They Made Me an Offer I Couldn't Refuse

My sister and brother-in-law, that is. Meet Johnny, my newest nephew, and now, godson.

The Valley of the Shadow of Mumbles

Here's a classic bit of Mumblespeak for you.

From the Boston Globe:

5 shot, 1 fatally, at teen party

An 18-year-old man was killed and four teenagers were wounded in a shooting at a two-family home in Dorchester early yesterday, bringing to a violent end a raucous three-day party in the house that had attracted hundreds of young people.

Police identified the dead man as Jonathan Jacques of Dorchester. Officers and neighbors said Jacques left the party on Milton Avenue and was shot in the back two doors down from where about 100 teenagers had spilled onto the street just after 3 a.m. yesterday. He was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he died -- the 68th homicide victim in the city this year.

[snip]

Neighbors said the partying, which began Wednesday and eased on Thanksgiving Day, featured loud reggae music and clogged the streets with vehicles that appeared to come from as far away as Worcester. Neighbors said the party was advertised on the Internet, and the hosts, whom police have yet to identify, charged an entry fee of $5 for male teens and $2 for the females.

[snip]

At least two groups of people appeared to live in the house, said Mayor Thomas M. Menino , who visited the block near Codman Square to assure residents the city would find out who was responsible for the party and the shooting.

Gee, let me guess how that went.

"I'm concerned about how the party started," said Menino, who talked with several families on the block of spacious, Queen Anne-style homes.

How the party "started"? Excuse me???

How about expressing a shred of concern about how this party was allowed to go on, unchecked, for three fucking days? It's not like it was a low-key affair, by any means.

"Where is the responsibility on the part of those families to understand where those children are?"

Mumbles sure likes talking about "responsibility", but the fact of the matter is, if these had been a couple of 19-year-old BU girls singing "Sweet Caroline" at 12:30 in the morning, spilling Bud Light from red plastic cups over the balcony of a triple-decker in Allston, he'd have the SWAT team down there in ten minutes, hauling the "lawless youth" away in handcuffs.

But, hundreds of teenagers in Dorchester, on a three-day binge, blasting loud music and blocking the streets with their cars, well into the early-morning?

That's just kids being kids, I guess.

Back Again

Just in time to clean the garage and start packing up all my crap in preparation for our emigration.

Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Now, back to work!

Suckers!

Again, Some Get It...

...some don't.

Forget about a heavenly angel or sparkling star. This holiday season, guns are all the ornament rage.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that glittery black handgun ornaments have caught the eye of Pennsylvania's highest officer.

Gov. Ed Rendell is rallying against Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters' 5-inch-long glitter gun ornament, calling it "twisted."

"The governor doesn't find it humorous or clever to display weapons that are responsible for taking hundreds of lives each year as if they are decorations," Kate Phillips, the governor's spokeswoman told the paper.

So, if you're keeping score at home, it's not ALL guns that are bad, only...

1. Guns that are too big
2. Guns that are too small
3. Guns that are too accurate
4. Guns that are too unreliable
5. Real guns that look scary.
6. Real guns that look like fake guns.
7. Fake guns that look real guns (especially the scary-looking ones).

And now...

8. Gun-shaped Christmas tree ornaments.

Also, should I be asking for refunds on all my prior firearms purchases? Apparently, they're all of the irresponsible variety, as they don't do shit but just sit there until I pick them up, load them, and pull the trigger.

I wanna get me some of these smart, independently-thinking and acting robot-guns I'm always reading about.

Obligatory Pre-Thanksgiving Post

Have a safe and bountiful Thanksgiving, everyone!

We're heading up to Maine for the weekend.

Back whenever.

47 Hours and 36 MinutesTo Go

As of 5:00 PM this Friday, I will no longer be paying income tax to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Sorry, Jarrett, you can't have anymore.

I gave at the office.

Danvers Chemical Plant Explosion

Adam G. at Universal Hub has the (always excellent) round-up of local blog and media coverage.

Because You never Get a Second Chance...

...to make a last impression.

My last day of work is today.

You'd think some folks have never seen a man in a kilt before.

Same Old, Same Old

Alternate Post Title: State Senator Jarrett Barrios is STILL a Disingenuous Sack of Shit

The Boston Globe has a story out today on the recent success of the newly-creatd "gun court" in expediting the procecuting of cases involving firearms-related offenses.

Gun court eliminates years of backlog

In the nine months since Suffolk County launched a gun court to accelerate firearm prosecutions, a years-old backlog of cases has been erased and prosecutors have helped convict more than 100 defendants on gun-related charges, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said yesterday.

So far, so good.

Conley said that since the February debut of the gun court, 226 cases have been prosecuted or thrown out. Twenty-five cases were dismissed to superior or federal court indictments, and 29 were not prosecuted, primarily because police lacked probable cause for an arrest or because several defendants were charged when evidence existed to prosecute only one. Out of 172 cases prosecuted by Conley's office, 92 defendants are serving sentences of at least a year, while 23 are serving probation or sentences of up to two years. An additional 29 defendants were convicted of other crimes. In 18 cases, defendants were found not guilty, and in five cases, judges ruled that the police search was improper, making the cases impossible to prosecute.

Arrest the bad guys, and get them prosecuted and locked up as efficiently as possible. What's not to like?

Well, as can be predicted as accurately as the sun coming up in the morning, Conley and our good pal, Jarrett Barrios, proceed to take this train right of its tracks and start driving it at full-speed toward us members of the non-criminal population.

Conley also told legislators he would like to collaborate on a bill to create a gun registry for law enforcement to track gun crimes.

Got that?

"Track gun crimes".

Read on.

"Today, everyone who possesses a firearm must have a license to do so, but there's no requirement that these same people register the weapon," Conley told the committee. "Police and other law enforcement officials are forced to take unnecessary risks ... because they have no way of knowing whether [an] individual has one gun ... or twenty."

Sounds to me like he's looking to track licensed gun owners, the most law-abiding segment of the Commonwealth's (ever-declining) population. I wonder how the police are supposed to tell if Joe Crackdealer has one gun under the front seat of his Civic, or three. Oh, wait, never mind. He doesn't have a license to own a gun, so obviously he doesn't have any at all.

Either Conley sees the state's licensed gun owners as the real criminal threat to society here (i.e. lawful gun possession = gun crime), and not the inner-city gang members responsible for the rising tide of urban street violence in Boston, or I missed the last crime report showing that an overwhelming majorty of the shootings in Boston, as of late, have been the violent actions of licensed gun owners such as myself.

This line about the Commonwealth's licensed gun owners posing threat to law enforcement officers is beyond insulting. It's downright disgraceful that a public official, even one in Massachusetts, the gun-fearing capitol of the world, would make such a disparaging remark. I'm not easily offended, but Conley's gone so far over the line on this one, that he doesn't have to look too hard to see the line approaching on the horizon.

Tell me something, Dan, what percentage of the "gun crimes" being prosecuted in "gun court" involve either violent or non-violent gun-related offenses perpetrated by licensed owners of handguns?

It must be a staggering number for you to make such insulting comments directed toward me and my gun-owning friends, all of whom have undergone extensive criminal background checks to both obtain a license to own guns, and to purchase them.

But, wait, it gets worse. Doesn't it always?

State Senator Jarrett Barrios, a committee co chair, said a registry exists, but it is not enforced and needs vast improvement. Also, no mechanism exists, he said, for monitoring guns "sold off the radar screen, because there's no investigation to make sure people are actually registering there guns ... The issue is there's nobody enforcing the person-to-person sales."

Jarrett, how do you manage to keep a straight face while telling such a flat-out lie? Remind me never to invite you over for poker night.

If you're referring to lawfully-owned guns being sold from one licensed gun owner to another, then you need to wake up and smell the shit that you're shoveling. Every person who buys a gun in this manner, or "off the radar" as you put it, is required, by law, to file paperwork (Form F.A.-10 10/98) with the Commonwealth's Firearms Record Bureau in Chelsea, within 7 days of transfer of the firearm.

This form requires the parties involved with the private sale or transfer of the firearm to provide the state with the following information:

- Seller's full name
- Seller's firearms license number
- Seller's city/town of residence
- Buyer's full name
- Buyer's home address
- Buyer's firearms license number
- Buyer's date of birth
- Buyer's place of birth
- Buyer's race
- Buyer's gender
- Buyer's height
- Buyer's weight
- Buyer's eye color
- Buyer's hair color
- Buyer's employer's name
- Buyer's occupation
- Firearm make
- Firearm type
- Firearm model
- Firearm caliber/guage
- Firearm barrel length
- Firearm surface finish
- Firearm date of transfer

This is what Senator Barrios describes as "no mechanism for monitoring guns 'sold off the radar screen'". Senator Barrios is what I describes as a disingenuous jackass with no respect for the rights of the people of Massachusetts...who happen to disagree with him.

Jarrett, I look forward to the press release from your office this morning correcting this dissemination to the press of blatantly false information on your part.

Yeah...I know.

On the other hand, perhaps he was referring to the fact that no mechanism exists for gangbangers and drug dealers to register their illegal firearms purchases with the Commonwealth.

In which case, of course, he's more of a deluded, ignorant buffoon than he's already proven himself to be on so many an occasion.

Or, as he stated, perhaps what he has a problem with is his claim that "there's nobody enforcing the person-to-person sales."

Again, how many licensed gun owners are involved with illegal inner-city gun sales? Seems to me, if they're not doing their job at the Firearms Record Bureau, then the obvious solution would be to eliminate the seemingly unnecessary office, and pocket the savings. Besides, it's all New Hampshire's fault anyway, right, Mayor Menino?

If you think for one second, that Barrios' forthcoming "solution" here will be anything other than the outlawing of private transfers/sales of firearms between licensed gun owners, then you have not been paying attention. Does anyone think Governor Patrick would hesitate one nanosecond before signing such a bill into law?

In fact, I'll wager Barrios and his empowered citizen-fearing cohorts on Beacon Hill have quite the stack of anti-gun legislation waiting in the wings, ready to drop on Governor Patrick's desk as soon as possible, that won't do diddley-dick to stem the growing problem of inner-city violence in th Commonwealth, but will have quite the measurable impact on the rights of the law-abiding citizenry to purchase and carry guns for the defense of their families and communities.

I'll give them 'til Labor Day to get every single one of them passed and signed into law.

Jay, I'll leave a light on for you.

1,000 Words

From the Portsmouth Herald:


No caption necessary.

PORTSMOUTH -- A pair of perky Patriots cheerleaders proved Sunday that miniature costumes and giant smiles are a crowd-pleasing combination.

"Smiles".

Uh-huh.

Appearing at Paddy's Restaurant during the first half of Sunday's Patriots game against Green Bay were cheerleaders Meghan White, 20, a University of New Hampshire communications student, and Alyssa Caddle, 22, of Boston. Paddy's General Manager Karen Belanger said it's the second year she's invited Pats cheerleaders, noting the presence of pom-poms brings "a lot of new faces" into the Pease establishment.

Yeah...pom-poms. That's the ticket.

WOW! FREE SHIPPING!

And, this is one of the cheaper ones.

P.T. Barnum, please call your agent.

Light Posting Ahead

T.F.B.

Free Market Flourishes, Menino Outraged

From today's Playstation 3 feeding frenzy in downtown Boston.

Kevin Swecker was one of the people who got a game. He said the trouble he went through to get it would pay off in the end.

"It's going on eBay. We're going to make a couple grand," he said.

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino was outraged about the situation.

How, dare somebody profit in a free-market society by selling a legal product to a willing consumer! What is this? The United States of Freakin' America, or something???

"It's almost like scalping. It really is.

Yeah, almost.

The main difference being that ticket resellers in the City of Boston have to pay His Holiness a licensing fee for permission to conduct business under his protective wing.

If he could get a cut of the action by taxing this kid's eBay profit, he'd be all over that like a pig on shit.

It's wrong to take advantage of the public the way they are.

Take advantage of?

You wanna talk about taking advantage of the public? I've got two words for you.

State.

Lottery.

That's nothing more than a voluntary tax on people with poor math skills. The day you hear Mumbles calling for the abolition of the State Lottery, and the money that pours into his city's coffers as a result thereof, is the day the proverbial monkeys start flying out of my ass.

Unless, these people legally selling their legally-obtained Playstations are holding down their "victims" and forcibly removing money from their wallets, against their will, I have to kindly ask the mayor, once again, to shut the fuck up already.

It's wrong by the manufacturer and by the retailer," Menino said.

The mayor said he was going to send a letter to Simon Malls and to Sony demanding that they pick up the expense for all the police officers who had to respond to the emergency.

When in doubt, shake 'em down. If it's good enough for Jesse Jackson, well, need I say more?

A bunch of knuckleheads get out of control and start to riot over a friggin' video game, and the first thing Menino thinks of is extorting money from the deep pockets of the manufacturer.

I'm shocked.

Not.

Of course, this is the same idiot who thinks gun manufacturers are to blame for the Commonwealth's gross inability to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate violent criminals.

Boy, I'll miss his visionary leadership when I'm gone.

But, Is There Video?

OK, this is funny.

In Palmdale, California, authorities shut down a Super Wal-Mart after some shoppers got rowdy late Wednesday. In West Bend, Wisconsin, a 19-year-old man was injured when he ran into a pole racing with 50 others for one of 10 spots outside a Wal-Mart.

Adam G. has the round-up on the local Playstaion 3 nonsense.

I Thought This Was a "Gimme"

But, apparently, there are people out there who need to be given "Don't Shake Your Newborn Baby to Death" brochures, upon becoming parents.

Parents of newborn children will receive information about the dangers of shaken baby syndrome before leaving the hospital under a new law signed by Gov. Mitt Romney on Thursday.

It's about time, given all the stories we've been hearing lately about the benefits of shaken baby syndrome.

And, call me skeptical, but someone who lacks the mental capacity to understand that violently shaking a newborn baby is a bad thing, doesn't seem like the type of person whose behavior can be easily modified by an informational pamphlet.

The law requires the state Department of Public Health to create a new initiative to combat shaken baby syndrome, including a new program to support victims and their families.

Sorry, but a program aimed at providing support for the victims and their families, as good-intentioned as it may be, is not a way to "combat" shaken baby syndrome (or rape, or domestic violence, or child abuse, etc).

That's known as "coexsting with".

Address the "effect" of the problem all you want, but if you're not allocating greater resources toward addressing the "cause" of the problem, you're just swimming in place, at best.

In Massachusetts there were 76 confirmed cases of shaken baby syndrome between 2001 and 2004 according to the public health department. In nearly half the cases, the babies were shaken by their biological parents, not other caregivers.

What I'd like to see now is for Governor Romney to commission a study to determine how many of these violent, baby-shaking scumbags, whether the biological parents or not, had a prior record of violent crime, and should have been behind bars at the time they were busy sowing their seeds?

Almost Missed This One

Any guesses as to how this story of a botched bank robbery in New Hampshire would have played out across the border in Baaaa-ssachusetts.

Hint: It would include the phrase "got away with an undisclosed amount of cash".

NEWINGTON -- After stealing a Ford Escort from the parking lot of a Portsmouth supermarket, a masked man attempted to rob the Woodbury Avenue branch of TD Banknorth, said police.

The robbery was botched, said Police Cpt. Brian Newcomer, after the would-be robber got into an argument with another customer who complained he was taking too long.

Not a likely outcome 'round these parts, where law enforcement and government officials recommend [read: mandate] that the citizenry - when faced with even the slightest hint of danger - behave like hapless, compliant victims.

Keeping Things In Perspective

From my previous post:

Between September 30th and November 13th, eleven commercial robbery incidents have taken place that appears [sic] to be related.

Now, using the same BPDNews.com website as a source, we find that during that same time period, there were also 214 street robberies and 306 residential break-ins reported in the City of Boston.

Apparently, those incidents aren't "related" enough to warrant the issuance of an "advisory" or "notification" of any kind.

Or, as our mayor has so eloquently stated in the past:

It's a safe city, but I think we have an issue today that must be addressed.

So, you needn't be alarmed, folks. None of those robberies took place on the street in front of the Mayor's house. And, to the best of my knowledge, his house was not, in fact, one the 300 or so broken into over the last month and a half.

You can rest easy now.

Now, if the we could just get the city to pay for a 24-hour, private security detail to protect the rest of us as we go about our business in the city, we could put this "issue" to bed, once and for all.

On a related note, don't forget...only 38 more shopping days 'til Christmas.

Sorry for the lack of working links in the PDF document there. I assume most of you are intelligent enough to successfully use the BPDNews.com archives to find the information therein, if you're so inclined.

Obligatory disclaimer from BPDNews.com...

Note: the information above is preliminary information, and should not be considered official crime statistics. The information is based on an initial review of incident reports and may not be a comprehensive listing of events. It is not a statistical analysis, but rather an initial tally of significant events.

Déjà Vu

(translated from French = Dead Horse)

From last month's BPD "INFORMATION ADVISORY":

Between September 30th and October 10th, seven commercial robbery incidents have taken place throughout the city that appears to be related. A black male suspect (age 20-30), similarly described in appearance and motive has robbed four gas stations and two convenience stores (two incidents at one location), all at gunpoint using a black handgun.

I'm guessing they haven't caught the guy yet, based on today's "PUBLIC SAFETY NOTIFICATION":

(Quick question - is a "notification" more or less urgent than an "advisory"? Perhaps, the Mayor can form a "multi-pronged" "task force" to help us get to the bottom of that.)

Between September 30th and November 13th, eleven commercial robbery incidents have taken place that appears to be related. A black male suspect (age 20-30) similarly described in appearance and motive has targeted gas stations, convenience stores and coffee shops, all at gunpoint using a black handgun. The suspect has been reported to cover his face with a mask or bandana, and has been known to order the clerks to the floor at gunpoint.

And, what Violent Crime Notification/Advisory would be complete without the obligatory "Self-Defense for Liberals" press release from the shepherds at the Boston Police Department.

WHAT TO DO DURING A ROBBERY:

To reduce the risk of injury, COMPLY WITH THE ROBBER’S DEMANDS. Make a mental note of as much descriptive information as possible.

What to look for:
· Facial Features
· Clothing & Jewelry
· Skin, Hair & Eye Color
· Age, Height, Weight, Sex
· Scars, Tattoos, Marks
· Speech, Accents

Sounds great on paper, but let's review the incident reports.

The suspect entered the store brandishing a black handgun and ordered the clerk to open the register. The suspect told the clerk to get on the ground...

The suspect entered the store showing a black handgun. The suspect demanded money and ordered the clerk to open the register. The suspect told the clerk to get on the ground...

The suspect ordered the clerk to the floor and demanded money.

The suspect threatened to shoot the clerk, ordered her to the floor...

The suspect ordered the clerk down on the floor at gunpoint...

The suspect ordered the clerk to the floor at gunpoint...

The suspect entered the store and threatened the clerk with a black handgun. The suspect fled with cash from the register after he struck the victim on the back of the head with the handgun....

ROUGHLY TRANSLATED: While you're lying face-down on the floor (or curled up in pain, nursing a head wound), fearing for your life, having ceded all responsibility for your personal safety to a couple scumbags (the one in the Mayor's Office and the one pointing a gun at the back of your head), be sure to have a good look around so you can take detailed notes on the your assailant's physical appearance.

And, don't forget to put on your anti-crime sneakers before you go to your job at the Quickie-Mart down the street. Those will help a lot.

Common-Sense Gun Laws

Idaho town asks residents to own guns

GREENLEAF, Idaho (AP) -- The town council in Greenleaf, Idaho, has O-K'd a new gun law; it all but requires every homeowner to have one.

There's an exception for people who have strong objections, because of religious beliefs, for instance. But the idea is to help make sure town residents can protect themselves from outsiders if need be. Citing Hurricane Katrina, the measure's sponsor says, "We could get refugees."

Or worse, gun-banning "progressive" types who like beautiful scenery and cheap real estate.

The law is kind of redundant. About 80 percent of Greenleaf's adults already own guns. The mayor says he owns about 25.

I'm guessing he hasn't signed on with Mumbles and his "Mayors Against Eradicating Their Violent Criminal Populations Illegal Guns" campaign.

Still Greenleaf doesn't have a big crime problem.

But, the town's awash with deadly weapons! How can that be? No blood in the streets? No O.K. Corral gunfights? No school shootings?

It was founded by pacifist Quakers, and the most violent offense reported in the past two years was a fist fight.

Citizens of Greenleaf, don't depair. Hope is on the way. I'm sure Speaker Pelosi will do everything in her power to try to "remedy" your situation.

UPDATE: Compare and contrast...

Northern California serial rapist sought

He studies his victims for days, perhaps weeks, learning their names, their addresses, their habits. He finds out when the women will be vulnerable, then attacks them in their homes.

If only his victims had been wearing sneakers.

Investigators said Wednesday they believe at least nine rapes and one attempted rape over the past 15 years in Northern California are linked to one man. They say he struck again last month, raping two women here.

During the assaults, some lasting hours, the rapist covers the women's eyes and mouths with duct tape, binds their hands and ankles and talks to them in an easy, conversational tone.

I hear there's a press release forthcoming from Dianne Feinstein's office suggesting that if any more of her constituents find themsleves in a similar predicament, they could jam their police department-issued plastic whistles up their asses and fart for help.

During his attacks, the man has threatened his victims with a knife or a gun and often wears disguises.

He carries a gun? Well, why have't they caught the guy yet? All they have to do is pull up a list of people in that area who have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, ans start working their way down the list until they find him. [/mumblogic]

Light Posting Ahead

I've got way too much shit on my plate right now. Between buying and selling real estate, and trying to get all the loose ends tied up at my current job, I'm not exactly flush with free time.

On the moving front, I'm heading up north this afternoon for the home inspection at Freedom House. Gotta do some measuring for furniture coordination purposes, as well.

Now, where best to display my sadly insufficient assortment of single malt scotch? And set up the poker table? And install the gun cabinet?

Decisions, decisions.

(35 days, for those of you keeping score at home)

Tuesday Morning Equine Flog

From the New Hampshire Union Leader:

Laxachusetts: Letting criminals go -- to NH

WHEN THUGS commit crimes in Massachusetts, too often it is New Hampshire that gets punished.

"I've seen multiple Massachusetts records that are lengthy with virtually no time imposed on the individual," Hillsborough County District Attorney Marguerite Wageling told the New Hampshire Sunday News earlier this month.

I'm shocked!

In addition to getting lighter sentences than they would get here, Massachusetts criminals can even confess to a crime and get no punishment whatsoever. It's called "continuation without a finding." If a defendant pleads guilty, his conviction can be withheld as long as he behaves himself.

But, of course, criminals tend not to behave themselves.

I'm stunned!

When they wind up in New Hampshire's court system, they can have long criminal records but few or no convictions. They should have been in a Massachusetts prison. Instead, not only are they free, but they have no previous convictions New Hampshire prosecutors can use to get a tougher sentence here.

What? You want to LOCK UP criminals? YOU HEATHENS, YOU!

Equally threatening to Granite Staters, Massachusetts denies New Hampshire police officers and state troopers access to outstanding warrants for thousands of convicted criminals.

See earlier post for more info on this.

"People tragically have been killed over this," said Stephen Monier, the U.S. marshal for New Hampshire. "It's a huge issue."

But not to Massachusetts. Hudson Police Chief Richard Gendron has met with Massachusetts law enforcement officials since last September to try to resolve the problem. Nothing has happened. Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney has introduced a bill to require police to enter serious violent criminals and drug traffickers into the database within 24 hours and others within 72 hours, but it is given little chance of passing.

Let's see. It's a common-sense piece of legislation designed to infringe upon a scumbag's right to pursue a life of crime with impunity and anonymity. And, it would give Romney a nice feather to put in his presidential candidate hat.

I'd say "little chance" is an understatement.

Come on, what's more important? Protecting the lives of police officers, or hindering a Republican's political career. This one's a no-brainer.

Because Massachusetts police chiefs and the state's Criminal History Systems Board can't seem to decide who should be responsible for putting information into and taking it out of the NCIC database, dangerous, wanted criminals are going free.

Meanwhile, in the City of Boston, there are police officers assigned full-time to the police department's licensing office, whose main function is to scrutinize and record the personal histories of every law-abiding citizen who requests permission to own a gun.

But, hey, you gotta have your priorities in order, right?

Is it really too much to ask that they get their act together and do this simple and necessary task?

Apparently, yes.

Lives are at stake.

Lives, schmives. We've got criminals to coddle, dammit!

Question For Massachusetts Democrats

What the hell happened over the last 45 years or so?

(click to enlarge)

Was it something in the water?

(pics shamelessy borrowed stolen from 'LoginName' at NES Forum)

I Blame...Um...Um...

From the Boston Herald:

State social workers who took no action against the mother of a 5-year-old boy found wandering down a busy East Boston highway stood by the woman again yesterday after heroin was found in a car she was driving - with the child in the back seat.

Nothing to see here, people.

The Department of Social Services returned little Joseph Castro to his mother Kayssy, 28, Saturday at about 1 a.m. even after she failed to report him missing for hours.

Everything's fine.

Just hours later, the child was again bundled into a police cruiser, after Boston cops found a softball-size package of 20 to 25 grams of heroin in a Dodge Stratus his mother was driving, nestled at the boy’s feet.

Move along.

Making Progress - Technically Speaking

mAss Backwards - 2/21/06:

Are you a law-abiding citizen who wants to own a gun in Massachusetts?

You're looking at a 100 percent chance of having pages of personal information carefully scrutinized and dutifully entered into the state's Criminal History Systems Board database (name, address, phone number, date and place of birth, mother's maiden name, father's name, citizenship status, employment status, height, weight, eye and hair color, etc.).

Are you a criminal who has committed a violent crime in Massachusetts and is looking to leave the state to start a new life of thuggery?

You're in luck, my friend! The odds of having all this personal information - along with information pertaining to your criminal record - entered into the state's computer systems have now dropped to less than 5 percent!

New Hampshire Union Leader - 11/12/06:

NH says Mass. putting police in danger

The lax approach Massachusetts takes to entering its violent felony and serious offender warrants into the FBI's national computerized database endangers New Hampshire police officers who encounter these fugitives on the streets with no way of knowing their background.

New Hampshire law enforcement leaders said this concern for the safety of their officers is behind efforts to prod Massachusetts into placing its active warrants in the National Crime Information Center, the computerized index of criminal history information that agencies across the country rely upon when checking for outstanding warrants.

The Bay State now enters only about 5 percent of its active felony warrants into the FBI's database, commonly known as NCIC, they said.

Crunching the numbers, we find that the state's rate of accurately tracking felony warrants via the NCIC database has gone from 4.64% to 5.19% over the last nine months or so - a vast improvement of 0.55%!

At this rate, they'll be all caught up sometime in the second half of the year 2130. So, what's all the fuss about?

Of course, don't expect Mumbles to connect these dots.

1. Commit a string of violent crimes in Massachusetts - rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, whatever floats your boat - opportunities abound.

2. Serve eleven days in prison, if you're ever arrested, prosecuted and convicted - a whopping 30, if you get a real hardliner for a judge.

2.1 In the unlikely event, you ever get busted, call up one of your fellow scumbag buddies or a family member to come down to the lock-up with the $100 needed to bail out your sorry ass - $200, if you get a real hardliner for a judge.

3. Rent an apartment in New Hampshire, with a clean record (i.e. no violent criminal history logged into the NCIC database), courtesy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

4. Obtain New Hampshire driver's license upon proof of residency.

5. Go to your local gun shop, and commit the felony of providing false information on the federal forms required for purchase of a firearm.

6. Wait for the shop owner to call in the criminal background check that comes back clean, again, courtesy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

7. Return to the People's Progressive Republic of Massachusetts, fully-armed, to further your criminal enterprise.

8. Vote for Mayor Menino so he can blame New Hampshire for your life of crime, absolving you and the rest of your criminal scumbag friends of all responsibility for your actions (and don't forget to "forget" to inform the city's highly competent election commission that you're technically no longer a resident of Massachusetts).

9. Repeat.

The pathetic twist here is, Mumbles and his ilk will likely use this latest example of the Commonwealth's gross incompetence and lax crime-fighting efforts as justification for calling on New Hampshire to revamp its gun laws to mirror those of the crime-free metropolis of Meninostan - much like curing a migraine by cutting off one's foot.

But, hey, mini-manhole covers for everyone!

UPDATE: From commenter, wolfwalker:

I couldn't help but notice a flaw in your argument. The Union-Leader story talks about fugitives with outstanding warrants, not convicted felons with permanent criminal records.

I noticed this also, as I was re-reading the Fox-25 story from last February. Can anyone with the legal background on this tell me how outstanding warrants affect one's ability to pass an instant background check.

I would assume that would be something that would send back, at least, a temporary disqualification for any attempted gun purchase.

Regardless, The fact remains that Massachusetts is apparently doing NOTHING to ensure that law enforcement officers throughout the region have the ability to identify and apprehend dangerous fugitives - quel surprise!

As the Fox-25 story points out:

Now we have proof the state has been well aware of the problem. A special state senate report released in 1999 highlighted the state's failures. But still nothing's been done to fix it!

I'm thinking now that my estimate above, of the year 2130, was far too generous.

UPDATE II: Also from wolfwalker...

Bruce, I'm no lawyer, but a bit of research shows that as far as I can tell, your point holds up despite the "warrant vs conviction" question. Orange County Shooters has a GIF of BATF Form 4473 online at their website -- the one you fill out for the instant background check. Question 11d seems directly on point: it asks if you're a fugitive from justice, which you certainly are if there's a warrant out for you. A 'yes' answer means you can't buy a firearm. And lying on the 4473 is perjury.

Of that much, I was aware, having personally filled out that form on multiple occasions.

In addition, I was able find this at FBI.gov:

The NICS is a national system that checks available records on persons who may be disqualified from receiving firearms. The FBI developed the system through a cooperative effort with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and local and state law enforcement agencies. The NICS is a computerized background check system designed to respond within 30 seconds on most background check inquiries so the FFLs receive an almost immediate response. Depending on the willingness of state governments to act as a liaison for the NICS, the FFLs contact either the FBI or a designated state point-of-contact (POC) to initiate background checks on individuals purchasing or redeeming firearms, and in certain instances, firearm-related permits. The background check process, as performed by the FBI and by state POCs, is described below.

I'm not 100% certain, but it sounds like, even here in the gun-free People's Utopia of Massachusetts, persons with outstanding felony warrants not entered into the NCIC database could possibly apply for, and receive, Firearms Identification Cards, the issuance of which is not subject to the discretion of the town or city's licensing authority. Can anyone verify this?

I think I'll blame North Dakota!

And George Bush.

But, I digress.

Federal Categories of Persons Prohibited From Receiving

[snip]

- Persons who are fugitives of justice; for example, the subject of an active felony or misdemeanor warrant.

So, enjoy your new shotgun, Mr. Carjacker.

You can thank all the gun-fearing folks making our laws and setting our licensing policies, who have decided that our cities' and state's limited resources would be best used scrutinizing and updating all the personal information of the state's law-abiding gun owners, instead of you and your fugitive friends.

Now, would you like rifled slugs or 00 buckshot with that?

What's Wrong With This Headline?

Note: This test requires a two-part answer.

From the Associated Press (emphasis on "ass"):

College student fatally shot while trying to kick in door, police say

Police in Tyler say a college student was shot to death as he tried to kick in the front door of a home.

Why, he was only a child, who was only trying to kick in the guy's front door!

Yeah, we'll see about that.

Police say the homeowner, Robert Delk, told police that he and his wife were woken up early Saturday morning by someone banging on their door.

As Delk, who had grabbed his .44 magnum handgun, approached the door, the suspect kicked it in.

A police spokesman tells the Tyler Morning Telegraph that Delk then shot the suspect.

The AP can spin this all they want, but there's a big fucking difference between "trying" to kick someone's door in, and actually doing so. They might as well write that he was shot shortly after brushing his teeth that morning.

The police spokesman says Justin A- Herrera -- a 22-year-old University of Texas at Tyler student from Fort Worth -- died at a hospital. University officials confirmed that Herrera was a sophomore biology major.

An innocent, hard-working scholar, working to make a better tomorrow for us all, gunned down in the prime of his life. I weep.

The police spokesman says a motive for the forced entry is still undetermined.

Records indicate Herrera has been in and out of jail since 2001.

I guess "Career criminal killed during home invasion" was a little too factual for someone's taste.

Golly, I'll Miss All This

It's almost 10:00 PM, and the street is filled with my neighbors and their friends, skateboarding up and down the street, swearing and screaming incoherently, and apparently having an outdoor karaoke contest of some kind, where bonus points are awarded on a per-decibel basis.

Have I mentioned how much I'm not going to miss this place when I'm settled in on my 1.63 acre, wooded lot up north?

wtf

I wonder what percentage of the graduating seniors at this school will be getting drool cups along with their diplomas this year.

Or maybe pencil cups and monkeys to start them off on the path of their future vocation.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand --New Zealand's high school students will be able to use "text-speak" -- the mobile phone text message language beloved of teenagers -- in national exams this year, officials said.

Text-speak, a second language for thousands of teens, uses abbreviated words and phrases such as "txt" for "text", "lol" for "laughing out loud" or "lots of love," and "CU" for "see you."

The move has already divided students and educators who fear it could damage the English language

.

Damage the English language? Hardly.

Create a generation of illiterate numbnuts?

Pretty much.

New Zealand's Qualifications Authority said Friday that it still strongly discourages students from using anything other than full English, but that credit will be given if the answer "clearly shows the required understanding," even if it contains text-speak.

1 wsh 1 wz makin dis sht ^.

The Hypocrisy Parade Rolls On

State Representative David Linsky of Natick, via Blue Mass. Group, writing about his support for gay marriage rights:

These couples are our neighbors, our co-workers and our friends, and they look just like us. They are the parents of our children's classmates and soccer teammates. They go to work and go grocery shopping like everyone else. For them, same-sex marriage has made their lives a little better. They are eligible for health insurance, for pension benefits and maybe, just maybe, a little more respect and understanding. For us, the world has not changed one bit.

Allow me to paraphrase:

These gun owners are our neighbors, our co-workers and our friends, and they look just like us. They are the parents of our children's classmates and soccer teammates. They go to work and go grocery shopping like everyone else. For them, responsible gun ownership has made their lives a little better. They have been entrusted with providing security for their families and loved ones, for keeping their neighborhoods safe, and maybe, just maybe, a little more respect and understanding. For us, the world has not changed one bit.

As your hero Deval is wont to say - CONNECT THE DOTS!

Note also...

This is the same David Linsky who, back in 2004, sponsored legislation that would have required all licensed gun owners (not the armed criminals walking the streets with impunity) to carry a quarter-million dollars of liability insurance, in the event their guns broke of the safe one night and started shooting people at random.

The same David Linsky who, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, is responsible for spending the money of the taxpayers of Massachusetts, while feeling no overwhelming obligation on his part to pay his own taxes.

The same David Linsky who opposes the death penalty for convicted murderous scumbags, while working tirelessly to prevent the law-abiding citizens from having the means to defend themselves from the same. Hey, convicted murderous scumbags have rights, too!

The same David Linsky whoalongsidede Jarrett "I've NEVER Met a Gun Control Bill I Didn't Like" Barrios, brought us the "common sense" ban on guns that look scarier than others, regardless of their actual functionality.

Yeah...quite the upstanding champion of common-sense, individual rights and personal liberties you folks have got there.

Feel like beating this horse a little more? I mean, it is Saturday, what else do you have to do? Then, click on over to this thread at Universal Hub for more commentary on this topic, including such educated, rational statements as...

...it's a public health menace to let every moron have a gun.

...what would have happened if everyone in the neighborhood had a gun to shoot back -- Baghdad, anyone?

...people who want a hunting rifle...

...the nut who "wants to protect himself"

And this gem of an unwarranted personal attack on yours truly.

I don't want someone with your lack of impulse control running out and buying a gun right after someone makes you mad.

Ask not for whom the cuckoo clock tolls...

Again, If This Shocks You...

...you have NOT been paying attention.

When I first heard the stories last week about how some of the polling places in Boston were running out of ballots on election day, my first thought was probably the same as yours.

How tough a job is this?

You've got a list of registered voters in front of you. Count the names on the list. Get that number of blank ballots. We're talking about the kind of math that baffles first-graders.

And, Boston election officials, apparently.

Hub's ballot practice illegal, Galvin says

Boston's longstanding election policy of stocking polling places with only enough ballots for half the registered voters violates state law, Secretary of State William F. Galvin said yesterday in a letter lambasting the city for its handling of Tuesday's election.

I blame Diebold.

Galvin said his office would launch "an immediate investigation into the practices and procedures of the Boston Elections Department" and sharply criticized the city for "egregious problems" during the election.

"Voters were subjected to inordinate and needless delays in exercising their franchise, and some voters may have left without voting," Galvin wrote. "This is absolutely unacceptable and violative of the most fundamental principles of our democratic process."

The democratic process being violated in the People's Progressive Republic of Massachusetts?

Say it isn't so!

Raise Your Hand If This Shocks You

From the Boston Globe:

Boston's top election officials lack experience

No background and little formal training left Hub vulnerable to some big mistakes

By Donovan Slack and Matt Viser, Globe Staff | November 10, 2006

The top officials running Boston's Election Department, the commissioner and her supervisor, came to their jobs with little or no experience running elections and have had only minimal training since.

They have occasionally received training sessions from state election regulators, city officials said. But Election Commissioner Geraldine Cuddyer's main experience before taking the elections job in August 2004 was running the city's 24-hour hotline. Her supervisor, Chief of Public Property Michael Galvin, was a manager at a telephone company for 24 years before Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a childhood friend, appointed him to a Cabinet position that oversees the Election Department and several other departments.

Anyone shocked by this revelation?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Bueller?

"Can't Click Away" Movies

What movies make you stop channel-surfing and watch, even though you've seen them like 100 times already (usually causing your spouse to roll his or her eyes and leave the room)?

I'm asking, because I'm trapped on the couch, once again, watching The Fugitive.

The Gay Marriage Debate - Part 2,994

WARNING: BLATANT LEFTIST HYPOCRISY WITHIN

First, this little brouhaha.

Protesters gather outside State House

About 300 demonstrators are staging a noisy protest outside the State House, where lawmakers are scheduled to vote early this afternoon on whether to put a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on the 2008 ballot.

[snip]

Those supporting the ban said they were livid to read this morning that House Speaker Sal DiMasi may try to adjourn the constitutional convention without a vote on the ballot question. Gathered on the Boston Common side of the street, they are singing songs like "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and shouting, "Let the people vote!" One man is holding massive helium balloon that said "Jesus is Lord."

"It's subverting the will of the people," said Bob McDonald, a community college professor from Danvers, of the possibility of adjournment.

And, this comes as a shock to you, Bob?

You're not from around here, are you.

Those opposing the ban are just as loud, hollering "This is what equality looks like!" and singing "This Little Light of Mine."

Sorry, kids, I beg to differ. And, that's a pretty weak grasp on the concept of equality you've got there. The word "equality" carries no weight, unless all people are treated equally under the law. "Equality for your side only" simply doesn't cut it...in America, anyway.

The day Massachusetts liberals extend to the poor, inner-city residents of Boston, the same right to keep and bear arms as their wealthy, politically-connected counterparts, perhaps I'll lend some credence to their cries of inequality and oppression.

The day Massachusetts liberals recognize that the people of Massachusetts have the same God-given right to self defense as the people of New Hampshire and Vermont, I'll show up at their next rally hold a sign, and even sing along.

Until then, give me a fucking break with all these hollow, tear-jerking pleas for "equality", for you do not know the true meaning of the word.

"We feel everyone should have the same chance that we had two years ago when we were able to get married," said McMahon.

So, you'd agree then that the people of Massachusetts should have the same chance to provide for the safety of their families, if they CHOOSE to do so, as the people of New Hampshire and elsewhere have?

Yeah, didn't think so.

Come back when you're able to make a cogent and consistent argument.

Hodgdon dismissed the other side's argument that the electorate should weigh in on the right to marry.

But, the right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense, according to the left, is something that can, and should, be done away with by any means necessary - legislation, consumer protection regulation, or arbitrary restrictions imposed by non-elected officials. After all, the Constitution's pretty vague and flexible on the issue, especially when compared to its affirmation of the right to marry or have an abortion.

Like it or not, marriage is a man-made construct. As such, it is subject to be regulated and controlled by the government elected by the people. And, if that regulatory process provides for a citizen's ballot initiative, then so fucking be it. The very fact that no one can get married in this state without paying first for a license (aka: governmental permission) should have set off the little cluebells in your heads.

The right and the ability to defend one's family from harm, on the other hand, is something that can only be taken away by the most ruthless, totalitarian rulers, possessing little regard for the lives of the people they govern, and even less respect for their individual freedoms.

Then again, welcome to Massachusetts.

Gretchen Grimshaw, 47, an assistant rector at St. John's Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain, agreed.

"I don't believe we should vote on civil rights," she said.

So, Gretchen, no more gun control then? And, we can repeal all the laws on the books in Massachusetts that have made it impossible for the poor and downtrodden [read: oppressed people of color] to legally bear arms in their defense?

Yeah...didn't think so.

Come back to the discussion when you've learned the real meaning of "liberty", "freedom" and "individual rights".

Here's one more, from the always-entertaining Letters to the Editor section of the Boston Globe.

Marriage equality must not be a popularity contest

November 9, 2006

TODAY THE Constitutional Convention will once again take up the issue of marriage equality. We are sure to see "Let the people vote" signs lining the streets of Beacon Hill. It's such a compelling and simple phrase. But it is wrong.

Never mind, that it's the law. Laws don't apply to Massachusetts liberals. They're special. Just ask Sal DiMasi.

Think of a civil right you care about...

Um....OK.

...such as the right to vote, to own a home, to send a child to public school.

Nice list you came up with, a tad lacking, though, for my taste.

First, you can take the imaginary "right to own a home" off the list. Does the name "Kelo" ring a bell?

And, sending your kid to public school is not a "right". It's actually the law here in Massachusetts, and, as is the case with gun control, it's more often the poor who most negatively impacted [vouchers, anyone?]. If the government enacts a law compelling you to act a certain way, that is certainly not what a clear-thinking person would describe as a "right".

What if an initiative proposed limiting voting rights only to people who had graduated from college?

What if a law were passed that allowed the police to violate the Constitutional rights of the people over something as petty as a lost rental video from Blockbuster.

Oh, wait. That's not a "what if". That's reality.

What if an initiative proposed restricting homeownership only to people who were born in the United States?

What if the Attorney General were to enact some horseshit regulations that prevented the poor and elderly from exercising their Constitutional rights?

Again, there's that son of a bitch, Reality, entering the mix.

What if an initiative proposed that public school access be available only to children of homeowners, not renters?

What if a law was passed that allowed the children of Hall of Fame ballplayers to own guns, but not their next door neighbors.

Reality check, aisle five!

Would it be right to "let the people vote" on these issues? Of course not.

The gun owners of Massachusetts look forward to your support during the next legislative session as they try to right some of these grave injustices.

Perhaps you can imagine how I feel as a lesbian facing the threat of having my civil marriage rights put before the people for a popular vote. Frankly, I am terrified.

Frankly, I don't think you know what you're talking about, where "freedom" and "equal rights" are concerned.

I urge lawmakers not to be taken in by this dangerous phrase.

Yeah, phrases like "spray-firing bullet hoses", "racist, redneck gun nuts", "mowing down innocent bystanders" are so much safer for human consumption, huh?

Let the people vote for elected officials, or whether to sell wine in grocery stores. But please don't let them put my constitutionally protected civil rights, or anyone else's, on the ballot in our Commonwealth.

So, basically, you're worried that the rights of a minority might be trampled on by an over-zealous majority, driven by a political agenda?

Welcome to the world of the Massachusetts gun owner.

Now, maybe, the argument here is that only elected politicians can violate the rights of the people, and that the citizens, acting through the ballot initiative process, in strict accordance with state law, cannot.

I don't care how many rose petals you stir into that bucket of shit, at the end of the day it's still gonna smell like a bucket of shit.

JOHANNA SCHULMAN
Cambridge

The writer was lead plaintiff in Schulman v. Reilly, a lawsuit filed by GLAD in January challenging Attorney General Thomas Reilly's certification of the ballot question seeking to reverse Goodridge v. Department of Public Health.

Note: this was one of those rare occasions when Tom Reilly actually adhered strictly to the laws of the Commonwealth, the same laws that conveniently don't apply to liberal Democrats in Massachusetts.

Ick...I just typed Tom Reilly's name. Aaaaghhh, I did it again! I thought I was done with that asshole. If you'll excuse me now, I need to crack open another Harpoon to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

Just One More Swirl Around the Bowl

Remember when we used to teach this kind of stuff to our kids when they were five?

Just over a month after College of Arts and Sciences freshman Beatriz Ponce was struck and killed by a car on Memorial Drive, Boston University launched a campaign yesterday aimed at urging students to take caution on Boston's busy streets.

Donned in "use your head, cross on red" shirts, students, faculty and staff volunteers carried "Stop, Look and Listen" signs [you forgot "hold hands" - ed.] and distributed violation cards to unsafe walkers and goody bags to safe ones in yesterday's heavy rain.

"Goody bags"?

I stand corrected. Make that four.

Mine

UPDATE: Thanks for the congratulatory (and free labor) offerings, I appreciate it. Needless to say,we're looking forward to the move. Even the girls are excited about decorating their new room - and the "big girl beds"!

Now, get on over to The Gadsden and Culpepper American Heritage Shoppe and buy lots of stuff, so I can rack up enough credit there for a new Gadsden Flag to fly at Freedom House.

This Does Not Bode Well.

From the New Hampshire Union Leader:

Blue Hampshire: Live free? Just try

When it became clear that Democrats had won the state Senate, the first thing out of party vice-chairman Ray Buckley's mouth was the proclamation that Democrats would regulate businesses by banning smoking in restaurants and bars, raising the minimum wage and trying to force down health care costs. He did not even mention education funding.

Numerous Democratic candidates who did mention the state's most pressing issue indicated that they want to shift the responsibility for education funding from local governments to the state -- and increase state school spending. That is going to take a vast amount of new revenue that, for the moment, remains in taxpayers' wallets.

If Lynch's actions in his first term are any indication, Democrats will resist budget cuts and efficiencies, push for millions in new spending and support a slew of new regulations on businesses and individuals.

New Hampshire voters willingly risked the New Hampshire Advantage so they could express their disgust with Republicans. They did. Now let's hope that New Hampshire Democrats keep their word on fiscal conservatism better than national Republicans did.

I think I'm gonna throw up.

UPDATE: OK, I've got a few minutes to expand on this.

I don't smoke. I don't allow smoking in my house or in my car. If you CHOOSE to smoke, that's OK by me. Just don't expect me to visit your smoke-filled house very often. Nor, should you expect me to pay your way when the bills for the radiation therapy start rolling in.

Do I enjoy sitting in a smoky bar and waking up the next morning with the stench of stale cigarette smoke in my hair and on my clothes? No.

Did someone force me to sit in that bar against my will?

No.

Is the bar in question my private property?

No.

Is it publicly-owned property, paid for with my tax dollars?

No.

Should the government have the authority to restrict the rights of a property owner to allow people who are on his property with his permission to engage in legal activities?

I can't believe we actually have to have such a discussion.

True liberals, if there are any left in this country, should be up in arms (figuratively, of course) over this. And, they would be, were they capable of seeing the abject hypocrisy in play here. Today's liberals want the government out of their bedrooms, but into everone else's business. I know at least sixteen of the Democrats about to assume their new-flund reins on power would have no problem, whatsoever, sending federal authorities into my bedroom to take away my gun cabinet.

And, no I'm not exaggerating. They're on record as having voted for just that earlier this year.

Democrats have no problem stomping on the rights of those they disagree with, while rallying against other politicians throughout the country looking to pass laws restricting the rights of their ideological foes, whether we're talking about being able to marry the person of one's choice, prevent or terminate an unwanted pregnancy, or become independently wealthy at the expense of the fast food restaurant that forced you become a lazy, fat-assed sloth.

Note that, as much as I do support the notion that people should be free to marry whomever they choose, the folks leading the gay marriage movement wil receive little support from me as long as they continue to elect lawmakers and support legislation that takes away my right to defend myself.

Government intrusion into people's private lives is a bad thing, no matter what side of the aisle it comes from. Unlike the state legislature in South Carolina, I don't give a shit who you want to marry, or what foreign objects you want to stick in your partner's orifices in the privacy of your own home. On the other hand, I don't care if you want to keep a closet full of automatic weapons in your house, and carry an MP5 under your jacket to defend yourself, your family, and your community.

It's none of my fucking business!

Passing laws to restrict people's freedoms, seemingly for the sole purpose of flexing one's political muscle over one's ideological opponents, is so fucking un-American it makes me ill. As is painfully obvious now, the one-time party of limited government is a thing of the past.

As reader, Ardee, said in the comments to an earlier post, it looks like I'm moving north just in time. If these big-government, nanny-state liberals in New Hampshire think they can just do away with all the reasons I chose to relocate there, they're going to find themselves with a bigger fight on their hands than they could ever have imagined.

OK, I gotta run. I have a house to buy.

How Did I Miss This Gem?

I can't believe I missed this bit from the Globe's story on the earth-shatteringly idiotic proposal by a New Bedford City Councilor calling for a statewide BB gun ban.

Under Gomes's proposal, Massachusetts residents would be given a grace period to turn in such weapons or to paint them bright colors.

He also suggested that state lawmakers could establish a buyback program.

Yep...a BB gun buyback program. I much as I wish otherwise, I am not making this up.

Also, from Gomes' written motion:

...further asking, that our neighboring New England States - Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine - be sent a letter requesting them to follow suit in filing this Legislation, thereby making New England an area free of pellet guns/BB guns that look and replicate real handguns or shotguns...

"TOGETHER WE CAN!"

G.O.A.L. asks the painfully obvious question that folks like Mr. Gomes (and Menino, Barrios, Patrick, Kennedy, Toomey, Linsky, etc.) seem unable to wrap their heads around.

Why not instead create a law that would punish criminals who brandish look alike fake guns as if they were in possession of a real gun?

It's simple. That would create a situation where an individual would be held legally accountable for any actions made as a result of a conscious decision on his or her part, and that's simply not "progressive". Everyone knows it's the inanimate object that's to blame and, therefore, punish.

Punishing criminals??? HOW BARBARIC!!!

In Other News

From the Comcast.net home page this morning:



I'd like to believe this is merely a coincidence.

What, MA Worry?

From the Boston.com Message Boards:

Knowing what we know now, should Massachusetts still worry about losing population?

There's more than a few classic responses there from the "reality-based" "progressive" community. First up, is the winner of this year's "Can't See the Forest OR the Trees" Award:

We absolutely should not worry if our population declines somewhat. Our roads are already jammed. And our housing prices are too high. I hope our population declines!

~ StonemanDedham

Translation: I want more productive, tax-paying citizens to move out of state, so the government will be forced to take more of my money to fund all the social programs they've got on tap for the illegal aliens who will be flooding into Massachusetts in record numbers to get their government-issued identification documents and free health care.

And my favorite, with my responses (as if you couldn't tell it was me):

If you don't like Massachusetts because it is fair to all its citizens and doesn't cater to the prejudices and extremism of other states then why not move to a red state?

"Fair to all its citizens"?

Surely, you jest.

You've obviously never tried to get permission from the government to own a gun.

You also have no problem with paying higher auto insurance premiums, so that the crappy drivers in the state get to pay less.

And, forcing kids to stay in crappy schools, denying their parents a voucher to get them a better education. Sounds great!

Wake up, already.

The lack of integrity, double-standards, duplicity and conniving of conservatives is nauseating!

Yeah, becuase double-standards from the left just don't exist, right?

For the record, I'm pro-choice. But, it's not the half-assed pro-choice belief system of the left. I believe a woman has the right to choose to terminate or prevent a pregnancy, but that also includes the right to terminate a would-be rapist with a lawfully carried handgun before he can impregnate her, making an abortion of the resultant pregnancy necessary.

I strongly believe that all citizens, gay and straight, should be afforded the right to marry whomever they choose. However, if a gay couple is out on the town one night, celebrating their nuptials, and is set upon by an angry mob of bigots armed with pipes and 2x4's, I believe they should have the right to put a .38 slug in the chest cavity of the armed thugs.

Sorry, kids, being pro-choice and pro-individual rights means just that.

You can't have it both ways

Unless, of course, you're a Massachusetts Democrat.

Not Wasting Any TIme

The polls have been closed for barely12 hours, and the gun-banning brigade is already off and running.

Bill would urge ban on pellet, BB guns

New Bedford might call for statewide action

New Bedford city councilors will vote tomorrow on a measure that urges state legislators to ban pellet, BB, and replica guns, weeks after a 38-year-old man was fatally shot by police after drawing a pellet gun.

Yeah, it was the BB gun's fault.

On Oct. 26, two police officers encountered Lamont S. Cruz in a New Bedford crack house. Cruz, a recovering drug addict who was studying to become a drug counselor, drew a pellet gun, authorities said. Officers Justin Kagan and Arthur Hegarty fired their guns, killing Cruz. Both officers remain on paid administrative duty while the office of Bristol District Attorney Paul F. Walsh Jr. investigates the shooting.

Cruz, who had two daughters, had been on parole stemming from a 1990 manslaughter conviction.

I'm not sure how the number of, or gender of his offspring is relevant to this discussion, but if it makes the reader feeeeeeel better about banning plastic guns, then that's what matters the most. It's the Massachusetts way.

Perhaps, if the prosecutors involved in that case we're less "compassionate" and went for a murder conviction, instead of manslaughter, this man's daughters would still be able to visit their loving father in prison - and not at his graveside.

But, we can't have that. That would require us to actually address some of the real-life issues at play here [AAAAGGH!!! Reality! Run away!], and deny us this golden opportunity to do what makes us feeeeel so good.

Fucking idiots.

Getting the Government You Deserve

And from the "What Are You People On? And Did You Bring Enough For Everybody?" Department:

State Senator Dianne Wilkerson of Boston was reelected yesterday, overcoming a series of financial problems and a recount in the Democratic primary.

Wilkerson, a Democrat, easily defeated Republican Samiyah Diaz. With 86 percent of precincts reporting, Wilkerson had 71 percent of the vote to Diaz's 29 percent, according to the Associated Press.

Yes, this fine upstanding citizen will continue to be responsible for enacting the laws that the rest of you are expected to obey. Say what you will about the current state of New Hampshire politics, it can't hold a candle to People's Progressive Republic of Massachusetts.

In Summation

I offer you this variation on a theme:

How a people vote tells you how they view themselves as individuals... as trustworthy and productive citizens, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of.

The People Have Spoken

And, it certainly appears, from where I'm sitting, that the ideological return to the Mike Dukakis era of "Results be damned - it feeeeels so good!" liberalism is soon to be upon us.

And, I use the word "us" in the loosest sense possible.

At 8:27 this evening, about the same time the AP was reporting on Deval Patrick's victory, we signed and submitted the offer on our soon-to-be new home in the "Live Free or Die" state of New Hampshire. If all goes well, we will be closing on the 12th of December.

Housewarming party tentatively scheduled for Saturday the 16th. Watch your e-mail for your invitation.

Temporary bunk space in the basement of Freedom House will be made available, free of charge, to any and all disgruntled Massachusetts residents seeking political asylum over the next couple of months, while seeking permanent housing.

Side note: Blogger's spell-check appropriately suggests "dosages" as an alternative to "Dukakis".

Once Upon a Time In Scotland

There used to be this breed of man, known as Scots - honorable and courageous men with great big balls under their kilts - who lived and died fighting the tryrannical rulers of the day who sought to oppress them and strip them of their freedom and natural-born rights.

Sadly, those noble men have seemingly been replaced by this sackless bunch of pussies.

The Scottish Executive's crackdown on knife crime could lead to a rise in the use of guns [which were, of course, cracked down upon previously], a government adviser has warned.

Justice department officials have been told of a possible influx of illegal firearms into the country [BLAME FRANCE! - ed.] a result of the high-profile campaign to get knives off the streets.

Ministers have introduced a series of measures to make it harder for criminals to carry knives, including a licensing scheme for the sale of non-domestic knives and tougher sentences for people caught carrying bladed weapons.

Knife licensing and scissors control. Yeah, that'll help. I can practically smell the ensuing peace and tranquility from here.

How sad.

How utterly fucking sad.

What's worse is, we've got a bunch of bumbling idiots like Tom "Manhole" Menino, Jarrett "Fluffboy" Barrios, and Tommy "Slingshot" Reilly watching all of this unfold and taking notes.

(Insert Yawning Sound Effect Here)

Nothing to see here, kids. Just more business as usual in the land of the "most effective [at disarming the innocent] gun laws in the nation".

November 5, 2006:

Six Arrested After Armed Robbery

The victim stated he was jumped and five black males stole his credit cards at knifepoint. Officers observed five to six males walk into the store at the Hess Gas Station a short distance from Gardner Street. The victim went on to state that one of the suspects punched him in the head and the other suspect joined in punching and kicking him. The victim stated he fell to the ground and one of the suspects took his credit cards.

November 6, 2006:

Three Suspects Arrested and Charged with Four Different Armed Robberies

Yesterday around 10pm officers from District 4 responded to the area of Commonwealth Ave. for several reported armed robbery calls.

[snip]

The four victims of the robberies subsequently positively identified the three suspects and their car as well as the items that were found in their possession as belonging to them. The suspects during their crime spree robbed four victims and assaulted them, breaking one victim's arm by assaulting him with a baseball bat.

Novemer 7, 2006:

Armed Robbery of Store 24 in Hyde Park

On arrival officers spoke with clerk who stated an unknown black male entered the store, showed a handgun and demanded cash. The clerk went on to state that the suspect went behind the counter and when the cash register was opened the suspect removed an unknown amount of cash. The suspect ordered the clerk to the ground and fled the store.

Two Arrested For Armed Robbery

The victim stated he was walking on Hazelton Street when the two suspects showed a knife and demanded money. Taken from the victim were twenty dollars, lottery tickets and a pack of cigarettes. The victim was stabbed twice in the chest area. [Remember, kids, just do what they say, and you'll be fine. - ed.]

Massachusetts citizens getting kicked, stabbed, beaten and robbed on a near-daily basis by gangs of violent thugs, with no means to defend themselves, thanks to the tireless efforts of Mayor Menino, Jarrett Barrios, Tom Reilly, and the rest of the criminal-coddling, anti-personal responsibility, "progressives" around these parts, for whom "self-defense" is a four-letter word (hmmm...I wonder who they're all supporting for governor).

And, I didn't bother including all the incidents of illegal gun and drug possession from the past three or four days.

How could anyone possibly want to move out of such a Utopian paradise as this?

Quote of the Day - Rock the Vote Edition

Because it bears repeating...often.

"How a politician stands on the Second Amendment tells you how he or she views you as an individual... as a trustworthy and productive citizen, or as part of an unruly crowd that needs to be lorded over, controlled, supervised, and taken care of."

- Texas State Rep. Suzanna Gratia-Hupp

Boy, I'm going to miss this place.

BWAAAH-HA-HAAAA-HA-HA-HAAAAA!!!

Damn, I Hate When This Happens

Got a free pair of Patriots tickets dropped on my desk this morning for Sunday's game against the Jets.

Shucks.

Random Linkage

Sorry for the lack of real blogging today. Up to my armpits in paperwork. Yippee.

From Gunner at No Quarters:

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.

— WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE

From Christopher at The Kallini Brothers:

Once again we see Paris turn into the wild west due to their cowboy attitude and insane gun culture…

Er, wait…

UPDATE: I gotta add this post by Aaron at Free Will, who brings us this great exchange between Jon Stewart and New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, via Rolling Stone.

DOWD: Your shows are like mirrors within mirrors, using a cycle of fakery to get to the truth. You've tapped into a sense in society that nothing, from reality shows to Bushworld, is real anymore. Do you guys ever get confused by your hall of mirrors?

STEWART: I didn't know we were going to have to be high to do this interview.

[snip]

DOWD: Your show has thrived during the Bush administration. Will you miss it?

STEWART: I remember people used to say, "What are you gonna do when Clinton leaves?"...I'd much prefer these guys to leave than to have to continue to make Lord Vader jokes about Cheney. I have great faith in institutional absurdity.

DOWD: But wouldn't, say, a President Obama be harder to make fun of than these guys?

STEWART: Are you kidding?

Reality - 1, New York Times - 0.

Pop Quiz - Sunday Morning Edition

What's wrong with this sentence?

...[Massachusetts Sec. of State Bill] Galvin is not fit to hold the Secretary of State's office. He doesn't appear to respect the fundamental premise of our system of government: the people are sovereign.

Here's a hint, as if anyone should need one.

Nailing It

From the New Hampshire Union Leader:

NH prosecutors: Soft time in Mass.

MANCHESTER – New Hampshire crime fighters are dissatisfied with the soft touch they say criminals get in Massachusetts courts, and accused cop-killer Michael K. "Stix" Addison appears to be the latest example.

As Manchester Deputy Police Chief Glenn S. Leidemer, who heads the department's investigative division, puts it: "I'm a police officer. I'm not impartial. What I would ask of the media is to lay out all the facts and circumstances surrounding (Addison's) arrests in Massachusetts, compare those to the sentences and then they -- the community -- can make an informed decision as to whether the sentences were too lenient."

Manchester Police Chief John A. Jaskolka said his officers increasingly encounter current and former Massachusetts residents here who, though they have prior criminal histories in the Bay State, lack the conviction records required to get punishments or set bail consistent with their past behavior.

"A lot of the time we end up with people coming from Massachusetts. They seem to be getting lenient sentences...When we go for a tougher sentence up here, (the courts) don't have the criminal background to do it," Jaskolka explained.

Hillsborough County Attorney Marguerite L. Wageling said it's difficult to pass judgment on how other jurisdictions handle prosecutions without knowing the strengths and weaknesses of their cases.

Even so, she said "I've seen multiple Massachusetts records that are lengthy with virtually no time imposed on the individual."

Well, shit, you don't say.

When asked for comment, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino replied (with hands pressed firmly against his ears):

"LA-LA-LA-LA-LA I-AM-NOT-LISTENING LA-LA-LA-LA GUNS-ARE-BAD LA-LA-LA IT'S-ALL-NEW-HAMPSHIRE'S-FAULT LA-LA-LA!!!"

(link via tele_mark at NortheastShooters.com)

Hangin' With Saddam - 2007 World Tour

It was a good idea back in September '05.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein has confessed to crimes and should be hanged "20 times," his successor as Iraq's president said on Tuesday while confirming that he will not sign a death warrant himself.

It's a good idea today.

Tickets for opening night at Al Shaab Stadium in Baghdad go on sale Saturday at 10AM at the box office and through all Ticketmaster outlets. Don't hesitate - these shows will sell out fast. Ticket sale dates for the remaining 19 shows to be announced soon.

"Hangin' With Saddam" - 2007 World Tour

Middle East

3/15 Baghdad, Iraq - Al Shaab Stadium
3/16 Kirkuk , Iraq - Al Kirkuk Stadium
3/18-19 Kuwait City, Kuwait - Kazma SC Stadium (2 NIGHTS!)
3/22 Jerusalem, Israel - Teddy Maiha Stadium
3/24 Tel Aviv, Israel - Nokia Arena
3/29 Amman, Jordan - International Stadium
4/1 Istanbul, Turkey - Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadi

Europe

4/22 London, UK - Twickenham Stadium
4/24 Edinburgh, Scotland - Murrayfield
4/29 Warsaw, Poland - Dziesieciolecia Stadion

USA*

5/27 Houston, Texas - Reliant Stadium
5/29 Irving, Texas - Texas Stadium
6/1 Jacksonville, Florida - ALLTEL Stadium
6/3 Clemson, South Carolina - Memorial Stadium
6/8 Columbus, Ohio - Ohio Stadium
6/13 Lincoln, Nebraska - Memorial Stadium
6/17 Denver, Colorado - INVESCO Field
6/20 Tempe, Arizona - Sun Devil Stadium
7/4 Washington, DC - RFK Memorial Stadium

* Ted Nugent is scheduled to be the opening act for this leg of the tour - get there early. Cameras, video and tape recorders, and glass containers will be permitted.