right of law-abiding people to protect themselves and their families from harm in, specifically, those situations where it has been shown time and time again that the police cannot be relied upon to do so.

Words cannot describe how loathsome an individual you'd have to be to vote against this measure. To do so is simply an indefensible action.

From the Senate website:

Statement of Purpose: To prohibit the confiscation of a firearm during an emergency or major disaster if the possession of such firearm is not prohibited under Federal or State law.

Here's the list of names of the Senators who voted to nullify the Constitution and violate, most egregiously, their oaths of office. No surprises here - with the possible exception of the absence of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who actually voted in favor of the measure.

Akaka (D-HI)
Boxer (D-CA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Reed (D-RI)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)

Why does the word "lamppost" keep popping into my head?

Speaking of Danger Overhead

What's wrong with this picture of the traffic signal pole at the corner of E. Concord St. and Albany St., taken last Friday afternoon?

(click for larger image)

Hint Answer: the boom is supposed to be parallel with the street sign underneath, and the top of the pole, where the boom is bolted on, is not supposed to be flat and twisted like that.

Next question: What action has the city taken over the past week to address this potentially-dangerous situation, where hundreds of cars daily are driving underneath this traffic signal boom, obviously damaged by an over-sized vehicle of some kind?

Well, we can't accuse the city of being non-responsive in this case. They had a crew out within hours to re-orient the traffic lights 30-degrees to the right, so as to face the right way.

Problem solved.

Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?

Meanwhile...

...on the streets of Roxbury, the very heart of Boston's wildly "successful" gun buyback program.

A teenage male from the Boston area was transported to the Boston Medical Center tonight after he was shot in the area of 194 Humboldt Avenue in Roxbury at about 6:16pm this evening. He was treated for his injuries and later pronounced.

6:16 at night? On Humboldt Ave.?

Why, that's more than enough time for the shooter to walk the half-mile over to Project RIGHT on Blue Hill Ave., get there by 7:00 PM, and forever disassociate himself from that murder weapon - no questions asked - in exchange for a new iPod.

And, in the South End...

This evening at about 5:28pm, officers from District 4 responded to a radio call for a person stabbed at Tremont Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Boston'’s South End.

Probably serves the guy right for venturing out so late at...oh, wait, never mind.

When the officers arrived, they spoke with a witness who stated that he and the victim were crossing the street at Massachusetts Avenue and Washington Street when they were almost struck by a motor vehicle.

This is anything but surprising. I drive through that intersection every day (usually around 5:28 PM), and I always feel like I'm one the cars in Frogger. What would surprise me would be if there was ever a 24-hour span in which no one was "almost struck by a motor vehicle" there.

The victim and the driver of the vehicle exchanged words and the operator fled the scene in the vehicle. When the victim and witness reached the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Tremont Street the vehicle returned, stopped and five males exited the car and began to punch, kick, and stab the victim.

Violent crime without guns? How can that be? Deputy Superintendent Darrin Greeley of the Boston Police Department tells us that it's "the guns that are on the street causing the violence and maiming and hurting and killing people."

Boston Mayor Tom Menino, in a press release today, expressed his outrage over this latest "isolated incident" and announced the city will be starting up a body appendage buyback program next week to help reduce the amount of hand and foot violence in the city.

He will then, of course, be meeting with mayors from across New England to discuss their states' and cities' lax cutlery licensing laws.

UPDATE: It's not just Boston. Body appendage violence is taking its toll in the gun control Utopia of Chicago, as well.

A 15-year-old southwest suburban boy and his friends are wondering what could have made a group of teens beat him, then take his prosthetic leg and use it as a weapon on a friend who came to his rescue.

That 'Bout Sums It Up

Chickenshit.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

I was going to write this morning, most sarcastically, about how I was expecting Matt Amorello to be issuing a statement today, assuring the public that everything's fine, and that these faulty anchor bolts were (to borrow a pet phrase of his) just "isolated incidents"...all 60 of them.

Well, it turns out I'm a day late and a dollar short.

He actually said it - yesterday.

I-90 Connector Tunnel Remains Closed

Wed Jul 12, 6:47 PM ET

The Interstate-90 connector tunnel remained closed Wednesday as officials located dozens of areas in the eastbound connector tunnel where questionable tieback systems may have been used.

[snip]

"We have approximately 60 locations on the eastbound side -- what we are going to identify as isolated locations," Massachusetts Turnpike Chairman Matt Amorello said.

Groundwater gushing in through a hole in the slurry wall? No need to be alarmed, people, this is merely an "isolated incident".

Three cars and an ambulance damaged by debris raining down from the tunnel ceiling? No need to be alarmed, people, this is merely an "isolated incident".

Hundreds more leaks detected along the I-93 portion of the tunnel? No need to be alarmed, people, these are still merely "isolated incidents".

So, let's see...

There are 16 ounces in a pound, four quarts in a gallon, 220 yards in a furlong, and four pecks in a bushel.

How many "isolated incidents" are there in a debacle?

UPDATE: Considerably more than 60, it would appear.

Inspectors have found problems with the anchor bolts in 60 different areas on the eastbound side.

In a news conference Thursday, Secretary of Transportation John Cogliano said it appears there are even more problem areas on the westbound side.

UPDATE: How does 230 sound?