Friday, March 31, 2006

It's 72 and Sunny in Boston, Damn It!

I'm stopping by Blanchard's in JP on the way home, grabbing a six-pack of cheap, pisswater American beer, and drinking it on my front porch.

Who's comin' over?


UPDATE: For Derek...

Over a dozen Nazi kills and
one bodacious set of ta-ta's.

What's not to love? Have a great weekend!


Just Another Thursday Night...

...in the land of the "most effective gun laws in the nation".

*** INSERT ALERT HERE ***


From BPDNews.com: Daily Incidents for March 31, 2006

Both suspects, Williams and Alexander Burns, a 19-year-old Brighton resident, were apprehended and arrested on charges of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm...

The first suspect, a 16-year-old Dorchester resident, had a firearm in his pocket that the officer seized. ... was taken into custody for charges Delinquency to wit: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.

The suspects, Cory Robinson, 19, of Roxbury, Jonathan Carter, 18, of Dorchester and Tyrone Shepherd, 21, of Dorchester were booked on charges of Assault and Battery by means of a Dangerous Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.

The driver of the vehicle had a firearm in his front pocket that was seized and kept as evidence. ... The vehicle was towed and the suspect was arrested for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm...

Police arrested Harry Williams, 35, of Mattapan and charged him with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Class D within 1000’ of a school zone.


Yaaaaawn.

But, surely, there must have been one gun control success story to play out on the streets of Mayor Menino's "safe city" yesterday.

While conducting Operation Home Safe last night on Hancock Street, officers observed two males fighting on the sidewalk. They observed one of the individuals lunge at the other with a knife, causing a stab wound.


Yeah, but again, it depends largely on your definition of "success".


Mmmm...

...Runts.


From the Pages of Not the Boston Globe

Boston Mayor Tom Menino's worst nightmare played out this week on the streets of Delhi Township, Michigan.

One driver rammed his car into the other, causing minor damage. The drivers then pulled into a Burger King parking lot. One driver got out of his car with a baseball bat and approached the other driver, who then pulled a gun. Police arrived and arrested the driver with the bat. Police say the man with the gun had a legal permit to carry the weapon.


In summary:

No shots fired.

No "blood in the streets".

No "wild west" shootout.

No innocents "mowed down".

One dangerous, violent scumbag under arrest.

One law-abiding citizen not in the hospital (or morgue).

Boy, Mumbles just hates when that happens.

(link via KABA)


MA SJC Upholds the Rule of Law - Oh No!

To the recent Massachusetts SJC ruling that upheld the use of a 1913 state law prohibiting persons from out-of-state from marrying in Massachusetts, if the marriage would not be legal in their home state, here are the reactions from a couple of our would-be governors.

From the Boston Herald:

[Gubernatorial candidate Deval] Patrick said Romney and Reilly chose to enforce the 1913 law to appease gay-marriage opponents, and called it "a glaring example of their bad leadership."

"Every prosecutor has discretion about what laws to enforce and what laws not to," Patrick told the Herald yesterday.


So, basically, we shouldn't bother having any laws and let Tom Reilly run the Commonwealth as he sees fit. Gee, what's not to love with that plan? This seems to be the message Deval Patrick is sending out here, also echoed by one local blogger, Mass Marrier:

So, it looks like a governor and attorney general with courage and a sense of honor could order it not enforced and ask the General Court to get this abomination off the books.


OK, I'm willing to award partial credit. He's only halfway off his rocker on that one.

I have absolutely no problem with anyone petitioning the General Court (state legislature) to consider repealing a law they feel is unjust. That's a fundamental principle of a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people". But, to call for an elected official to start selectively enforcing the law, and then describing such action as honorable and courageous, is just oozing with double standards.

Yet, that's precisely what Deval Patrick and others seem to be calling for here. How many times do I have to repeat myself? If you disagree with the law, work to get it changed, or removed from the books. Period. End of discussion.

How would Mr. Patrick feel if we were to start selectively enforcing the state's anti-discrimination laws at the sole discretion of the Attorney General, or if we were to give Mitt Romney carte blanche to rewrite the abortion laws for the Commonwealth.

I'm guessing the left wouldn't be so gung-ho over that, seeing as it's not their guy in the corner office. We saw the same thing happen in 2004 when the legislature rammed through a bill removing the power to fill a vacant US Senate seat from the governor, per existing state law. Anyone who thinks that would have happened if a Democrat was sitting in the corner office is simply delusional.

Related case in point: the Bush bashers have been tying their panties in knots these days over the wiretapping of phone conversations of individuals suspected of having ties to terrorist organizations. Going on the questionable assumption that the actions of the NSA were, in fact, in violation of the law, why is it not "courageous" and "honorable" that the Bush administration is now choosing not to enforce that particular law? After all, as long as he believes he's doing the right thing, that's all that counts, right?

Seems if their guy does it, it's honorable, but if the evil Bush administration does it, it's treasonous activity that warrants impeachment, prosecution, and imprisonment.

And how many times have we heard those on the left saying how terrible it is to live in a country where one party controls all three branches of government? Yet, the same people here in Massachusetts will tell you that their top priority this year is to elect a Democrat as governor, in order "fix" the Commonwealth.

I'll assume they're using the word "fix" in the veterinarian sense here.

But, nooooooo. No double standards in play here. Run along now.

Getting back to the local front, we continue with the Boston Herald piece linked above. And, as usual, it gets "better".

Reilly campaign spokesman Corey Welford dismissed Patrick'‚’s claims, saying the job of constitutional officers is to "follow and respect the law" not just the ones they like or agree with.


And this coming from the office of the man who clamped down recently on "illegal" cranberry sauce sales on Thanksgiving morning with a fist of steel, but thinks it's just great to spend taxpayers' money on college tuition for illegal aliens.

The man who talks tough on cracking down on drunk driving in the Commonwealth (which, last I checked, is against the law), yet went out of his way to hinder the investigation of a drunk-driving crash involving the daughters of a campaign contributor.

"To suggest it's alright to pick and choose which laws to enforce is either irresponsible, or shows a complete lack of experience in dealing with issues like these," Welford said.


Excuse me, Corey, but whose campaign are you working for again? Because, from where I'm sitting, you're doing one helluva job here writing the next Healey for Governor ad.

Also from the "Department of It Bears Repeating": The supporters of gay marriage (of which I am one, by the way, for those of you new here) want same sex couples from other states to be allowed to be married in Massachusetts, and for those marriages to be recognized in their home states.

Can we now assume that these same people, and their political allies on Beacon Hill, would have no problem with me carrying a concealed weapon in Boston, for lawful purposes, of course, on a concealed carry permit issued to me by the State of New Hampshire?

I'm sure if Governor Romney, in his quest to portray himself as a pro-gun rights presidential candidate, were to declare that to be allowed, they'd find his actions to be honorable and courageous. And, surely, Governor Patrick would be with me on this one.

Right?

(Mass Marrier link via Universal Hub)

UPDATE: Jay Tea at Wizbang throws his $0.02 in.

The law, right or wrong, exists. And it should be followed until it is changed. We have numerous means to change the law available to us, and we should use them, or simply live with the laws as they are. This principle stands regardless of the particulars -- whether the laws cover marriage, immigration, or lying under oath about oral sex.

Otherwise, we are not a nation of law, but one of the anarchy of convenience and license. And history has seen far too many of those -- they're the societies that are always referred to in the past tense.


UPDATE (just because): Flashback - October 4, 2004

Personally, I'd be delighted to live in a country where happily married gay couples had closets full of assault weapons.

~ Glenn Reynolds


Thursday, March 30, 2006

Switching Gears

With the coming of spring, a man's thoughts turn to:

(A) baseball
(B) outdoor beer drinking
(C) home improvement

The correct answer is (D) all of the above, but here's a little tool blogging porn for those of you looking at option (C) these days.

First up, a Makita two-fer.

I can't say enough good things about the two Makita power tools in my home arsenal. No, my little shitbox palm sander doesn't count. I'm talking about the LS1013 sliding compound miter saw and the 8443DWDE 18V cordless hammer drill.


That saw will crosscut a pressure-treated 4x6 like it was a stick of butter. And the hammer drill goes through a concrete slab like...um... Well, there's a really tasteless Paris Hilton joke in there somewhere, but this is a family blog, so you're on your own there. Speaking of which, I am looking to add the 18V trim saw (and reciprocating saw) to the line-up someday.

Moving on to the some of life's simpler pleasures - drill bits.

When they say SpeedBor, they're not kidding. Use extreme caution if you're not planning on going all the way through the piece of wood you're working on.


And, if you find yourself anywhere near the Dedham Sears, be sure to take advantage of this deal while you can. I realize they're not of the same quality as their Craftsman counterparts, but the Sears "Companion" brand combination wrenches are on clearance for 25 cents a pop. Sizes include (if memory serves me correctly) 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", and 9/16" (and metric equivalents). I got two of each - 16 wrenches for $4.00. Beat that.

Also, we ordered our granite countertops yesterday, through Costco, at a considerable savings over what one local supplier had quoted for us. I'll try to get some pictures up soon to show the progress (or lack thereof) on our condo conversion project. Our renovation schedule took a hit earlier this month (no pun intended, trust me) when our electrician was bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat.

Yeah, I hate when that happens, too.

On a (much) happier note, we found out from the contractor who wrote up the work order for our countertops that the Costco in Dedham will soon be selling beer, wine, and liquor.

Mmmmmm...cheap Guinness 15-packs.

Damn it, now I'm thirsty again.


The Numbnuts Chronicles (cont.)

From the MetroWest Daily News:

Around 9 a.m., the mother of one of the boys and the owner of the home gave police permission to search. They found a Chinese-made .223-caliber AK assault rifle with a 30-round magazine.

"This was a high-capacity, semi-automatic weapon with a self-feeding device, capable of firing up to five miles," Ryder said. "It's an unusual weapon, the kind of thing a collector would pay a lot of money for."


Wow, a .223-caliber rifle (note: semi-automatic AND self-feeding) capable of firing up to five miles? Now, that would be an unusual weapon.

Or it could just be a $350 Norinco MAK-90. And, judging by the curve of the magazine (see pic in previous post linked below), I'm guessing it's the more common 7.62mm version. But seeing as it's only a shitty cell phone picture of Spanky McFucknugget there holding the gun, I could be wrong.

And, from the Department of Just Because:

"You could see these kids were pretty far gone," said Sgt. Warren Ryder of the Boxborough Police Department.


His first clue?

"There was vomit on the floor and one kid was passed out with Magic Marker all over his face."


Ahhh...nothing like waking up with "!YSSUP GNIKCUF" written on your forehead in black Sharpie. Oh, the memories.

Previous "Numbnuts in the News" posts here and here.


Armed Robbery 101 (cont.)

Lesson #2: If you're planning on robbing a pizza deliveryman anytime soon, do not do so from your own apartment. The police might just find you.


Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Snarky Gun Forum Post of the Week Year

Sell one of them and get a new bedspread.

(via Say Uncle)


How to Lose the "War On Drugs"

From BPDNews.com:

Officers recovered the following items inside the apartment: ...a bag of white powder believed to be marijuana...


Hide the Breakables

Via Michelle Malkin, courtesy of NOT the Boston Globe:


Whittier area students from Pioneer, California and Whittier
high schools walked out of classes to protest the proposed federal
immigration bill March 27, 2006. The protestors put up the
Mexican flag over the American flag flying upside down at
Montebello High. (Leo Jarzomb/Staff photo)


Yet, if you spend five minutes listening to the leftist talking points on this matter, you'll hear how it's the Republicans who are supposedly so out-of-touch with mainstream American values. And how the Minutemen are a bunch of hate-filled racists.

Be sure to read Michelle's readers' comments. Here's an excerpt.

What would be interesting to know is if these young men and women are enjoying their educations on the back of the American taxpayer at a public school, while denigrating the country that provides these benefits to them, and so blatantly desecrating the flag that serves as a beacon to draw them to America in the first place.


I Say Throw the Book At 'Em

Preferably, a very heavy book, with sharp corners.

From the Boston Globe:

Teens arrested in break-in at town water supply

BLACKSTONE, Mass. --Two 15-year-old boys faced felony charges Wednesday in connection with a break-in at a water storage facility in this central Massachusetts town, where residents stockpiled water and many businesses and schools were closed.


How long will it be before their parents issue a statement blaming the producers of "24" for the actions of their little scumbag offspring?

Officials have told the 9,000 residents of Blackstone and about four dozen homes in neighboring North Smithfield, R.I., not to drink the water, let it contact their skin or use it for washing clothes or dishes until tests show it is safe. Results were expected midday Wednesday.

[snip]

Two 15-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl broke in Monday night at the facility which houses a 1.3 million-gallon tank supplying water to Blackstone and part of North Smithfield, police said. The two boys, whose names were not released because of their ages, were charged with malicious destruction of property, tampering with a public water supply and polluting the water supply, all felonies, and trespassing, Gilmore said. They became suspects after talking about the incident at school, he said.


Nothing in the papers yet about what a bunch of "great kids" they are, but you know it's coming.

Ed Coletta, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, said the trespassers cut barbed wire, cut the lines to an alarm, and then damaged an electrical panel and a vent at the top of the tank.

Left at the scene was an empty, 5-gallon container that had an odor. Officials were unsure whether the empty bucket they found belonged to the water supply company that uses the facility.


Should we start a pool over how much jail time these little miscreants will won't get? I'm going with "until they're parents come get them".


Dude, Hold My Beer!

A quick follow-up to the Numbnuts in the News post from a couple days ago. In case you missed it, here are a couple stills from the video at the Channel 4 News website:



Because, nothing says "Party on, dude!" quite like getting drunk and pointing at a loaded AK-47 at your friend's head while he takes a picture of you with his cell phone.


24 - The Morning After the Morning After

Episode 15: 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Bruce's Five-Point Review

1. See last week's point #1. Nothing's changed.

If he lets one more terrorist off easy, solely on account of her fantastic rack, I'm done with this show. And, this time, I mean it.

...unless, of course, the terrorist chick in question, with the uberlicious hooters, happens to be featured prominently in future episodes. But, after that, I quit. Really.

2. Natural Gas Facility Security Personnel 101

When a van pulls up to the gate at 8:30 at night and a guy with a foreign accent tells you, "Vee haf a special delifery.", they're terrorists.

Take cover immediately and open fire.

3. Damn it, Jack kissed Audrey. But, that's OK, really, because he's under a lot of stress today, what with the deadly nerve gas and all, so it didn't count. He gets a do-over. Besides, it's pretty obvious he's only making up with her so he'll have someone to tag on the side when he's not knocking boots with Diane back in her double-wide.

4. Gee...they didn't show Jack alive at the end of the show after dragging Bad Guy into the police cruiser while the gas plant was going supernova all around him. Maybe he's dead.

How.

Suspenseful.

Not.

5. Gun Gaffe du Jour: Jack "threatening" terrorist chick with the unloaded gun he took off the U.S. Marshal UN peacekeeper guy they hired to keep an eye on her. That guy was only marginally more effective than a CTU Redshirt.

Via KMaurer @ NES Forums:

When Jack was going through the motions of interrogating Collette, he threatened her several times with the marshall's firearm. Finally, he gets serious and racks the slide (I guess because the marshall was standing around doing a protection detail with an empty chamber) and sticks it directly in her face. No, I was wrong, the marshall (whose name must be Barney) didn't have an empty chamber; he had an unloaded weapon, because there's Jack with no cartridge having popped out when the slide was racked, holding a gun with the slide locked back on an empty magazine.

WTF is going on this season? Have they picked up some new writers and editors who had been laid off by Sponge Bob? And don't even get me started on his reaction to Audrey's story.


I'm going to watch the episode again and pay close attention to the credits to see who they've brought on to work as the weapons adviser this year (my money's on Richard Gere). That's twice now that Jack has been seen using a gun with the slide locked back.


Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Another "Tragic" Gun Death

OK, one more whack at the dead horse, then I'll call it a day. Besides, I still have my "24 - The Morning After" post to write. Might not get to that one 'til tomorrow. So much to blog, so little time.

Anyway...

Here's a classic example of the tragic kind of gun fatality that politicians in Massachusetts, like State Senator Jarrett "Proud Graduate of the Ponch and John Firearms Academy" Barrios and Boston Mayor Tom "Blame Everyone Else" Menino, are working so tirelessly to prevent.

I'm amazed the Boston Globe isn't covering this story, and as of noontime today, I couldn't find it anywhere on the AP wire. [/shocking]

An investigation revealed that Jackson saw Vigil trying to break into the front door with the butt end of a rifle. Jackson grabbed a .410 shotgun and shot the intruder in the chest as he entered the home, but the shot did not stop him, police said.


Rule #2: Bring enough gun.

Jackson and his son ran into a back bedroom and locked the door. Jackson told his son to hide under a bed and then grabbed a 30-06 rifle and started loading it. Police said the intruder then fired two rounds from a 30.30 rifle through the closed bedroom door.

Jackson yelled at him to leave and fired one round from his weapon through the bedroom door into the hallway. The intruder fired two more rounds and then began busting open the bedroom door, police said.

At that point Jackson fired another round, which apparently struck the intruder in the right hip area. The door remained closed and Jackson and his son stayed in the bedroom until officers arrived.


So much for the "Just call 911" tactic being promoted by the "progressive" gun "safety" movement. The only function the police are going to serve in a case like this is to fill out a report and coordinate corpse removal with the coroner's office. The only question left to debate is - whose corpse?

Had this story played out in Massachusetts (or Chicago, Washington DC, New Jersey, Great Britain, etc.), it would most likely have been the 9-year-old boy and his father being scraped up off the floor and tagged as evidence (with the blood-stained trigger lock keys bagged separately).

Based on the words and deeds of our elected officials here in Boston, and in the Massachusetts State Legislature, I can only discern that they deem that the more favorable of the two scenarios on the table here.

Remember...gun control, it's FOR THE CHILDREN!TM.

Idiotic GFW response: But, if we just got rid of all the guns, the assailant wouldn't have had a gun either!

And, having the father and his son dismembered with a chainsaw would have been so much more favorable an outcome. Hey, whatever helps you sleep at night.

(link via KABA)


Been There

A couple in Palmdale, California was shocked to find that a local Burger King had inadvertently charged $4,334.33 to their debit card for a few burgers at the drive-through window.

Reminds of the time I went to the "Naked I" with some friends (my first foray into the Combat Zone and the world of, um, "gentlemen's" clubs), and was charged 20 bucks for four Bud longnecks.


Self-Satire?

Apparently fed up with what the Commonwealth has become after years and years of having the legislature dominated by hard right Republicans, local blogger, Hoss, has launched his new blog, MassChange, with the following tagline:

Musings on How Democrats Will Make Massachusetts Change for the Better


Um...whatever.

(link via Blue Mass. Group)


It's Whom You Know (cont.)

From the "Rules For Thee, But Not For Me" Department, comes this story in today's Boston Herald.

Pols back ex-chief'’s bid to carry gun again

A state senator and a former state representative vouched for an ex-con former police chief from Western Massachusetts who was seeking a pardon from Gov. Mitt Romney so he could carry a gun again.

State Sen. Andrea Nuciforo Jr. (D-Pittsfield) and former Dalton Rep. Shaun Kelly wrote letters supporting former Ashfield police Chief Warren Kirkpatrick, who served three months in jail for stealing a boat on Cape Cod.


Sorry, Warren, but maybe the preservation of your right (read: privilege) to carry a gun in Massachusetts was something that should have entered your mind PRIOR TO stealing someone's boat.

The 1987 conviction stripped Kirkpatrick of his right to carry a gun, but he wants the pardon so he can have his sidearm back while working as Ashfield'’s animal control officer. The town’s current chief, John Svoboda, also wrote a letter on Kirkpatrick'’s behalf, but Romney denied a pardon in 2004.


But, why would one need a gun in that line of work? State wildlife officials recommend banging pots and pans together to ward off predatory animals in the wild, or spraying them with water from a garden hose - no license required.

"What happened years ago wasn't a violent crime...


Well, boo-fucking-hoo for you, bitch.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If you don't like the law, work to get it changed. Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should there be any kind of special treatment for those with political connections.

I've never been convicted (or charged, or even suspected) of committing any kind of crime, violent or otherwise, yet I have been deemed unsuitable, by those under the direct authority of Boston Police Commissioner O'Toole and Mayor Menino, to carry a concealed firearm in public. And, like the vast majority of licensed gun owners in the Commonwealth, I have no one higher up on the political ladder to appeal to the authorities on my behalf.

So, forgive me if my sympathy-meter isn't reading too high this morning.

...It was a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time,"” Svoboda said yesterday.


EXCUSE ME!!!

So, tell me, what happened next? Did the theft fairy come along and sprinkle him with pixie pilfering dust, causing him to "accidentally" steal someone's boat? What kind of bullshit is that?

Oh, never mind. I forget where I am sometimes.


Picking a Winner Can Be Tough

But, it looks like US Congressman Michael Capuano isn't the only one who knows a loser when he sees one.


Slow ticket sales force freebie AG fund-raiser: $500 a head...or $0, whatever works for you


Listless ticket sales forced Attorney General and aspiring governor Tom Reilly to send out complimentary invitations to his birthday party fund-raiser tonight, according to political sources and Reilly campaign documents.

The $500 VIP event at the posh State Room comes as Reilly has shown sluggish fund-raising numbers in 2006.

In the first two weeks of March, he reported receipts of $9,380 compared to Democratic rival Deval Patrick’s $57,787 and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey’s $191,625, according to state campaign finance records.

Earlier this month, Reilly, whose birthday is in February, sent the free invite to the big-ticket event to his gubernatorial backers along with an alert about a new education intiative he announced Feb. 28.

"I have also included a complimentary invitation to my upcoming birthday party on March 28 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m at the State Room, 60 State Street, in Boston. I hope to see you there," reads the last paragraph of the education alert.


And, I hope to see you in the unemployment line come November. It's looking more and more like I might just get my wish. Keep up the good work, Tom.


Stabbing the Dead Horse

Needless to say, I've received quite a few e-mails me about this hard-to-miss piece of news out of Lawrence, Massachusetts. I'll offer up a few words, though it hardly warrants the additional commentary on my part.

It's just more of the same - blaming inanimate objects for the actions of criminal scumbags, and then trying to reduce the amount of crime committed by these individuals by making it illegal for anyone, law-abiding citizens included, to possess said inanimate object.


Lawrence hopes to cut crime with city ban on long knives


LAWRENCE -- To counter what city leaders say are loopholes in state law that have stymied efforts to curb knife-related crimes, Lawrence has adopted a ban on long-bladed knives.


Though the article doesn't say specifically, I'll assume for now that the laws outlawing purse snatching, armed robbery, assault and battery, aggravated assault, narcotics trafficking, and assault with intent to murder are still on the books in Lawrence.

And as we all know, the scum who are willing to break these laws at the drop of a hat will immediately turn to a life of goodwill and charity upon hearing that their knives have been banned.

Anyone found in Lawrence carrying a knife with a blade longer than 2 1/2 inches is subject to arrest and a fine of $100 to $300.


Look for boxcutter sales to skyrocket.

Under the city ordinance, which was passed last week and will take affect next month, it is still legal to carry a knife to hunt, fish, or conduct work.


Hey, armed robbery's hard work, man.

The ordinance seeks to get a whole range of knives off the streets. In Lawrence, officers say, people use knives with curved or double blades and spiked handles to commit crimes. They also use machetes, steak knives, and sharpened screwdrivers.


No word yet on pointy sticks (or... BANANAS!) [/cleese]

And, from the flock:

News of the ordinance was well received at a number of businesses that have been robbed at knifepoint.

Fred Whittington was behind the counter at a convenience store last summer when someone he thought wanted to buy a phone card was suddenly wearing a ski mask, brandishing a blade, and demanding that Whittington empty the register.

"I guess I wasn't moving fast enough, and he stuck me in the arm and in the side," Whittington said, adding that the cuts were superficial.


Sounds like a nice young man who just needs a knife ban to turn his life around so he can focus on his blossoming hip-hop career.

"I think this law is a good thing. Why should anyone carry that stuff around?" he said.

The store he works at has been robbed numerous times, and employees say most of the robberies involved knives.


Gee, if only there was a way for decent, hard-working, law-abiding people to defend themselves from scumbags like that. Hmmmmm...


Monday, March 27, 2006

More Numbnuts In The News

So, a bunch of numbnut teenagers were boozing it up at a house in Boxborough, Massachusetts, when they decided to break out the guns.

BOXBOUROUGH -- A late night party is broken up by police after neighbors report gunshots early Sunday morning.

After receiving 911 calls reporting shots fired, police responded to 30 Chester Road and found eight teens between 16-18-years-old allegedly intoxicated.

Authorities then found a loaded semi-automatic assault rifle that was allegedly shown to guests during the party. The officers seized the rifle along with a handgun, two other rifles, alcohol and a beer funnel.


One of the little Skippy McFucknuggets thought it would be a real hoot to fire off a few rounds from an semi-auto AK clone outside the back of the house...in the dark!

18-year-old Brian Whittier of 205 Great Road in Acton allegedly fired two shots from the rifle from outside the back of the house. Whittier was charged with possessing liquor under 21-years of age, carrying a large capacity firearm, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling, and disturbing the peace.

The resident of the home, a 17-year-old, was charged with possessing liquor under 21-years of age, resisting arrest, carrying a firearm without a license, possessing a firearm without a FID card, possessing a large capacity feeding device and possessing ammunition without a FID card.

Two other minors were charged with possessing liquor under 21-years of age and one was charged with carrying a large capacity firearm.


I wonder if they'll get the full 11 days or if that severe punishment is reserved only for gun law offenders with a prior criminal record.

Via Google Earth, we get this overhead view of the rifle range located in the back yard at 30 Chester Road in Boxborough. Click here for a larger image.



The target furthest away in that shot is about 0.2 miles (approx. 1050 ft) from the back of the house. With the effective range of an AK-47 being somwhere in the neighborhood of 300m to 400m (approx. 985 to 1,312 ft), and an effective "killing range" of 1,500m, it's safe to forward Mr. Whittier's name to the Dumbass Hall of Fame for their year-end nominations for enshrinement.


Google News Search Hits

"anti-immigration" = 586
"anti-illegal immigration" = 172

Shocking.

"anti-immigrant" = 909
"anti-illegal immigrant" = 22

I'm stunned.


And He's Got Mad Hoop Skillz

So, George Mason is in the Final Four. Not bad for a guy with radiation poisoning who died while crashing a plane in the Mojave Desert, saving Los Angeles from a nuclear attack.

Also, from the Wikipedia "24" character bios:

Before joining CTU, he was a member of the Boston Police Department's SWAT unit and had previously served in the United States Army's 2nd Infantry Brigade.

Manning has B.A. degree in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts.


Curtis went to ZooMass. Who knew?

"If you don't tap that second keg, I will draw my weapon!"


1,001 Words

From the New Hampshire Union Leader:

(click for larger image)


Self Defense for Liberals

From the Boston Herald:

Gunplay on Geneva Avenue yesterday afternoon sent horrified residents scrambling for cover and a 19-year-old Dorchester man hopping for help as fast he could with a bullet in his foot.

One 50-year-old woman, who did not want to give her name but who was visibly startled from her close call, said she had just come home from church and was walking up her front steps, arms laden with boxes of pizza, when she heard shots ring out in the street behind her.

"I just ran inside," she said, looking back at her Acura, which took a bullet to a passenger-side window and was enveloped in yellow police crime-scene tape in the aftermath of the shooting.

"Oh my Lord," she said. "I have to pray harder."


I'll give her partial credit. She forgot "cower".


Friday, March 24, 2006

File Under: Too Good To Pass Up

From the Boston Globe:

Before there was Hyannis Port, there was the Honey Fitz mansion in Hull.

If they look hard enough, house hunters can imagine the beginnings of an American political dynasty in the Hull mansion: perhaps a young Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy coming to summer at the house in 1917 with her newborn baby in her arms.

Born in Brookline, John F. Kennedy spent the first summer of his life in Hull, much of it at the sprawling multigabled house that his maternal grandfather bought.

A Colorado mortgage company is hoping that history will be an ally when an auctioneer puts the historic Honey Fitz mansion in Hull out to bid Tuesday. The company is also hoping that one of those buyers will have a check for at least $2.3 million in his pocket, but that is by no means certain, given the soft market for luxury houses, said real estate analysts familiar with the property.

[snip]

Boston historian Thomas H. O'Connor said yesterday that the house has a legitimate place in the historic legacy of the Kennedys, who are so often associated with images of the seashore, like President Kennedy sailing or his brother, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, running on Oregon Beach with his dog Freckles.


No additional commentary required.


If You Have To Ask...

Here's a classic letter to the editor from the Brookline TAB, in which a resident of that ever-so "progressive" enclave expresses his bewilderment over the town's restrictions on overnight resident parking.

While the transportation board debates the two-hour parking rule, I remain bewildered by the larger question of why we Brookline residents have to endure an overnight parking ban on all streets all year round.


Mr. Bewilderment then proceeds to answer his own question (unbeknown to himself) in the next paragraph.

When we have overnight guests we have to trek to the police headquarters to get a $10 Guest Overnight parking permit, drive in a two-car caravan to the designated lot where such spaces are hopefully available to drop off the guest car, and then race back to the lot by 10 a.m., the next morning so as to not get a meter fine.


You see, Mr. Netsky, it's all about public safety.

Next!


Armed Robbery 101

Lesson #1: Avoid targets where you might encounter a higher than normal concentration of law enforcement officers.

This guy (or guys) must've cut class at scumbag school that day.

Two Downtown Donut Shops Robbed

At 9:19pm last night an unknown male walked into the Dunkin Donuts on Causeway Street, demanded money from the register and said he had a gun. The suspect fled the store without any money. Within minutes, officers received a second call for a robbery at the Dunkin Donuts at 235 Washington Street, Downtown. Officers were told that a white male entered the shop, displayed a handgun and demanded money from the register. The suspect was handed an undetermined amount of money and fled the scene on foot. Officers searched the area to no avail. Both incidents are under investigation and it is unclear if the two are connected.


Thursday, March 23, 2006

Score One More For the Good Guys

Alternate Title: We're Definitely Not In Kansas Now, Toto!

Kan. concealed-weapons bill to become law

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The state House on Thursday overrode Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' veto of a concealed weapons bill, allowing it to become law this summer.

The vote was 91-33, giving supporters seven votes more than the required two-thirds majority. The Senate voted 30-10 for the override Wednesday night, three votes more than needed.

The new law, taking effect July 1, will permit Kansans who are U.S. citizens to apply for concealed-carry permits at their local sheriffs' offices. Applicants must be 21 and take firearms training, and hidden weapons still will be banned in some places, including schools, churches, libraries and courthouses.

Sen. Phil Journey, a sponsor of the bill, said it was "about making Kansans safer. ... It's about trusting law abiding citizens to make this choice."


"Choice", what an interesting concept!

UPDATE: For the record, I'm stunned the AP put out that story without including any of the "blood in the streets" hysteria from the Brady Bunch (or like-minded GFW organization) that we've grown so accustomed to.

I'm equally stunned that the Boston Globe picked up a story with hardly a trace of anti-2A sentiment and ran with it.


In Massachusetts, It's Not Who You Know

It's whom you know.

More specifically, it's whom you know who happens to be an ex-state legislator and high ranking member of the Massachusetts State Police.

While talking tough on drunken driving on Beacon Hill, gubernatorial hopeful Kerry Healey'’s running mate Reed Hillman went to bat for a political pal seeking a governor'’s pardon for three OUI busts, among other crimes, records show.


"Other crimes", huh?

Hillman, an ex-state representative and state police colonel, wrote a letter recommending a pardon for former state Senate candidate James W. Mitchell, whose rap sheet includs three OUI arrests, an assault on a cop and another minor driving offense. Mitchell, now 72, was hoping to wipe his record clean but was denied a pardon by Gov. Mitt Romney on May 24, 2004, state records show.


Assault on a police officer?

Phew! For a minute there, I thought it was something serious, like trying to sell a can of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving morning in Massachusetts.

Hillman, who is running for lieutenant governor on the GOP ticket with Healey, admitted last night that he knew about the drunken driving arrests but still supported Mitchell's pardon bid. He said he wrote the letter recommending Mitchell's pardon after checking with the Palmer police chief who gave Mitchell "two thumbs up."


Musta beat up a Ware cop.

Mitchell'’s OUI arrests were in 1972, 1977 and 1982. The 1972 charge was dismissed, the 1977 charge was continued for six months and later dismissed, and he was found guilty on the 1982 charge and fined $100.


So, he was found guilty, and sentenced in accordance with the laws that were in place at the time of his arrest and conviction. He's served his sentence, like thousands of other Bay State residents have, when ordered to do so by the courts. So, why the big push for a full pardon (hint: think Jane "Sign 'Em" Swifty)?

"He had one conviction. If he had three convictions, I would have never done this," Hillman said. "One conviction, 20 years old. He was an elderly guy who essentially wanted to go to his grave with a clean record."


Golly gee, that sounds innocent enough. Is that all there is to the story?

Mitchell sought the pardon after he was denied a gun license renewal because of the assault conviction but said he wanted all the charges erased from his record.


Didn't think so.

"It was a few minute things I wanted to get off my record," Mitchell said last night from his Palmer home.


Just a paltry little conviction for assaulting a police officer. Why, that's just a flesh wound nothing major.

Sorry, fuckface.

If those of us without friends in the upper echelons of the state police have to live by these rules, then, "Welcome to the party, pal!" I'm all broken up over your gun license renewal being denied, but maybe - just MAYBE - your ability to legally own a gun in Massachusetts, if it was that important to you, was something you should have taken into account before you assaulted a cop.

On the other hand, do I think someone should be permanently barred from owning a firearm based solely on a 24-year-old drunk driving conviction? Fuck no. But asking to be pardoned for assaulting a police officer in order to get your gun permit renewal approved? I don't think so. Can you believe Romney didn't whip out the pardon pen and sign that one on the spot? I'm shocked.

Mitchell, who lost a 1976 bid for state Senate...


Multiple arrests for drunk driving and "other crimes", including assault on a police officer? Well, he's certainly qualified for the job. Don't give up the dream, Mitch ol' boy!

Now the question is, will Reed Hillman become Kerry Healey's "Marie St. Fleur" as a result of this story breaking? Maybe not. But, it sure makes him look like just another cheesedick hack politician in my book.

UPDATE: The Boston Globe is reporting that Mitchell's assault charge dates back to 1957 - nearly 50 years ago. Which raises the following question - do people convicted of violent crimes still have the right to protect their families from harm (in their homes) after serving their sentences and "paying their debt" to society?

The compassionate, liberal part of me that believes in rehabilitation of dangerous criminals says, "yes". Though, that opinion is not shared by the supposedly compassionate, liberal pols writing these laws 'round here.

But a bigger, and far more cynical, part of me says, "Screw you, pal. You've got to live by the same rules as the rest of us. Don't like the rules? Then lobby your politician buddies there to get them changed, so that we might all benefit equally. No special treatment!"


One More Thing

The Boston Police Department's blog, BPDNews.com - like any blog worth its weight in bulk .22LR - allows for readers' comments to be posted. However, comments are moderated and must be approved by the site owner prior to being posted online, which is why I was more than a little surprised to see this one up there this morning.

Wow, this is great. I am sure the women would rather have been allowed to protect themselves, but a report is just as good. Hooray for the helpless populace.


*


A World Without Guns (cont.)

Fire up the crystal ball, folks. It's time for yet another look into the future present, to a time and place where decent law-abiding citizens have been stripped of their right to defend themselves from violent predators.

From BPDNews.com:

Within the past week, two women have been robbed and assaulted while walking in two different stairwells at the Boston Common Parking Garage. In both incidents, while waiting in the stairwell, the suspect grabbed the victims and pushed them against a wall. The suspect told the victim in the first incident that he is a junkie and needs money for a fix. The suspect appears to be getting more aggressive, utilizing a kitchen knife as a weapon in the latest incident.


POP QUIZ: What can our mayor, our legislature, and police commissioner do to best address this problem and prevent future attacks of this nature from occurring?

(A) Looking at "where" these crimes are taking place, the answer is clear. Ban parking garages!

(B) Looking at "who" the victims are - women out walking by themselves - we can pass legislation to make them less attractive targets by requiring women to have a male escort when leaving their homes or workplaces.

(C) Looking at "how" these crimes are being perpetrated, it's even more obvious what needs to be done. City and state officials must band together with their cohorts in the national media and launch a relentless PR campaign critical of the lax kitchen utensil laws in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.

(D) Lastly, we can address the "why" behind these crimes and work to eliminate the demand that fuels them. All we have to do is create a taxpayer-funded cash distribution center for the local crackheads and meth fiends.

I call upon our leaders to act now, and implement any, or all, of these "common-sense" public safety initiatives -FOR THE CHILDREN!TM. If enacting one of these proposals could save JUST ONE LIFETM, imagine what a Utopian paradise of peace and love we'd be living in if we could manage to get all four of these passed.

What are we waiting for?


Wednesday, March 22, 2006

The Mass. Ave. Shooting

Yep. Another [yaaaawn] shooting in the disarmed Progressive People's Republic of Bostonia. I was going to pass on blogging this one. There are only so many hours in the day, and who has time to cover every incident in Boston of some nutjob discharging a firearm?

Apparent suicide ends lethal S. End quarrel

An unidentified man is dead after apparently shooting a female acquaintance then turning the gun on himself early yesterday outside a South End rooming house.


On steps of brownstone, a grim scene of violence

Gunfire rattled residents of a South End street early yesterday when a man shot his estranged girlfriend in the head as she left her building and then turned the gun on himself, police and witnesses said.


This story is particularly blogworthy, to me, in that it happened Monday morning at the same time and place where I was walking three days earlier on my way to work. Had I taken the T to work on Monday, it's quite possible I would have been right there as it went down. And, thanks to the most effective gun laws in the nation, only one of the people on the sidewalk that morning would have been armed.

Sorry, but "pepper spray vs. handgun" isn't my idea of "fair and balanced".

Unfortunately, the person with the upper hand would have been the deranged murderous scumbag. He seemed to possess no moral qualms over carrying a loaded firearm in public. And, yes, I'm going way out on the proverbial limb here and assuming he was not properly licensed to do so.

Can you believe our "common sense" gun "safety" laws did nothing to prevent this tragedy? It's simply shocking, I tell you. Why, it's as if gun control doesn't work! Someone should write a blog about this.



From what I could tell by watching the news accounts of the shooting, the gun was a medium to large-caliber single action (maybe) revolver. Stay tuned for legislation seeking to ban the civilian possession of these weapons of mass destruction, now that they've become the "weapon of choice" for today's nostalgic street thug.


Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Detective John Ass Munch

Richard Belzer: Leftist Fucknugget of the Week

According to actor and comedian Richard Belzer, American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are too uneducated to be expressing support for the U.S. military mission since they're just "19 and 20-year-old kids who couldn't get a job" and "they don't read twenty newspapers a day."


NewsBusters has more, including this observation.

During the 2004 campaign, liberals contended that Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's experience in Vietnam as a ground soldier made him an expert on the Iraq war, but now, by Belzer's reasoning, soldiers and Marines actually on the ground in Iraq have no credibility.


IMDB.com has this to say on Belzer's academic "accomplishments".

A social misfit, was kicked out of every school he ever attended, due to his uncontrollable wit.


From Wikipedia.com:

He unsuccessfully attended junior college...


And, from the Department of Cheap Shots, comes this revelation:

Richard Belzer

Born: 4-Aug-1944
Birthplace: Bridgeport, CT

Gender: Male
Religion: Jewish
Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Comic, Actor

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Munch on Homicide, Law & Order: SVU

Military service: US Army

Has only one testicle.


Hence, the title of his 1997 album, I suppose.


24 - The Morning After

Episode 14: 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Bruce's Five-Point Review

1. Ok, I'll say it. Someone has to.

Jack Bauer is a pussy.

What's the deal, Jack? Just because she's, like, all hot and stuff, she doesn't get the full Jack Bauer interrogation? Hot terrorist broads get immunity, and it's eyeballs and kneecaps for everyone else? Is that how it is now?

Fuck that. Let's review.

You took a lamp cord to your girlfriend's husband last season, and he was innocent, ferchrissakes!

You handcuffed a guy to his car and broke his fingers for just a tiny bit of information.

You were ready to gouge Walt Cummings' freaking eyeballs out with a knife.

I've lost count of the number of time you've jammed your thumb into assorted terrorist scumbags' gunshot wounds in the past.

Christ, Jack, you shot Henderson's wife in the leg, and she wasn't all that bad-looking?

And, spare me the "we don't have time" argument. She would have talked in a heartbeat. As soon as the clippers touched a strand of her hot silky hair, she'd have squealed like a pig. Hell, you wasted hours pumping Henderson full of drugs, and you KNEW he wouldn't talk.

But, noooooo. Put some hot slutty-looking terrorist chick in front of you and you go all French on us, man - just like last year. What gives? You wouldn't even put her in handcuffs when you took her into custody, you wuss. Afraid you might hurt her delicate little wrists?

What if she were ugly, Jack, huh? Or old? Or a dude? Fuck you and your double standards, you sexist pig!

2. However...

I could easily be persuaded to give you one more chance to redeem yourself. You work over Audrey next week to get everything out of her and all will be forgiven. She's nowhere near as hot as the little bimbo you got all gushy on.

3. That dipshit DHS guy fell for the old "Oops, I spilled coffee on your crotch" trick. What a retard. And, since when is it OK to drink coffee at your workstation? Even fat (and dead) Edgar had his coffee and donuts in the break room.

Oh yeah. They're going on DHS protocols now. They probably got workstation coffee and donut breaks as a result of their most recent bargaining agreement.

4. I've got the perfect way for CTU to get of the immunity deal they cut with Jack's new girlfriend there. Assuming there was no immunity offered for violation of California state law, and seeing as she was carrying a concealed weapon at the time of her arrest, I say lock her up on the gun charge and let the ladies of the California Institution for Women take care of her.

Oh, and please film that.

5. And, please, if there isn't going to be a single kill in an episode, can we dispense with the "graphic violence" warning at the beginning of the show? Was there any? Watching the replay of Hobbit-boy gurgling up a little nerve gas vomit hardly counts.


Monday, March 20, 2006

Do Boston Globe Editors Read the Globe?

I'm only asking because just two days before printing today's pathetic anti-gun editorial, in which they said the following...

The underlying causes of gun violence in Boston are complex, and the solutions elusive. While authorities sort those out, it makes sense to attack the problem at the supply side.

[Translated: We got nothing! Guns are bad! More gun control!]


...they ran this story about what a "great" job the City's been doing taking care of the "demand" side.

Action is sought on repeat offenders

Boston police believe that a hard-core group of offenders who commit repeated gun and other crimes are driving much of the city's worrying surge in street violence.

In an extensive review of the records of 597 people arrested last year on charges of illegal possession of firearms, police officials found that nearly one-third had one or more prior arrests and that only 13 percent were in custody in mid-January as a result of their 2005 firearms charges.


This is clearly New Hampshire's fault, right, Mumbles?

"When people see that somebody commits a crime and the community knows that he commits the crime or believes that he did and that person's on the street and we're talking about very, very serious crimes ... the perception in the community is that the government, the police, the courts have not done their job," Police Superintendent Robert Dunford said in an interview yesterday.


I guess that depends on your definition of the word "done".

The study, obtained by the Globe, shows:

- Thirty percent of the 597 people arrested last year on charges of illegal gun possession had had at least one other firearm possession charge.

- Nearly 20 percent of those arrested in 2005 had been rearrested by mid-January of this year for firearm, violent crime, and drug offenses.

- The 597 had amassed an average of 22 criminal charges, including an average of six firearm-related charges, in their lifetime. One person had 39 firearm-related charges.

One suspect profiled in the study has been arrested on gun charges five times. He had amassed 41 adult criminal charges and had been released on bail after his fourth gun arrest in August. Police say the suspect was arrested in January on charges of shooting someone in December.


Yet, according to today's editorial, which reads more like a press release from Menino's office, the most sensible approach to take toward reducing gun crime in Boston consists of trampling on the rights of law-abiding gun owners in New Hampshire and Maine. Yeah, like that'll help.

With strong, competent, and responsible leadership like that, is it any wonder that people are moving out of the city at the unprecedented rate of one person every 53 minutes?

And, just because...


Let's Play "Spot the Hypocrisy"!

Massachusetts Attorney General, and 2006 gubernatorial hopeful, Tom Reilly delivers yet another stellar example of what it means to talk out of both sides of one's ass.

Massachusetts and eight other states have reached a $171 million settlement with Zurich American Insurance Co. relating to bid-rigging and price-fixing in the commercial insurance market, the states' attorneys general announced Sunday.

[snip]

Added Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly: "Bid-rigging is a serious offense that will not be tolerated ... Insurance companies will not get away with deceiving their customers, inflating prices, or manipulating the insurance marketplace."


Unless, of course, they're in the business of selling auto insurance in Massachusetts.

I'm guessing Zurich American didn't have the most recent version of Tom Reilly's "Approved Palm Lubricant Recipients Roster". That'll teach 'em to fuck around with Tom "Tough on Crime...Sometimes" Reilly.


Boston Globe Anti-Gun - Who Knew?

Here's a real shocker to kick off your week. The Boston Globe, believe it or not, has published yet another anti-gun [gasp!] editorial, that contains inaccurate [shocking!] and misleading [say it ain't so!] statements.

A glut of guns

In a nutshell, this is just an extension of Mayor Menino's recently adopted strategy of passing the buck and blaming "the other guy" for his own shortcomings. Just one more attempt to place the responsibility for the actions of Boston's criminal population on the shoulders of the law-abiding citizens and the gun laws of our neighboring states.

With so many ways to divert guns illegally, it is hard to know where to begin.


Let's see...demonstrating the resolve and the ability to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate the violent criminals who are using these guns in the commission of violent crimes might be a good place to start.

Allowing law-abiding citizens to legally defend themselves from said criminal scumbags might not be a bad idea either.

Good answers are offered by Robert Ricker, a former lobbyist and attorney for gun makers and gun rights groups who is now a major critic of extreme elements of the gun lobby.


Yeah, "good answers" like suing the gun manfacurers for the illegal use of their products by criminals, who obtained their products through illegal channels.

Requiring background checks before any purchase at gun shows, says Ricker, would be the best route to disrupt the illicit trade. Massachusetts already requires checks for such sales, including those by private parties. But gun show rules are looser in New Hampshire and Maine, which explains why weapons from these states are cropping up in Boston.


Which explains, of course, why I had to undergo a background check prior to purchasng a gun in New Hampshire last year at one of these "bloodbath boutiques". For a more detailed debunking of this most recent campaign of lies and hyperbole to come out of the gun-fearing blissninnies' camp, see my earlier post on the subject: 12-Step Program for MA Gun Buyers.

Once again, what we're seeing here is the anti-gun rights lobby clinging to the fantasy that all we need are just a few more gun control laws, and our problems will vanish into thin air.

These people, in their never-ending quest to force you and me to live in their fantasy world of gumdrops and sugarplums, will tell you with a straight face that the individuals responsible for illegally trafficking firearms across state lines will cease their unlawful activity when suddenly faced with the prospect of breaking ten gun laws, instead of eight or nine.

Ricker also backs laws to outlaw the purchase of more than one handgun in any 30-day period.


Of course he does. He's cut from the same cloth as Massachusetts Senator John "Can I git me a huntin' license here?" Kerry and our state senator Jarrett "B.A. Baracus School of Firearms" Barrios. They never met a gun control law they didn't like.

Such laws would not affect sportsmen...


...such as trout fisherman.

Not only is that statement blatantly false, it's lacking in its relevance to the discussion of gun rights in general. And don't even get me started on what our esteemed junior senator's true feelings are on the sporting purposes of firearms.

I could think of dozens of ways that such a law would adversely affect someone looking to purchase firearms for recreational purposes.

"Sorry guys, I can't join you on your hunting trip. I need a new deer rifle, and I just bought a new .22 target pistol last week. Maybe next month, OK?"

or...

"Gee, that matched pair of Colt Peacemakers would make a fine addition to my collection of single action revolvers. I'll take one."

I could think of several more where it would affect the ability of law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms for personal defense. But, then again, the gun-control zealots, along with their willing accomplices at the Boston Globe and the Massachusetts State House, do not recognize armed self-defense as a legitimate reason for the private ownership of firearms.

...but would greatly disrupt bulk purchases by straw buyers fronting for convicted criminals who are prohibited from buying from licensed dealers.


Here's an idea, let's get rid of all our "compassionate" judges who are doing everything in their power to put these convicted criminals back out on the streets as quickly as possible.

The underlying causes of gun violence in Boston are complex, and the solutions elusive. While authorities sort those out, it makes sense to attack the problem at the supply side.


Because a community crawling with knife-wielding criminals is more desirable that one populated with an armed, law-abiding citizenry. Gotta maintain the voter base, I suppose.

And, for this week's "Compare and Conrast" case study, we get this article from the New Hampshire Union Leader discussing the increase in crime that is accompanying the economic growth and development of the City of Manchester (hmmm...prosperity causing crime - there's a new one for Menino's official play book, "Passing the Buck For Dummies").

Arrest made in store robbery, stabbing

“There’s some dangerous people out there,” [Manchester Alderman, and retired police officer, Armand] Forest said.


What? You mean it's not the fault of dangerous, yet entirely inanimate, objects? Holding individuals accountable for their actions? That's not a very progressive way of thinking there, Mr. Forest.

"I want to believe that this is maybe a fad for a little while ... I don’t think this is going to last forever."

He added: “We just got an influx of undesirable people here, and we have to do something to deal with it."


Come again? What's all this crazy talk about "undesirable people" causing crime?

Has Mayor Menino been notified of this startling new development?


File Under "You Get What you Pay For"

I'm back.

Blogger's been sucking dog dick today.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blgging.


Friday, March 17, 2006

Have a Great Weekend

We're off to Maine for the weekend. If you're planning on tipping back a few cold ones in celebration of St. Patrick's Day this evening, please do so responsibly and leave the car at home. I'd hate to lose a reader due to a fatal case of the stupids.

And, NO GREEN BEER, dammit!

To those of you in the employ of the Commonwealth or the City of Boston who were able to get an early jump on your, um, "Evacuation (pronounced: eve-HACK-uation) Day" festivities (cough...scam...cough), I have but this to say.


See ya Monday.


The Solution is Crystal Clear

This country needs more "common sense" restaurant control. Besides, nobody NEEDS a high-capacity French Slam Breakfast at 2:45 in the morning.

Man shot dead at Calif. Denny's restaurant

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — A gunman opened fire early Friday at a Denny's restaurant, killing one man and seriously wounding another, police said. It was the third fatal shooting at the restaurant chain in Southern California this week.


How much longer must our children be exposed to these bloody slaughterhouses until we stand up and say, "THAT'S ENOUGH!"?

Ban Denny's NOW!


It's St. Patrick's Day!

Have a little Guinness.


Thursday, March 16, 2006

Business as Usual

Seeing how police and prosecutors across the Commonwealth, especially here in Boston, have been so successful at arresting, convicting, and incarcerating all the real criminals in our communities, the legislature is now looking to create a whole new class of criminals for the police to go after.

Makes sense, now that all the murderers, drug dealers, rapists, and armed gangbangers are off the streets and behind bars, the police are gonna need something to do with all their free time.

A bill making it a crime to drive while using a cellphone without a hands-free device moved from committee to the full House yesterday.


All in the interest of "public safety", right?

Sure, as long as the phrase "public safety", on your planet, is synonymous with the phrase "revenue enhancement".

Violations would be punished by a $250 fine for the first offense and a $500 fine for the second.


How terribly fitting that the Globe ran this in the "Business" section.

Click to purchase this fine piece of mAss Backwards merchandise - all proceeds will go toward the purchase of firearms and/or ammunition. I promise.
(click to purchase)


Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Isn't that Against the Law?

Police: 3 dead in restaurant shooting

PISMO BEACH, California (AP) -- A gunman opened fire inside a crowded Denny's restaurant during lunch hour Wednesday, killing two people and wounding two before taking his own life, police said.


I hope his concealed carry permit was up-to-date.

Boston Globe front-page coverage in 10...9...8...

UPDATE: 7...6.

UPDATE: This juicy story, in the eyes of the Boston Globe, requires both the AP story linked above, and the feed off the Reuters wire. Why, it's super-newsworthy!


I Guess It All Depends...

...on your definition of "newsworthy".

Buckle up, kids, it's time for this week's pop quiz, which will be taking a look at some of the national news headlines from the last couple of days.

First up, from Trenton, New Jersey (245 miles from Boston):

A group of thugs attempted to rob the owner of a small grocery store at gunpoint. One of the men was armed with a handgun, but any future plans of his were permanently put on hold by the storeowner who opened fire with his gun, killing the armed assailant.

Next, out of Toledo, Ohio (645 miles from Boston):

A homeowner used a shotgun to thwart the home invasion/robbery plans of a scumbag who thought it would be a splendid idea to break into the man's house at 2:30 in the morning for a little income redistribution.

And, in Eureka Springs, North Carolina (655 miles from Boston):

An armed man broke into the home of 23-year-old Crystal Strickland, a pregnant mother of two children.

Luckily for her, she wasn't a resident subject of Mayor Menino's gun-free paradise, the Soviet Republic of Bostonia, and was able to defend herself and her children with her legally owned firearm, killing the intruder in the ensuing exchange of gunfire.

Shame on her, right, Mr. Mayor?

And, finally, from Reno, Nevada (2,520 miles from Boston):

An eighth-grade student opened fire outside the cafeteria in his school with a handgun, injuring two of his classmates.

POP QUIZ: Which of the above stories did the Boston Globe deem newsworthy enough for publication in the pages of their hallowed paper?

Here's the answer for some of my more "progressive" readers who might be stumped on this one.


The Next Governor of Massachusetts?

Massachusetts Attorney General Tom Reilly, once again, seems to be going out of his way to torpedo what's left of his campaign for the governor's office.

Reilly OK'’d gag clause on probe of Dig leaks

Attorney General Tom Reilly signed a secrecy pact that will conceal information about leaky Big Dig tunnels unless the same company whose work is being investigated grants him permission to disclose it.

The five-year confidentiality agreement among Reilly, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and Big Dig general contractor Bechtel Parsons Brinkerhoff [sic] states that data on the tunnel leaks cannot be divulged "without the written consent of all three parties."


So, essentially, he's single-handedly guaranteed that the taxpayers of Massachusetts will be kept in the dark until sometime in the year 2011, at which time this information will be made readily available to the public.

Well, that's just fucking fabulous.

Can anyone please explain to me how this could even remotely be in the best interest of the Commonwealth? Because, from where I'm standing, the person who might benefit the most from this would be someone who might not want any damaging information to be released to the public until after this someone's potential re-election bid in 2010.

But, please, feel free to insert your own conspiracy theory here.

"I've never heard of a state attorney general voluntarily gagging himself," said Eric Fehrnstrom, spokesman for Gov. Mitt Romney.


Come on, Eric, this is hardly the first time Reilly's jammed his foot in his mouth. Pay attention, man!

"What Tom Reilly has done is to delegate to Bechtel and the Turnpike Authority the power to determine what he can say, when he says it or even if he says anything at all. That is not in the public interest."


Gee, ya think?

Yet, this is the candidate considered, by many, to be the front-runner in the race for governor?

Yikes.

Former Pike board member Christy Mihos, a frequent Big Dig critic who is running for governor, said the confidentiality agreement "represents the dark side of government in the commonwealth."


What? There's another side?

Asked why Reilly would enter into a confidentiality agreement with Bechtel, [Reilly spokesman David] Guarino said: "Bechtel controls the project at this point. We’re doing monitoring in their project and of course they have to be a part of this. At the end of the day, we control this data."


At the "end of the day"? What the fuck good does that do us if that "day" won't roll around until the year 2011.

And, since when does Bechtel "control" the project? They were hired to serve as the "owner's representative", to monitor the project on behalf of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (i.e. the taxpayers).

Their primary function on the construction side of the project was to ensure the work was done in accordance with the specifications of the job, to report any deficiencies in the "materials or methods" to the Commonwealth, and to oversee any and all remedial work performed thereto.

In my days as a Bechtel employee on the Project, the motto was "If the client says "jump", you ask "how high?".

And now, thanks to the man who would be Governor, the client (aka: the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority) also stands to benefit from this five-year duck-n'-cover period, during which time, they will be under no obligation to divulge information relevant to any wrong-doing or mismanagement on their part, related to the deficient work performed on the downtown portion of the I-93 tunnel.

News of the agreement comes as Reilly continues to mull whether to move forward with a lawsuit against Bechtel to recover taxpayer money allegedly misused on the project or seek a settlement. The AG has been criticized for dragging his feet on the probe while accepting donations from Big Dig contractors and their lobbyists. Reilly recently returned more than $5,000 in contributions from such firms but has kept money from Bechtel lobbyists.


So, who are you trying to protect here, Tom? The out-of-state lobbyists for Bechtel who are helping to fund your race for governor? Or your fellow Bay State hack politicians running the Turnpike Authority?

I'm guessing both. Because, it sure as hell isn't the hard-working, tax-paying citizens, whom you so desperately wish to govern.


Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Shareef Don't like It

In the immortal words of Harry Callahan:

"Well, I'm all broken up over that man's rights!"

A serial child molester recently put back on probation despite fleeing to Florida sued the state in 2004, claiming his civil rights were violated when officials banned him from living in a Roxbury mosque that housed a day-care center.


For those of you keeping score at home, that would be the oft-overlooked inalienable right of convicted child rapists everywhere to have unrestricted access to small children. Though, my copy of the Constitution seems to be missing that one - must be an older version.

Glen Wheeler, who molested and made sex videos of several Winchendon children as young as 5, claimed in the suit that his First Amendment right to practice his religion was "being infringed upon by the terms of his probation, particularly the provisions which require him to stay away from children."


Jesus Christ! What kind of sick fuck church do you belong to?

Wheeler, who converted to Islam and changed his name to Shareef Abdul Qadeer while in jail...


Oh, never mind.

Hey, Shareef, what say I fix you a nice hot bowl of fuck off and die, you disgusting piece of shit? Set one foot on my property and I'll give you a lesson in Constitutionally-protected rights your sorry, child-raping ass won't soon forget.