Case in Point

Man is killed for gold necklace

SOMERVILLE -- Joy turned to horror early yesterday when Bernard Johnson was shot to death over a gold chain -- just minutes after he and his girlfriend announced their surprise engagement to family members, according to relatives of the couple and Middlesex prosecutors.

[snip]

Johnson was shot at least four times after he struggled with a Cambridge man who authorities allege confronted Johnson at gunpoint and tried to rip off a gold chain as he and his fiancee left the apartment about 1 a.m.

[snip]

Valentino L. Facey , 21, who allegedly tried to snatch the chain, was arrested nearby and pleaded not guilty in Somerville District Court yesterday afternoon to charges of armed robbery and being an armed career criminal [in prison? - ed] in possession of a firearm.

"But, the last time we let him out of prison, after six months of hard time, he promised he'd behave. This latest killing just seems so unexplainable. Surely, there must be some inanimate object somewhere we can hold responsible for this senseless act of violence."

Another Kennedy Victory

*** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES ***

Wow, this week is shaping up to be one big Massachusetts Gun Control Success Story. Defenseless people throughout the Victim Disarmament Zone of Massachusetts being assaulted by brick- and cleaver-wielding thugs, and now this.

Stoneham Man Severely Beaten During Home Invasion

Two masked men burst into a home in Stoneham early Wednesday morning and attacked the owner.

That has got to be a typo. Home invasion is against the law.

A neighbor called police at 1:15 a.m. after hearing noises inside 10 Clearview Road. Officers arrived and found two men running out the back door.

One suspect was arrested but the second got away. Police also found a .45 caliber semi-automatic gun near the scene.

Pity that sentence doesn't read, "Police also found several .45 caliber slugs in the torsos of the assailants."

The victim, a man in his 60s, was severely beaten. He was taken to Winchester Hospital with undisclosed injuries.

Unable to defend himself on the receiving end of a severe beatdown, the unarmed homeowner is sent to the hospital, while his assailants remain unscathed. Chalk up another win for the gun banning control safety movement. Two more scumbag lives saved!

29-year-old Bernard McCabe of Tyngsboro is scheduled to be arraigned later today in Woburn District Court. Investigators believe this was a random assault. We're told the gun found at the scene was reported stolen in Hudson, New Hampshire last November.

But...but...our fearless leader Mayor Menino keeps telling us that buying a handgun in New Hampshire is as easy as buying a pack of gum, on account of the lax gun laws up there. Why would anyone have to steal one? Mumbles wouldn't be full of shit, now, would he?

Nooooooo.

Perhaps, if New Hampshire would adopt a "common sense" law limited the frequency with which guns can be stolen to one theft a month, tragedies such as this might be averted in the future.[/mumblogic]

UPDATE: Via WHDH (Channel 7, Boston):

Two elderly men assaulted in Stoneham

STONEHAM, Mass. -- Police are searching for a suspect involved in a break-in and attempted robbery after two men are attacked in a Stoneham home invasion.

The incident took place on Clearview Street around 1 a.m. this morning.

Two masked suspects broke in and tried to rob two elderly men living there.

One of the victims ran to a neighbor's house, who happened to be a Stoneham Police detective.

Now, it might be purely coincidental that the cop's house wasn't targeted, but I suspect otherwise. If there's one thing a criminal likes, it's an easy target - preferably one that can't shoot back.

Further, if having a cop living next door couldn't prevent the home invasion and the ensuing beatdown from taking place, do you honestly think dialing 911 is gonna save your ass in a similar situation?

FID Cards are "shall-issue" in Massachusetts.*

Get a pump-action shotgun.

Learn how to use it.

* This means that if you're a resident of Massachusetts with a clean record (as defined by relevant sections of the M.G.L.), the chief of police in your town will have to issue you this permit, no matter how big a prick he might be about it.

UPDATE II: From the same CBS4Boston.com link above (updated this afternoon). This one wil have you rolling on the floor in utter disbelief over the sheer magnitude of its shockingness.

29-year-old Bernard McCabe of Tyngsboro was charged with armed home invasion, assault and battery on a person over the age of 60, receiving stolen property over $250, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony - subsequent offense, and carrying a firearm without a license [well, DUH! - ed.].

Thank God he wasn't in prison where he likely still belongs! I mean, he might have injured his cellmate in a fight over the remote control. We wouldn't want that to happen.

Any guesses as to how much time (in days) he served for his previous conviction(s?) of "use of a firearm in the commission of a felony". I'm taking 60.

Behold, dear readers, the depraved philosophy of gun control and the cycle of liberal ideology that drives it...in five easy steps.

Step 1: Whenever possible, spare violent criminal offenders the indignity of having to serve any prison sentence that might be construed as a reasonable punishment, given the severity of the particular crime(s) committed.

Step 2: Ban the private possession of firearms for all non-criminals, on the grounds that there are simply too many lawless, violent individuals walking the streets who might steal them and use them to hurt children and kittens.

Step 3: Violent crime happens, anyway. Because, that's what violent criminals do.

Step 4: Ignore Step 3.

Step 5: Repeat.

UPDATE III: From TheBostonChannel.com:

McCabe was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing.

That better be one short fucking hearing.

From the "Guns Cause Crime" File

From Worcester, Massachusetts, probably the toughest city in which to get permission from the local politburo to own a gun, outside of Rte. 128, comes this charming tale.

Suspect robs elderly couple using meat cleaver

WORCESTER -- A man accused of attacking two couples faces a judge today, but it's his weapon of choice that makes his case unique.

Police say that Christian Ramos, 17, used a meat cleaver to rob two couples. An 86-year-old man was allegedly forced to defend himself with a broomstick in one case.

Another life saved by gun control! Hooray!!!

This is great news for those folks who think the world is a better place with pieces of shit like Mr. Ramos drawing breath.

Ramos was arrested Saturday and charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of armed assault with intent to murder on a person over 60-years-old and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a person over 60-years old.

"Assault"?

"Dangerous weapon"?

Now, why are meat cleavers not covered under the Massachusetts assault weapons ban? It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that whether or not a device is used as an offensive weapon depends ENTIRELY on the mindset and actions of the INDIVIDUAL wielding said device now, could it?

Nah...it's just got to be the evil, mind-altering guns.

Authorities are still looking for a second suspect. They say the duo arrived at the victims' homes, saying that they had been sent by the landlord to repair a window.

Ramos is scheduled for arraignment in Worcester Central Court on Monday.

Now, if only we would follow California's lead and get to work on some "common-sense" legislation requiring ammunition manufacturers to engrave individual shell casing with unique serial numbers, then violent assaults against the weak and defenseless, such as this, would be but a distant memory.[/Pelosian logic]

Jihad in Frisco?

Does anyone thing that if this nutcake had used a gun to kill and injure more than a dozen people on the streets of San Francisco yesterday, that the Boston Globe would have given the story a pass, as they seem to have done in this case?*

SAN FRANCISCO -- As many as 14 people were injured this afternoon by a motorist who drove around San Francisco deliberately running them down before being arrested by police, who believe the same driver struck and killed a man earlier today in Fremont.

Or, perhaps, if he was some redneck bigot from Alabama targeting gay people on the streets of San Francisco?

Or if he was a white separatist from Idaho going after blacks and Hispanics?

Or if he was...

Well, you get the idea.

But, a man from Afghanistan (of "Asian" origin, as some in the MSM are wont to say) randomly and "calmly", by eyewitness accounts, killing and injuring American citizens - men, women, and children - on the sidewalks with an SUV?

Yeah, nothing newsworthy there. Chalk it up to his just having a bad day. I mean, really, who hasn't been there, done that?

Regardless, I blame Dick Cheney.

"The hits were intentional," [San Francisco police spokesman Sgt. Neville Gittens] said, noting that police are treating them as assaults.

Why, it's almost as if his automobile became an "assault weapon".

Go figure.

Mayor Gavin Newsom visited five of the victims at San Francisco General Hospital.

"This was so senseless and inexplicable," the mayor said afterward.

Again, does anyone think Mayor Newsom's reaction would have been similar had the weapon of choice been a handgun, or worse, an evil, scary-looking, semiautomatic rifle? Were that the case, you can bet your ass Newsom would have an explanation handy. But, seeing as "Cars Cause Crime" has yet to work its way into the Loony Leftist Lexicon, the mayor finds himself at a loss for words.

And, you just had to see this one coming.

From the nutcake's cousin:

"Omeed is not that kind of boy. I don't know what is wrong with him. He is the nicest boy."

Yeah, once you look beyond the fact that he's a deranged, homicidal maniac, he's just a peach.

* As of 8:15 this morning, I was unable to find anything about this on the Boston Globe's online edition, or on their website, Boston.com. If someone finds a link there, please let me know, so I can update the post accordingly. Thanks much.

UPDATE: Via Weebs, the Boston.com link (it was up last night...no wonder I missed it, I was out at the Galway House in JP drinking beer), and the question:

Do I win fabulous cash and prizes for finding it?

The first "Give Peace a Chance" bumper sticker out of the box will be headed your way, Weebs. Just shoot me your address by e-mail.

Bricking the Dead Horse

Here's a hypothetical scenario for you.

A 46-year-old woman from Charlestown goes down to BPD headquarters and asks to apply for a license to carry a concealed firearm. When asked for a reason why she wishes to do so (as if simply wanting the ability to save one's life isn't good enough), she explains that she lives in a rough neighborhood and is often outside alone gardening in the evening.

She then tells the licensing officer that there are several Latino men in the area who make her uncomfortable. She feels threatened by their being in the neighborhood, and would like to be able to defend herself should they ever approach her with the intent to do her harm.

What do you suppose would be the response she'd get from the Boston Police Department? Hint: It would go something like this.

"Sorry, that's not a valid reason for wanting to carry a gun. Just because they're a bunch of young Latino men dressed like gangbangers, doesn't mean they're out to do you harm. You're just being paranoid."

Uh huh.

Charlestown Resident Attacked While Gardening

Police in District 15 are investigating an incident that occurred last night at about 6:30 in the garden area of Terminal and Medford Streets. According to witnesses and the 46-year-old female victim, a group of six to eight Hispanic males struck the victim multiple times with a brick. The suspects were observed fleeing toward the Bunker Hill Projects. The victim was transported to the Massachusetts General Hospital where she was treated for facial injuries.

Of course, this being the liberal la-la land that it is, it's more likely that she was dutifully paying attention all this time to Mayor Menino's numerous speeches about how safe the city is, and about how all this "common sense" gun control is really helping to curb the problem of violent gangs in these neighborhoods.

She also likely bought into the great lie of "You don't need a gun to protect yourself.", and this fabulous piece of advice so popular with members of the Dianne Feinstein Admiration Society, "Just give your assailants what they want."

Well, based on the BPD account of this incident, it seems that the "what they wanted" was to hit her multiple times in the face with a brick. Yeah, sounds reasonable to me.

Yet, by his own actions and through the policies of his administration, our compassionate Mayor (and the rest of the usual suspects - Barrios, Kennedy, etc.) has demonstrated time and time again, that he would rather have an innocent woman in this city beaten in the face with a brick, than see a couple dead scumbag criminals with baggy, urine-soaked jeans on the ground at her feet.

But, hey, at least they couldn't get their hands on a plastic slingshot from Toys 'R' Us, and bounce a couple ping pong balls off her head. She might have gotten hurt.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' ID

From Boston.com:

WASHINGTON -- Capturing the immigration debate in political ads this campaign season -- without upsetting Hispanic voters -- is proving tricky for candidates.

An ad criticizing Stephen Laffey, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee for the Republican nomination in Rhode Island, set off grumbling in the Latino community. The ad criticized Laffey, mayor of Cranston, for allowing city police to accept ID cards issued by the Mexican government as identification.

Truth be told, I would have no problem, whatsoever, with such a policy being enacted here in Boston.

Provided, of course, the city were also to accept ATM cards issued by local banks as concealed carry permits. Makes just as much sense to me.

My Apologies

Sorry for the scarcity of new material here today. After a relaxing weekend, this week's shaping up to be a real busy one.

While I was out and about, running errands on Saturday, I did manage to buy my shotgun an early Christmas present - an Uncle Mike's Buttstock Shell Holder. Ten bucks is ten bucks, eh?

The Essex, Vermont Shootings

I yield the floor on this matter to Jeff, who has an excellent rundown of the story, including incontrovertible evidence that these shootings, like so many others, were the direct fault of the lax gun criminal control laws on the books in some of Vermont's border states.

The highlight comes from an article in the Burlington Free Press, in which we find out (surprise, surprise, surprise!) the scumbag should have been behind bars, and likely would have been if not for the mercy of a "compassionate" judge he seems to have befriended at sometime in his criminal career.

Christopher Williams, 27, the suspect in Thursday'’s shooting spree in Essex, has a "rather extensive"” criminal record in Springfield, Mass., where he lived several years ago, Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Kerry Sleeper said today.

The Massachusetts proceedings against Williams, who lived most recently in Essex, included multiple drug convictions, and charges of carjacking, car theft and escape from custody, Sleeper said. The allegations date to the early 2000s, Sleeper said.

No I won't link to the article. You should be reading this over at Jeff's place, anyway. That's what that linky thing up at the top was for.

Photo Album Flashback

From the days of my youth (for Skeeball):

For the Guinness Devotees

I picked up a bunch of these prints when I was on vacation in Dublin ten years ago. I had a few of them framed (they look wickid pissah,), and have just started putting the rest of them up on eBay. The first five are up now.

Print #1
Print #2
Print #3
Print #4
Print #5

I'll have the rest of them up sometime next week.

Life in the Victim Disarmament Zone

This one's from my neck of the woods.

Man shot during daylight robbery in Roslindale

A man was shot twice on the sidewalk in front of his home during a robbery this morning in a quiet neighborhood in Roslindale.

I've got bad news for the scumbag who shot him. There is NO WAY the city's gonna let him keep his License to Carry a firearm after doing something like that.

The victim, who police did not identify, is expected to live.

He must have been wearing a pair of those self-defense sneakers the heavily-armed Boston Police Department officials speak so highly of.

At about 9:12 a.m., a neighbor heard two gunshots followed by cries for help. The neighbor rushed outside and provided first aid to the man, who was lying on the sidewalk on the 800 block Canterbury Street.

"I've been shot! I've been shot!" the victim told the neighbor. "Don't let me die!"

The man had been hit two bullets, neighbors said, one in the right shoulder and another in the right side. The victim told the neighbor who rushed to his aid that an assailant had tried to rob him.

The victim had been living in the usually quiet neighborhood of two-and-three family wood frame homes for about three years, neighbors said.

"I've lived here for 44 years and nothing ever happens here," said Salvatore DeLorenzo. "This is the first time that we've had a shooting here."

Police said the investigation is ongoing. There have been no arrests.

Big shocker there.

Of course, had the victim here gone down to BPD headquarters last month and asked for permission from his Excellency to carry a gun, for the purposes of defending himself from just this kind of assault, he'd have be told, in no uncertain terms, to go pound sand.

Law-abiding citizen: Mayor Menino, I was wondering if I could get permission from you to carry a firearm to protect myself and my family from the gun violence that's plaguing your fair city.

Mayor Menino: Drop dead.

It has been ruled, by mayoral edict, that Boston residents* lack the mental capacity required to operate a simple piece of machinery, about as complicated as a pencil sharpener, in order to provide for their own personal safety and well-being.

The alternative which is thusly forced upon them by our benevolent leaders is to rely on the "kindness and mercy" of individuals who have absolutely no qualms over shooting you for the spare change in your pocket at 9:00 in the morning.

Remember, kids, just call 911.

After all, someone has to fill out the incident report.

And string up the crime scene tape.

And pick up the shell casings (if they remember to).

And drive the ambulance.

And pull the slugs out of your chest.

And process your HMO paperwork.

And notify your family.

And (try to) track down the shooter.

And hose off the sidewalk.

Just think of it as one of Mayor Menino's most successful jobs creation programs to-date.

*Excluding, of course, the white, wealthy, politically-connected variety

(link via Adam G. at Universal Hub)

UPDATE: Channel 4 is reporting the man was shot inside his home.

A man robbed and shot in his own home in Roslindale Thursday morning is recovering at Boston Medical Center and is expected to be o.k.

The unidentified man, who is said to be about 50 years old, was shot in a house on Canterbury Street just after 9 a.m.

He was found lying in his neighbor's front yard.

The man was able to talk to police when they arrived, and he told them he had been robbed.

Police are looking for two men who drove away in a red Volkswagen Jetta.

Anyone with information is asked to call Boston Police.

This Explains Menino's Winning Streak

Forbes: Boston One Of America's Drunkest Cities

Feel-Good Story of the Day

Poll: AG on downward spiral

Tom Reilly continues to drop deeper down the Web in a bostonherald.com poll [a reputable scientific data gathering method, I'm sure - ed.] of the Democratic candidates for governor.

Anyway, for what it's worth...

With more than 2,500 votes cast by deadline, Reilly registered a tepid [the Reilly campaign in five letters or less - ed.] 7 percent. It's a result that comes on the heels of other polls showing the AG has a long road ahead.

It's not the length of the road, per se, that's troubling his campaign. It's more his uncanny ability to hit every single pothole along the way.

Also from the Boston Herald:

Reilly rakes in $$ from lobbyists

This is "news"?

In the governor'’s race, Attorney General Tom Reilly is leading in at least one category: lobbyist-donated campaign cash.

Reilly has pulled in $32,000-plus from state-registered lobbyists in 2005 and 2006, according to Secretary of State records. But spokesman Corey Welford said the cash won't translate into special interest political capital.

That statement makes it pretty clear that Mr. Welford thinks the voters of Massachusetts are all a bunch of morons. He's clearly reading from the same playbook as his boss there.

Then again, he might be onto something there.

"No one in this race can match Tom's record of taking on the powerful interests (like) Big Oil and pharmaceutical companies [damn those evil corporations and the jobs they provide! - ed.]," Welford said.

Oh, and Corey, you forgot Big Dig contractors, auto insurance companies, government employee unions, teachers' unions, labor unions, gun control lobbyists, and open border advocates.

Did I miss anyone?

The Herald piece then goes on to list the amounts taken in by the other candidates for governor from lobbyists. Reilly beats all the others...combined.

So much for the concept of getting what you pay for.

Blog Comment of the Year

From this post over at Universal Hub...

And think of the kids!
By tblade on Wed, 08/23/2006 - 4:21pm.

If we put children in to a two blogger home, how will they ever learn about "traditional" media values? This makes a mockery out of the institution of print journalism!

File Under: Commercials Cause Crime

Seems a bunch of wet-pantied whiners have their knickers all in a knot over some of the ads being run on WBCN during their coverage of Patriots' football games.

Gun commercials played on a popular Boston radio station during Patriots game broadcasts have anti-crime and -violence crusaders up in arms.

How dare they exercise their right to enter a legal contract with a privately owned company to advertise a legal product to law-abiding consumers of said product? Where do they think they are? The United States of America?

Springfield-based gun maker Smith & Wesson is running radio ads during Patriots games on WBCN-FM (104.1) again this season, said gun company spokesman Paul Pluff.

The 30-second spot is set to music and ends with the message, "“Visit Smith-Wesson.com to learn more about handgun safety and to find a dealer near you."”

Oh, no! Handgun safety! EEEEK!

"It'’s great they'’re promoting gun safety. It's a little odd to me that they're trying to sell guns during a football game,"” said John Rosenthal, founder of the Massachusetts group Stop Handgun Violence.

Yeah, how fucking odd! A company choosing to advertise their product at a time and place when the ads will most likely be seen or heard by their target demographic.

Quite the oddity there, indeed!

What a dink.

"Football, beer and guns don't mix."

Not, in that order, perhaps. But, unless these ads are actively encouraging people to get drunk and shoot up a football stadium on gameday, do us all a favor and shut the fuck up.

And, is there some law, of which I am woefully unaware, that says only products relating directly to each other, and to the subject matter of the broadcast, shall be permitted?

How on earth do Dr. Phil, feminine hygiene products, and Huggies diapers "mix"?

Don't answer that.

The ad doesn'’t sit well with Dorchester mom Catherine Tyler, whose 21-year-old daughter was shot to death in 1985.

Would you be OK with these ads had your daughter been stabbed to death? Or run over by a drunk driver? Football game broadcasts are filled with beer and car advertisements. Not to mention, the parking lots next to the stadium filled with drunk tailgaters driving home after the game.

Perhaps we should ban all advertising for any product that could be used in a reckless or illegal manner to injure, maim, or kill. Take a Chia Pet, for example. You could do some serious damage with one of those suckers.

"I don't like it. It's still guns," said Tyler, who chairs the advisory board for Roxbury's Living After Murder program. "It's a bad idea. There's too many guns, too many shootings, too many murders."

I'm sorry for your loss, Catherine, but how would pulling a handful of radio ads have any impact, whatsoever, on the very real problem of "too many criminals" in Roxbury, Dorchester, and violence-plagued inner cities throughout the country.

Hint: It won't.

When has "Hide your head in the sand and cry" ever proven to be productive solution to anything?

Hint: It hasn't.

Shocking News!

More Big Dig Tunnel Problems Found

Would it be possible for me to claim the Big Dig as a dependent on my 2007 tax return?

Your Would-Be Governor

Here's a textbook example of a Massachusetts politician - in this case, Attorney General Tom Reilly - taking advantage of the fact that 99.2 percent of the populace in Massachusetts has the attention span of a stick.

State Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Tom Reilly yesterday said he passed on choosing Chris Gabrieli as a running mate because of Gabrieli'’s failure to make his tax returns public.

So, Tom, was your hang-up with Gabrieli the fact that he wouldn't release his tax returns, or that he actually had them in the first place?

Flashback: February 2006

State Representative Marie P. St. Fleur, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly's choice to be his lieutenant governor running mate, has had three delinquent tax debts in the last four years, including an April 2005 federal tax lien of $12,711 against her and her husband, according to records examined yesterday by the Globe.

[snip]

Reilly, St. Fleur said, first approached her Saturday about being his running mate and offered her the spot on Sunday. She said she told Reilly that she had "some financial issues" with taxes and student loans, but that he didn't ask her to provide any numbers and only sought assurance from her that she was dealing with the problems.

Tom Reilly: Arrogant prick or ignorant buffoon?

I report, you decide.

Now, back to the Boston Herald, for today's money quote:

Gabrieli is in command of the race in a new Suffolk University/WHDH-TV (Ch. 7) poll, topping the field with 32 percent support. Former U.S. attorney Deval Patrick was second with 24 percent, followed by Reilly with 20 percent. Some 24 percent of the 600 registered voters polled were undecided.

A separate poll done by CBS4 Boston shows Patrick leading at 34 percent and Gabrieli and Reilly - once considered the early favorite in the race - tied with 30 percent.

[Reilly campaign spokesman Dave] Guarino dismissed the Suffolk poll, saying, "We're exactly where we want to be ... With four weeks to go this race is a dead heat."

The words of a third-place loser, if ever there were.

Mumbling On (and on, and on, and on...)

A classic Mumblepiece in the Boston Herald this morning.

Menino has brush with gun violence

Mayor Thomas M. Menino came within feet of an armed thug and heard cops yell the chilling words "He's got a gun!" during a walking tour of Dorchester Monday evening, learning firsthand the fright many of his constituents suffer in a city plagued daily by gunplay.

Well, he learned firsthand what his constituents with taxpayer-funded, 24-hour-a-day, armed security details "suffer", anyway.

"I saw this guy running past me in a black shirt. All the sudden, the police who were with me were running and chasing this individual," Menino said yesterday.

"This guy was brazen as hell," a calm and cool Menino told the Herald. "I don't know that this individual knew that the mayor was in the area, that there would be so many cops chasing him, but how brazen can you be?"

Hey, I know, let's limit the frequency with which I can legally purchase firearms - say, one-a-month. That'll really change the attitudes of these "brazen" scumbags.

The suspect, Adelino Monteiro, 19, ran past them with his hand pressed into his right hip, allegedly trying to hold his gun steady as he darted from the cops.

After a foot chase down Draper Street, Monteiro allegedly pulled out a Colt .45 and held it up in "the area of his right ear, pointing skyward," according to a BPD report.

Uh-oh, was that a MA-compliant handgun? I'd just hate for Tom Reilly's "Approved Firearms Roster" to be proven to be a complete waste of time and money.

The gun Monteiro was allegedly carrying had a defaced serial number.

How can that be??? We've got laws against that, man!

There was a bullet in its chamber and five live rounds inside the gun'’s magazine, cops said.

"This guy had no regard," Menino said. "He just ran down the street with a gun in his hand."

Well, Tom, that's what low-life, criminal scumbags do!

It's part of their job description. They have "no regard" for their communities. "No regard" for the lives of the people around them. And, above all, "no regard" for our "most effective gun laws in the nation".

But, hey, I know. Let's pile on some more gun control laws! And then get New Hampshire and Vermont to do the same. And, when that doesn't work, and it won't, we can ask the U.N. to come in and help us enact a total ban on the private possession of firearms. Now, that'll learn 'em!

It's worked fucking wonders in England.

Menino and his top advisers often tour hot spot neighborhoods under the radar, talking to residents about urban blight and violence.

I guess that depends heavily on one's definition of "under the radar". Now, if that definition happens to include the phrase, "phalanx of uniformed police officers", then OK.

Attacking gun violence has been Menino's top priority after 341 people were shot in the city in 2005.

Yeah, and he's got the mini-manhole covers to prove it. Now, if those babies don't have the members of the Carjackers' Local 64 shaking in their Nikes, I don't know what will.

Monteiro was busted on New Year's Eve 2004 with a loaded handgun, said Suffolk District Attorney's Office spokesman Jake Wark. He was sentenced to one year in prison for that arrest and remains on probation in connection with a 2003 assault charge, Wark said. Yesterday, a Dorchester judge ordered Monteiro held on $25,000 in connection with his latest arrest.

OK, let's do the math.

While on probation for a 2003 assault charge, he gets busted carrying a gun in December of 2004, and serves a year in jail (well, it's better than eleven days, I suppose).

Then, after being released from state custody earlier this year, and while still on probation, this budding young career criminal gets nabbed this week with a loaded .45.

Not to worry, folks. Our 57-Strikes Law will take care of this guy.

Eventually.

"There are a lot of good families out there who are being terrorized by the gunmen with no regard," Menino said.

All made possible by your unilateral decision that these people do not have the right to defend themselves from the "terror" they face everyday.

So, why should these "gunmen" have any regard for these people. The good guys can't fight back, and the lowlife pieces of shit running around shooting up the streets of Boston today know that all too well.

So, thanks for that, asshole.

"It's got to stop."

Yeah, and you should resign in shame to let someone with a measurable degree of competence take over as mayor of Boston, but I'm not seeing either of those scenarios playing themselves out anytime soon.

Coming Soon...

I just placed the order this afternoon. These should be available within a couple weeks.


- 8.5" x 2.75" bumper sticker
- printed with UV-resistant inks on 3.25 mil vinyl
- 3 to 5 years of outdoor durability

I was going to go with the lavender and light green lettering, popular with the terrorist-appeasement crowd over at UselessStonedHippies.com, or U.N. Powder Blue, but what can I say? I'm a cheap bastard, so black & white it is.

How much, you ask?

A mere TWO bucks each! Buy four - GET ONE FREE! And, I'll even spring for the stamp!

Where else are you gonna get a deal like that?

As always, all proceeds generated from sales of these fine stickers will go to a very worthy cause...trust me.

Stay tuned for ordering information.

The Criminal Coddling Chronicles (continued)

Thanks (ummm...I think) to loyal reader Reginleif who sent me this link today to a Boston Globe story about a group of Back Bay residents working together to put an end to the vandalism plaguing their neighborhood.

The group calls itself the Graffiti NABBers, short for Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, and their goal is to ensure a stiff penalty for Beck and send a message to others who spray graffiti that the crime will be taken seriously, said Kathleen Alexander, one of NABBers cochairwomen.

But, of course, seeing as this is the criminal-coddling capital of the country, we have to put up with all sorts of idiots, like this surviving brain donor, chiming in on the subject.

But to people who think of graffiti as urban art, that approach is heavy-handed.

And, the people who see graffiti as the criminal act of vandalism that it is are all just racist, neolithic, knuckle-draggers, I suppose.

Caleb Neelon, a Cambridge artist who was curator of a graffiti exhibit at the New Art Center in Newton in March, said that jailing taggers would not stop others from spraying graffiti.

Yeah, and you know what? Killing 1,000 terrorists in the mountains of Afghanistan with a couple Daisycutters wouldn't end the threat of terrorism, but it would sure make for one helluva weekend.

As for these "urban artists", well, a couple rounds of rock salt out the business end of a Mossberg wouldn't hurt.

"To send a task force like that against a young person in that position is a bit Draconian," said Neelon, 30, who has been spraying graffiti since he was 14.

Punishing people who break the law and willfully, and with malice, damage other people's property? Oh, the horror! What kind of society have we become? Have we no compassion for these "young people"?

And now, for the obligatory money quote, brought to you today by the makers of Rust-Oleum Painters Touch, available in over 40 of today's hottest colors. BE FOREWARNED - this might just be the dumbest sentence ever put forth by human tongue.

"If they don't want graffiti in that neighborhood, a good thing to do would be to clean it."

(pauses to pick jaw up from floor)

And, I suppose if these same folks don't want their homes broken into and robbed, a "good thing to do" would be to leave their cash, jewelry, and other valuables on the front steps, in convenient carrying bags.

Likewise, if they don't want their car windows smashed and their stereos stolen, they should park their cars at night with the windows rolled down or the doors unlocked.

I realize we're only in the last couple weeks of August now, but I'm tempted to award Mr. Neelon here "Dumbass of the Year" honors for 2006 (emphasis on "tempted", I know better).

Welcome to Boston

From the Boston Globe:

An unidentified man fell to his death from an outdoor staircase at a Brighton residence early yesterday, and city officials said the building's owner will be cited today for not securing the structure.

Michael F. Grant Jr., 35, will be served with notice of an "unsafe and dangerous" violation for not properly securing a metal spiral staircase at his home at 89 Dustin St., according to the Inspectional Services Department.

Sounds reasonable, right? Not so fast. This is Meninostan we're talking about.

A few paragraphs later we learn that Mr. Grant had previously asked the City of Boston for permission to complete some renovations on the house, including the stairs in question.

Complaints from residents about renovations to the house prompted the city to issue Grant a stop-work order about seven months ago, Timberlake said.

At that time, a city building inspector determined that Grant had not obtained the proper building permits. The staircase was among the infractions, Timberlake said.

Grant then applied for a building permit, which was denied.

So, here we have an honest, hard-working citizen being cited by the city for having an unsafe staircase, after having been denied permission to repair it.

Hence, the title of the blog.

Also from the Globe article:

It was unclear why the victim climbed the staircase, which went up the side of the house. Grant told a city building inspector yesterday that he did not know the victim. "I'm told he didn't know who he was," Timberlake said of Grant.

Hmmm...a guy climbing up the back staircase of someone else's house at 2:00 in the morning? Yeah...I wonder.

Tom Menino: Keeping the city safe for criminals since 1993.

Just Like Real Soccer

Only more entertaining.

On that note, have a good weekend. I'll likely be TBTB.

Caption This

Via David at Blue Mass. Group.

The special-purpose ones have to use the side door
by: David
Fri Aug 18, 2006 at 14:10:22 PM EDT

From State House News, a photo of the newly-refurbished main public entrance to the State House:


My caption is the title of this post. Drop yours in the comments!

I invite my readers to do likewise, though a caption is hardly needed for that one.

Mayor McCheese

Or should that read, "Mayor McVeggieburger"?

Here's the latest feel-good, do-nothing strategie du jour from City Hall.

If one thing can be said about the signature breakfast at Poppa B's, a hopping soul food joint on Blue Hill Avenue, it's that it won't leave you hungry, with a smothered pork chop, three scrambled eggs and cheese, grits, fried apples, and homemade biscuits.

But some new options will be appearing on the menu, like whole-grain breads and breakfasts with just one egg. Additions are planned for fish that's broiled, not just deep fried.

Not far away, bustling Chef Lee's is a home-cooking heaven that, in the words of one reviewer, is ``traditional Southern, yes, healthy not so much." But suddenly grilled chicken could show up on the menu next to the fried variety.

It's all part of a new city effort to reduce waistlines in a town that has celebrated the cream in chowder, the batter on cod, and the frank in Fenway. Mayor Thomas M. Menino is prodding each of the city's restaurants to offer at least one healthy menu option, vetted by nutritionists, and is planning a citywide campaign advertising the virtues of a healthy diet.

Memo to Mumbles - if the public demand was there for healthier menu options at these restaurants, the menus would reflect that reality already. You can offer all the healthy items you want, but if people choose not to order them, all you've done is hurt your bottom line.

Oops, sorry about that. I used the words "reality" and "Mumbles" in the same sentence. My bad.

So far, about a dozen restaurants have signed up for the program, many of them locally run, neighborhood haunts that traffic in greasy French fries, bacon cheeseburgers, and cheesy omelets. Owners say they are wary of losing their base, and they emphasize they'll continue to offer the popular less healthy options. But they insist that now they'll provide more options for the health-conscious.

"We're known for big portions, our incredible meatloaf and our super breakfast -- that's our thing; that's what's made us popular," said Jay Hajj, who owns Victoria's Diner, which is participating in the program, and Mike's City Diner, which is not.

"It goes back to giving people the choice," he said. "You can have the big burger with French fries and onion rings, or you can have the 5-ounce salmon with a salad and side of broccoli."

I'll bet the mayor has already scheduled a future press conference heralding this program as a "major success" (just like his gun buyback program), based solely on the fact that a handful of restaurants will have reprinted their menus to include these healthier offerings, and put a pretty sticker in their windows.

Of course, it won't matter a drop of piss to Menino whether any of the restaurant's customers actually order these new items or not.

Nor, will it matter if the restaurants take a loss from stocking up on, and wasting, food that no one wants to order.

Because, damn it, it will sure feeeeeel so good!

Still, it's uncertain how restaurant patrons will react. "The consumer has to be part of this also," Hajj said.

His diners could have chosen broccoli and a baked potato, but more often went for French fries and onion rings, Hajj pointed out.

Let me see if I understand this correctly. There are restaurants in the city that already offer their customers a healthier alternative to some of the standard fare, but it's proven to not be a popular choice.

Well, clearly, the next logical step is to do more of the same, with the obligatory "prodding" from the government, and hope for better results the next time around. Sound familiar?

And, how much taxpayer money are we pouring into this scheme? No money for more cops, but you wanna get broccoli and baked salmon on the menu at all the greasy spoons in town? Here's your check.

Ask Not For Whom the Cuckoo Clock Tolls...

This Boston Globe article tells us pretty much everything we need to know about Catherine Mayo, the woman who freaked out on that Washington D.C.-bound United Airlines flight, resulting in its being diverted to Logan Airport the other day.

Mayo told about her 1960s activism. About her love of Cat Stevens and Howard Dean. ... And about her shame and anger at America.

[snip]

Her court-appointed lawyer, Page Kelley, said Mayo suffers from mental illness...

You don't say.

Mayo did not comment in court yesterday, but the picture that emerges from her intensely personal writings and from brief interviews with her family is that of a longtime liberal activist who became angry and devastated by the turn of events in the world since Sept. 11, 2001.

[snip]

"She has a very serious mental illness," Kelley said.

Emphasis on "very". Terrorists killing innocent Americans by the thousands? We brought that on ourselves. They're forgiven. American troops going overseas to actually kill terrorists and topple the tyrannical regimes of those who support them? To paraphrase Marvin the Martian, "That makes her very angry! Very angry, indeed!"

"This case is not about terrorism. This is a case about somebody who is mentally ill. She has a history."

Yeah, a history of being a hopeless, delusional pacifist, who honestly believes that there's a peaceful solution to every crisis we face, and that all the violence, poverty, and oppression that exists throughout the worlds is America's fault.

One of Mayo's three sons, Josh, 31, described his mother as a peace activist and said she had been in Pakistan since March. "I guess she just had a bit of a bad time on the plane...

Yeah...just a bit.

...and everybody's a little paranoid," he told Associated Press.

"Paranoid"? Try "vigilant".

Her former [I'm shocked. - ed.] husband, William Mayo, has said she had "emotional issues."

[snip]

Her lawyer said yesterday that Mayo's family said she "has a problem being grounded in reality" that has required past hospitalizations.

Look, it's one thing to be a Democrat opposed to the war in Iraq, for whatever your reasons. But until someone in power on the left side of the aisle stands up and calls this woman out for what she is - a mentally-unstable, radical, leftist ding-dong - she and her kind will continue to be the public face of the Democrat party seen carrying the "Blame America First" banner into the 2006 elections and beyond.

Note to Democrats: You don't want this to happen continue. Trust me.

Oh, and, here's a little something for the Volvo, Catherine.

Nice One, Limbog

Did anyone catch former ESPN commentator, Rush Limbaugh, on the radio this afternoon talking about Red Sox infielder, Kevin Yoo-KEE-liss?

Jackass of the Day

Meet country singer Troy Lee Gentry.

Troy Lee Gentry, of the country singing duo Montgomery Gentry, has been accused of killing a tame black bear that federal officials say he tagged as killed in the wild.

[snip]

Authorities allege that Gentry purchased the bear from Greenly, a wildlife photographer and hunting guide, then killed it with a bow and arrow in an enclosed pen on Greenly's property in October 2004.

Testosterone check, aisle five!

The government alleges that Gentry and Greenly tagged the bear with a Minnesota hunting license and registered the animal with the state Department of Natural Resources as a wild kill.

Gentry allegedly paid about $4,650 for the bear, named Cubby. The bear's death was videotaped, and the tape later edited so Gentry appeared to shoot the animal in a "fair chase" hunting situation, the government alleges.

Ted Nugent craps bigger than this guy.

Tom Reilly Removes Foot From Mouth...

...in order to trample on the Constitutional rights of those people he so desperately wants to govern.

Blogger "worcesterjustice" at Blue Mass. Group links to this post reporting that Massachusetts Attorney General (and would-be Governor) Tom Reilly has been caught, once again, taking a big, steamy dump on the Bill of Rights (or, at least, gleefully washing the backsides of his political allies who do so).

I know. I'm shocked, too.

One anonymous commenter at Dan Kennedy's Media Nation blog offers this concise assessment of the Attorney General's handling of the situation at hand.

Reilly can go poop in a hat.

Breaking News

I hope this just turns out to be some drunk celebrity or something.

From boston.com:

BREAKING NEWS: United Airlines flight 923 from London to Washington D.C. was diverted to land at Logan Airport due to a disturbance on the plane. A pilot declared a security emergency and three passengers had a confrontation with the flight crew.

UPDATE: WRKO (680 AM) is reporting that a woman, hopefully one of those causing the disturbance, was found tied up in the back of the plane. It is also being reported that a screwdriver, matches, Vaseline, and a note mentioning Al Qaeda we recovered from the airplane.

UPDATE: It's now being reported that Fox News anchor, Greta van Susteren, was a passenger on the plane.

(insert conspiracy theory of your choice here)

UPDATE: In case you're wondering...

From the Chemistry Archive at "Ask A Scientist":

Petroleum Jelly and Flammability

It is certainly quite flammable.

But it can only be explosive if it is mixed with approximately the right amount of oxygen or other oxidizer. Sitting around in air does not push much oxygen into the jelly, so that is not explosive. I think the jelly does not evaporate enough at room temperature to make explosive vapors over it. But I cannot be sure.

At some slightly elevated temperature, a little above its "Flash Point" which is 50 degrees C in one MSDS I found, the vapors in a deep or closed cup with petroleum jelly on the bottom may explode when ignited. Drug-store Vaseline might have a slightly higher (safer) flash-point temperature.

[snip]

Somehow making a spray of it (an "aerosol") is also a bad idea.

The fire of such jelly tends to float in the air just over the jelly for a little while. A little like "Sterno", if you have ever watched that burn. If you smear a little on a towel and light it, outdoors, I think you will find the fire can be smothered fairly easily by throwing a second towel or blanket over it. Wet towel, even better.

But I would not wear it on my hair and smoke a cigarette. Likewise, I would not smear it all over my pajamas and run a soldering iron.

Yeah, that's probably some good advice.

UPDATE: It's now being reported that Greta van Susteren was on this same flight, a few days ago, and not on the plane diverted to Logan this morning.

UPDATE: It's no being reported that the earier reports of items recovered from the plane may be inaccurate. It's looking more and more like just some nutjob freaking out on a plane.

Good.

Quote of the Day Week

Via Jeff Goldstein:

True diversity, of course, is to be celebrated: a breadth of ideas and worldviews create a vibrant marketplace for ideas and encourage the very kind of intellectual and cultural cross-pollenation that has made this country so successful. But for true diversity to work, it must always—always—be founded on individual diversity, and must eschew easy shortcuts that reduce it to superficialities that are indicative of a the (sic) most banal (and, from an historical perspective, venial) form of diversity.

(link via Maggie's Farm)

And the Silver Medal Goes To...

What has been the second-most* bone-headed move Attorney General Tom Reilly has made during his tenure, in the furtherance of his totalitarian ideals?
	Quashing the drunk driving investigation of a fatal car crash involving the daughter of a wealthy campaign contributor.
	Advocating for taxpayer-funded tuition discounts for illegal aliens, and lying to the public about key details of the proposed legislation.
	Fighting against auto insurance reform, which would allow the free market to determine auto insurance rates in the state.
	Forcing Toys 'R' Us to remove $5 plastic slingshots from their shelves, on the grounds that they are defined by state law as "dangerous weapons".
	Threatening to arrest and prosecute storeowners for selling cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving morning.
Free polls from Pollhost.com

*I am assuming that his enforcement of the ridiculous "Approved Firearms Roster" would have taken first place here in a friggin' landslide. So, this poll, accordingly, should be considered the vote for second place.

What Are You Wearing?

And, I don't mean that in the chat room pervert kinda way. I notice that some of you have purchased some of fine merchandise available at The Gadsden and Culpepper American Heritage Shoppe*. Well done. I recommend the rest of you follow suit. Just be sure to click-through via that link (or the ad on the right), so I can get my cut.

And, by "cut" I mean...

Fletch: You don't have a piece of the action?
Fat Sam: No. Free junk, that's it.

And, of course, there's always the mAss Backwards Store at Cafepress.com, where every purchase kicks in up to a dollar to my gun fund (which needs all the help it can get these days).

That is all.

Thus endeth the shameless plug.

*And, just so you know, the sizes seem to run a little smaller at the Gadsden Shoppe than they do at Cafepress.

Just Curious...

Who is the most despicable politician in Massachusetts?
	Boston Mayor Tom Menino
	Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly
	State Senator Dianne Wilkerson
	State Senator Jarrett Barrios
	Other (please specify in comments)
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Ewww, Gross!!! Is That Gum???

Risky sex practices? Not to worry.

Intravenous drug use? No sweat.

But, picking up garbage on the streets of Manhattan? Break out the protective gear!

Boy George traded in his gender-bending attire for a more
conservative orange vest this morning to start five days
of court-ordered community service for falsely reporting
a burglary. (AP / Bryan Bedder, Getty Photos)

What's Wrong With This Picture?

James Alan Fox, professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University, has a column in today's Boston Herald, in which he responds to some of the e-mails he has received from gun owners, critical of his views on gun control. As could be predicted, what the reader is left with is little more than a classic example "I support the second amendment, BUT...".

I won't bother flogging the dead horse over anything he has to say on this matter - this time. But, when I read something like this paragraph, well, some things are too good to let go by the wayside.

Aside from some paranoid view of government intrusion, what really is the danger of firearms registration or of background checks on all gun sales We register automobiles, and qualify and license drivers; why not do the same with guns and their owners It makes no sense to prevent law enforcement from tracking firearms transfers that fuel the illegal market. We could even install LoJack-style, GPS devices into new guns to curtail trade in stolen firearms.

Yeah...how fucking paranoid can we be, huh?

Americans Having Fun? Oh, the Horror!

From the Boston Sunday Globe:

When Steve Lauer developed DuraCoat, it was a technical innovation with a practical application. In the few years that it has been on the market, it has been adapted to serve an aesthetic function, as well. While such adaptations seem to happen all the time these days, there are still some objects that seem unlikely subjects for snazzy customization. Guns, for example.

But if you visit the website of Lauer Custom Weaponry, you'll see quite an impressive array of graphic treatments that can be given, through a DuraCoat spray-on process, to a pistol, a shotgun, a carbine, or a semiautomatic rifle for between $50 and $100.

[snip]

Carol Vinzant, the author of a recent book about the firearms industry, "Lawyers, Guns, and Money," says one reason the ``cool factor" might matter is that there's been little technical innovation in the consumer-gun market for decades. "The last real technological innovator in the gun industry was John Browning," she says. "And he died in 1926."

And while the gun shopper has traditionally treated his or her firearms as quasi-sacred items, maybe even this category is not immune to customization in an era of "Pimp My Ride," laser-etched laptops, and an infinite number of cellphone covers. "Gun owners and retailers are having fun with the color combinations," The Chippewa Herald recently wrote in an upbeat profile of Lauer's business. "The possibilities are endless."

Yeah, almost as endless as the free-flowing supply of mental diarrhea, like this, coming from the fanatics in the gun control movement.

The possibility of multicolored weapons prompted Mayor Michael Bloomberg to sign legislation in July banning the sale of gun-coloring kits in New York.

That'll teach those neolithic knuckle-draggers to try to have fun on his watch.

Money quote:

Lauer was promptly interviewed by about 30 reporters who, he says, generally didn't seem to know much about guns or gun owners.

I'm stunned.

He says his customer base is not urban bad guys but rather rural gun owners who take safety seriously.

Again...stunning.

He adds that he sells to law-enforcement agencies that use blue-colored guns for training and to search-and-rescue operations that use yellow or orange guns, as well as to competitive shooters who simply want to stand out.

And while basic, functional, nonsnazzy matte black is still the "big seller" and is used for its practical rustproofing qualities, creative aesthetics have been good for business. Between DuraCoat's practical and style-oriented applications, Lauer doesn't see business slowing down anytime soon. "There's a lot of guns," he says. "There's far more than you'd ever imagine."

I think Han Solo said it best:

I don't know. I can imagine quite a bit.

Here's an article on SurplusRifle.com, showing, step-by-step, how the Duracoat finish is applied.

Can't you just see gun-toting gangbangers and crack-addled thugs everywhere setting up shop in their well-ventilated basements and garages with their compressors and airbrushes to "pimp their gats"?

"Yo, G! I scored some of dat Duracoat shit fo da gats!"

"That's da bomb, homes. Now we can paint 'em lime green and carry 'em around in the open, and everyone, including da po-po, will just think they're toy guns! But, yo, how does this shit work?"

"Let's see...Step one...disassemble the firearm."

"Do what?"

Bloomberg would be better served banning Rust-Oleum spray paint, if his real goal is to prevent criminals from painting their guns with pretty colors. But, of course, we all know that's not what he's aiming for here (no pun intended).

It's Another Happy Ending

Daily reader, John B. in Minnesota, brings us this latest "happy ending" story. It's a fascinating tale of three "disadvantaged youths", all fine "upstanding members of their community", who were doubtlessly in the process of "turning their lives around", when their plans went suddenly awry.

Man Uses Sword to Fight Off Burglars

(Minneapolis) - It was just are 3:30 Wednesday morning when a Minneapolis apartment dweller was forced to defend himself and his property with a sword.

Police say they got a call from residents of the 3100 block of Lyndale Avenue South that four people had forced their way into a residence.

According to police, once the burglars were inside, they got into a fight with one of the residents who grabbed his roommates sword and started slashing the intruders. His feisty attack send the invaders running, but not before he wounded several.

Shortly after Minneapolis police arrived, they were called by doctors at the hospital about the arrival of three people to the ER with severed fingers and lacerations.

There's a bit more detail in this story from WCCO (Channel 4 in Minneapolis). Basically, three scumbags break into an apartment in the middle of the night and hold the residents at gunpoint, as part of their personal income redistribution program. One of the scumbags in question grabs a samurai sword off the wall and uses it to threaten the victims.

One of said victims, upon reaching the conclusion that being a victim totally sucks, decides to ignore all the excellent advice laid out in the Self Defense for Liberals Handbook, rushes the guy with the sword, takes the sword away from him, and proceeds to slice of a few of the scumbag's fingers in the process.

"We just expected the worst," he said. "We assumed we could be dead."

Now why would you assume that? Just because it was 3:30 in the morning, a gang of armed thugs resembling a neighborhood al Qaeda sleeper cell just broke into your apartment and pointed a gun at your head? Man...talk about paranoid.

How did you know they weren't just looking for directions to the 24-hour soup kitchen where they could have going at that hour of the morning to get ready to work the breakfast shift?

Witnesses also reported seeing paramedics carrying a bag of severed fingers out of the apartment.

Well done, I say. And, much to the chagrin of Barbara Boxer, Ted Kennedy, and the rest of the ding-dong wing of the Democratic Party in this country, the City of Minneapolis is a safer place to be today.

This Just In!

Tom Reilly campaign being run by disingenuous boobs.

Boston Globe columnist, Joan Vennochi, has the must-read piece of the day for anyone who "admires" Tom Reilly much as I do. I don't know how I missed this one earlier, being such a BIG fan of his, and all.

A big thank you to David at Blue Mass. Group for bringing this one to my attention.

Vennochi: For Reilly, things go better with Coke

Here's but a taste...

Pressed with specifics about the e-mail exchange, [David Guarino, communications director for Reilly for Massachusetts] later responded with this, via e-mail: "Given the seriousness of the charges raised by Mr. Rogers, of course we had discussions — which are reflected in the e-mails you’ve been given. In the end, allies of ours spoke with Mr. Rogers to discuss his charges but the campaign decided to keep him at arm’s length. Our campaign decided not to get directly involved in Mr. Rogers' efforts because we didn’t want him to be seen as a tool of a rival campaign ... We believe Mr. Rogers offers a legitimate point of view and raises important questions that Mr. Patrick, as a candidate for Governor, should answer."

The Reilly campaign certainly has an interesting definition of what it means to keep someone "at arm’s length." In this campaign, it apparently means setting up a rival's enemy with PR help and media contacts, and then hiding behind him.

I don't know how many more of these "special" Boston Globe endorsements Tom Reilly can take before he's toast, but let's find out. And, I'm sensing a new poster on the horizon.

UPDATE: Double parking on Morrissey Boulevard

(click for larger image)

Classic Minimum Wage Success Story

Denny, the Grouchy Old Cripple, has the details behind this "shocker" out of Chicago.

500 jobs at $7.50 an hour are better than 0 jobs at $10 an hour, but it's hard to explain that to a union worker.

Much like explaining the concepts of personal responsibility and self-preservation to a Massachusetts Democrat, I'd suspect.

Leave it to the Boston Phoenix

To run an article about a new line of specialty beers from Samuel Adams, and still find a way to work in the obligatory Bush-bashing.

A nation founded on beer is a strong republic indeed. It'’s well known by now that the Mayflower pushed ashore a little early, at Plymouth in 1620, because the parched Pilgrims had run out of their staples, "“especially our beere."” And everyone around here knows that founding father Samuel Adams was a brewer. Well, so were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. (Can you even imagine George W. Bush home brewing?)

Hmmm...I wonder if Mr. Miliard would have tossed that last line in, had John Kerry carried Ohio in 2004. Whoops, I meant to say, "had Ohio not been stolen from John Kerry by the sinister overlords of the Diebold/Halliburton cabal".

Actually, come to think of it, he very well might have.

The imagery would likely be too hard for even the writers at The Phoenix to overlook: the sight of John "Common Man" Kerry standing in his designer kitchen in Louisburg Square, with the sleeves rolled up on his $148 Brooks Brothers shirt (with "tennis collar"), wearing his monogrammed Williams-Sonoma apron, cooking up a pot of wort in his $120 All-Clad Stockpot on the $11,000 Viking range.

"Say, Ter-AYYY-zuh? Where do we keep those utensils that the commoners use to stir stuff when they're cooking?"

"You mean, the SPOONS, John?"

"So, those are called spoons, too, huh? My, that's fascinating."

Headline of the Month

From the Boston Globe's...um...blog?

Patrick, Reilly talk about fighting crime

I couldn't have put it any better, in six words or less, if I wanted to.

What's He Do? Nibble Your Bum?

From Winter Park, Florida (via the AP):

Several people attacked by a squirrel at Central Park said they had one word for the animal: nuts. On Wednesday some expressed frustration that the animal was not caught sooner, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Alisa Cox's son Carson, 3, was bitten by a squirrel several times and had a 2-inch wound on his leg after the incident, Cox said.

James Klute said his 3-year-old son was also bitten on the calf while they were kicking a soccer ball at the park. Jim Hindman, meanwhile, said a squirrel bit and scratched both arms while he was sitting on a park bench.

And, because it's one of the all-time greatest, most classic pieces of comedy to be written in the history of ... well, writing ... here's the rest of the above-referenced scene:

Tim: There he is!
King Arthur: Where?
Tim: There!
King Arthur: What? Behind the rabbit?
Tim: It *is* the rabbit!
King Arthur: You silly sod!
Tim: What?
King Arthur: You got us all worked up!
Tim: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit.
King Arthur: Ohh.
Tim: That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!
Sir Robin: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
Tim: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide! It's a killer!
Sir Galahad: Get stuffed!
Tim: He'll do you up a treat, mate.
Sir Galahad: Oh, yeah?
Sir Robin: You manky Scots git!
Tim: I'm warning you!
Sir Robin: What's he do? Nibble your bum?
Tim: He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!
King Arthur: Go on, Bors. Chop his head off!
Sir Bors: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!

What better way could there be to kick off one's Friday?

Your assignment now, class, is to work the phrases "silly sod" and "manky git" into your everyday conversations this weekend.

I *Heart* Sitemeter

Well, it's no overly-thrilling milestone, by any measure, but just a couple hours ago, I got my 330,000th visitor here.

(click image to enlarge)

Visit Entry Page: Tom Reilly for Governor?

See anything you like, guys?

Chuck Schumer's Worst Nightmare

Being forced to live as an ordinary citizen for a day.

Among the thousands of frustrated flyers stuck at London's Heathrow Airport today is U.S. Senator Charles Schumer -- a jet-lagged casualty of worldwide delays and cancellations that grounded his family vacation.

Schumer said, "It's a nightmare, everyone's stuck, and our flight is apparently delayed until Sunday."

Welcome to the reality-based community, Senator.

The New York Democrat and his family arrived at Heathrow Airport at 9 a.m. London time today, but the plane was forced to sit on the runway for two hours before disembarking.

I weep.

When they finally got off the plane, they were greeted with the chaos caused by the arrests in a major international terror plot.

The Schumer family spent eight hours racing back and forth between Heathrow terminals just trying to catch up with their luggage.

Now, if only he can manage to get himself mugged, while visiting the gun control Utopia that is greater London, we'd have the perfect storm of news stories.

Self Defense for Liberals (cont.)

From BPDNews.com:

In light of the recent incidents that have been reported in the River St area of Mattapan, we'd like to remind city residents of steps you can take to enhance your dependence on the state to provide for your personal safety.

So, what exactly can a good Massachusetts liberal do to defend him-or-herself while walking through the most dangerous neighborhoods in Meningrad?

Wear sneakers if possible for extra mobility.

Remember, when "Cower and Pray" fails, you might have to resort to "Run away and scream your head off".

Hold your car keys in your hand to use as a weapon against an attacker.

Your keys will also double as a convenient jingle-jangly noisemaker when you're running away from your assailant (see above item), allowing him to track you more easily in the dark.

And remember, kids, you should never carry a handgun for the purpose of defending yourself, because your attacker will simply take it from you and use it against you. But, carrying your car keys as a defensive weapon? Why, there's no way anyone could possibly disarm and overpower you then!

Carry a cell phone with you.

So the authorities can help the coroner triangulate onto your position for the purposes of corpse retrieval. No one wants to stumble across your lifeless body in an alleyway some hot, humid summer morning after half a day's worth of decomp.

Believe that if an unarmed attacker confronts you, you may be able to scare, distract, or even incapacitate the person enough to escape.

Translation #1: Believe that if an unarmed attacker confronts you, you may be able to scare, distract, or even incapacitate the person enough to escape, provided you don't actually have an effective weapon on you that would best enable you to do just that.

Translation #2: Believe that if an armed attacker confronts you, you're summarily fucked.

And, if all else fails, you can always write to City Hall and request that the city assigns you your own personal, 24-hour-a-day, armed chauffeur/bodyguard (on the taxpayers' nickel, of course). That's the first step our fearless mayor took toward "enhancing his personal safety", anyway.

DHS: Hot On the Trail of the Colgate Bomber

From boston.com:

TRAVEL ADVISORY: If you are flying out of Logan today, you will face tighter security because of the heightened terror alert. The National Guard and State Police are conducting random checks of automobiles and luggage. In addition, there is a second level of security that has been added at each departure gate, where checkers will not allow you to carry on laptops or cell phones, or any liquids, even in your carry-on bag. Those liquids and gels include bottled water, coffee, shampoo, hair gels, toothpaste, mouthwash, and suntan lotion. You must arrive at Logan 2.5 to 3 hours before before departure for overseas flights and 2 hours for domestic flights. --Developing

Show of hands, who feels safer now?





(looks around for hands)





(still looking)





(looking)




Seriously, can we start a little racial profiling in our airports now?

If 99.9% of all terror attacks in the world, over the last 30 years, had been carried out by white men, aged 18-40, of western European descent, I'd have no problem being pulled aside for extra scrutiny at airport security checkpoints. So, for all of those ACLU types screaming about unfair targeting of Arab-looking men, go fix yourself a nice, hot cup of go fuck yourself.

Now, because we've enslaved ourselves to never-before-seen levels of political correctness in this country, I'm expected to check a $2,000 laptop in my luggage, deprive my kids of their sippy cups and juice boxes, and am now forbidden from bringing on board the Dunkin' Donuts coffee I just purchased in the "secure" area of the terminal.

Who needs terrorists? The war is already over.

We didn't win.

Free Advice

The following is being provided today, free of charge, for any candidate opposing Attorney General Tom Reilly in the 2006 race for governor in Massachusetts, who wishes to put together one of the most effective political ads of all time. Of course, if you have no interest in doing that, and aren't serious about actually becoming Governor, you are equally free to ignore this post entirely. It's you're call.

(cue voice-over)

This fall, the voters of Massachusetts will be asked to make a choice. A new governor will be elected this November to lead the Commonwealth into the future.

Attorney General Tom Reilly wants that job.

Attorney General wants to define that future.

So, as one would do with any job applicant, let's have a look at his resume and relevant work experience, shall we?

As the top law enforcement officer in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Attorney General Tom Reilly has...

...taken a tough stance against drunk driving.

Unless, of course the people driving drunk happen to be the children of a prominent campaign contributor.

...cracked down on the ease with which Massachusetts residents can obtain of dangerous weapons.

Like $5 plastic slingshots being sold at Toys 'R' Us.

...been honest and straightforward with the citizens of Massachusetts.

Except for when he has to lie through his teeth to garner support for whichever piece of bleeding-heart legislation is the latest to work its way through Beacon Hill, like last year's bill designed to give college tuition discounts to illegal aliens.

...has been a staunch ally of small businesses throughout the state.

Unless those business owners had the audacity to want to sell cranberry sauce to their neighbors on Thanksgiving.

...has been a strong supporter of individual rights.

But, only those rights, which he believes, the peasant class is worthy of being given by a totalitarian regime with a proven track record of infringing the rights of the most decent, law-abiding citizens.

...has come down hard on those individuals caught defrauding the Commonwealth by not paying their taxes, as required by state law.

Unless, of course, the dishonest, fiscally irresponsible tax cheat in question, happens to be the person he once chose to be his potential running mate.

...has had a dramatic effect on the availability of handguns in the Commonwealth.

Of course, he's only really concerned about the availability of handguns for law-abiding, licensed gun owners, who have the nerve to want to protect their families from harm. Gang members, drug dealers, and rapists in the inner cities of Massachusetts will continue to carry guns in record numbers, regardless.

...has fought long and hard bringing to justice those insurance companies found guilty of bid-rigging and price-fixing in the insurance market.

Just so long as you're talking about commercial insurance, and not the sacred golden cow of state-regulated auto insurance.

Tom Reilly for Governor: A million illegal
aliens, tax cheats, drunk drivers, drug
dealers, rapists, and insurance company
lobbyists can't be wrong.