3 Hours, 39 Minutes, and 20 Seconds

That's how close my blog came to having its 666,666^th site visit (from someone in Plymouth, Indiana) happen on Halloween.

A Little Vocabulary Primer For Hillary

This is a "gotcha question".

Chris Matthews (to Fred Thompson): Who is the Prime Minister of Canada?

The SOLE purpose of asking a question like that is to trip up and embarrass the candidate, making him or her look foolish on live television.

It is not a question that should be asked by a supposedly impartial moderator of a nationally-televised presidential debate.

This, despite your insistence to the contrary, is not a "gotcha question".

Tim Russert (to Hillary Clinton): Do you, the New York Senator, Hillary Clinton, support the New York governor's plan to give illegal immigrants a driver's license?

The purpose of asking a question like that is to find out where a candidate stands on an issue with widespread, national implications. I realize it's a bit of a switch from the powderpuff questioning you're more accustomed to, coming from your ass-kissing comrades in the liberal media.

But guess what? You're interviewing here for the position of leader of the free world.

If you can't handle the fastballs, get out of the batter's box.

Tee-ball practice in the next field over.

UPDATE: Fred Thompson connects the dots.

While Hillary Clinton was speaking out both sides of her mouth at last night’s debate over the issue of drivers licenses for illegal aliens, what went unsaid is that this is a recipe for increased voter fraud. Under the federal “Motor Voter” law (the National Voter Registration Act of 1993), states must provide applicants for drivers licenses with the opportunity to register to vote.

Giving legal drivers licenses to illegal immigrants is wrong and would provide them the opportunity to register to vote in our country. People who are not citizens of the United States should not be encouraged by pandering politicians to further break our laws and risk the health of our political system.

Amen.

New York Times Blogger "Phones One In"

Here's a shocker! Someone writing for the New York Times has proven herself to be not all that accurate or factual.

I know. Say it isn't so.

On Fred Thompson's afternoon in Concord, where he signed his candidacy papers, Christine Hauser writes on the New York Times' "The Caucus" blog:

And that was his final remark. Outside the room where Mr. Thompson signed his papers, about a dozen supporters stood waiting for him, holding placards. But he exited through a door that put his back to them, and proceeded down the hall, not feeling the hand of one of his aides who tried to stop him.

Really?

Here's the comment I just left for Ms. Hauser.

Christine, were you even at the event?

First, there were about three dozen of us in the corridor outside the Secretary of State's office.

You do know how to count, I assume.

Next, Thompson did not turn his back to us, as [you would like your readers to believe - edit]. We had assembled in the corridor, so that when Fred came out of the room, we'd form a procession behind him and follow him out of the building.

We let Senator Thompson and the press get their photo ops, instead of surrounding him like a pack of hungry wolves and blocking off access by the likes of you.

Again, you were there, right?

Last, as for your implication that he immediately proceeded down the hall, without stopping to greet his supporters, perhaps you missed his arrival outside the State House, where he stopped to talk, shake hands, and sign autographs for anyone and everyone who was assembled there. Why go through that again. He does have a schedule to follow, you know.

And. when he left the Secretary of State's office, he stopped briefly for photographers, and then proceeded to walk out of the building with his supporters following close behind - as we had planned.

Perhaps, you're just upset that the kid reporting for the Scholastic News got a bigger photo-op with Senator Thompson than you did working for the mighty New York Times.

The best part is, I have the video of the both events (his arrival and departure) right here on my laptop as we speak. I will have it online later today to show everyone what a bone-headed write up this was on your part.

"Paper of record".

Uh-huh.

We'll see if that one makes it through the "moderation" process.

Here are the clips of the event. Hardly the picture Ms. Hauser is trying desperately to paint of a senile, cranky old fuddy-duddy.





And, the part about "not feeling the hand of one of his aides who tried to stop him", another total fabrication. You can clearly see his hand on Thomson's arm as he points out the kid who was there covering the event for Scholastic News.

I'd hate to see what Ms. Hauser would have written had Senator Thompson blown off the little kid looking to get his picture taken with him. I can practically taste the bile already.

Oh, and yes, Jeri is an absolute peach.

UPDATE 2:00PM: What do you know? My comment seems to have been misplaced somewhere over there. I guess I shouldn't hold my breath waiting to see one where I told Christine Hauser she has the credibility of tree bark. I'll check back later, maybe.

UPDATE II: [insert obligatory welcome to Instapundit readers here]

Pull up a chair, have a look around, and I'll try to scare up a couple PBR's. While I'm down poking around in the basement fridge, here are a few of my recent posts on some of the other candidate's alleged support for gun owners' rights to keep you entertained.

How Can You Tell When Hillary Is Lying?
How Can You Tell When Rudy Giuliani Is Lying?
Struck Comic Gold Today (I Hope)
All You Need To Know

Enjoy.

- Bruce

UPDATE III (11/3): Obligatory follow-up post here.

Some Things Never Change

Especially politically correct bullshit-type things.

As students from Strathmore Elementary School in Aberdeen, New Jersey, marched in their Halloween parade last year, something leapt out at family and friends who applauded the colorful costumes.

One young boy dressed as a cowboy was without a gun in his holster, and a pirate wearing an eye patch had no sword in his scabbard.

As parents snapped photos and chased the characters they loved most with video recorders, boys and girls dressed in traditional costumes that should have included toy weapons looked as if they had been frisked and disarmed.

The parade included a devil with no pitchfork, a Power Ranger without a laser blaster and a pint-size Batman who had been told to leave his utility belt at home.

Why, you ask?

"When you consider all the horrific things that have happened in recent years, including 9/11, I can't blame any school for wanting to steer away from anything that might promote violence," [sixth-grade teacher, Rosemarie] Nielson said.

Freakin' ding-dongs.

Flashback - mAss Backwards, October 2005:

RULE #2: Parents, Don't Disarm Your Children!

Pirates without cutlasses, soldiers without M-16's, police officers without sidearms, and swordless Zorro's will have their candy allotment reduced significantly. Sorry, kids, but you'll have to take it up with your sissy parents. It's my house, my rules.

Conversely, the children of parents who allow them to carry their weapons of doom and destruction will be showered with all sorts of unhealthy, rot-your-teeth-out crap.

And, because it's just as scary today (if not more) as it was two years ago:

OK, I know it's hard sometimes to come up with a good, scary Halloween costume every year, so I have decided to help you all out in that regard. Click HERE for my free costume kit, guaranteed to scare the piss out of any real American you might encounter tonight.

(link via Sebastian at Snowflakes in Hell)

Ignoramus Maximus

Via Jeff Soyer, comes this piece of abject cerebral diarrhea. Too much material to fisk this morning. Gotta get ready to meet the next President of the United States up in Concord this afternoon.

Here's a little taste to get you going.

Here's a bold proposal: Let's talk about gun control

[...]

We should all recall when three college students were killed execution-style in Newark....

By illegal aliens prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms in the United States.

...not long after a mad student...

A total nutcase, whose mental condition should have been in the NICS database, but wasn't.

...killed 32 people at Virginia Tech. Some of us are probably still reeling about the mother who bought her 14-year-old son an automatic weapon...

Um, no she didn't.

...to add to an already dangerous stockpile of guns...

To quote Clark Griswold:

Are you kidding? This is a Magnum P.I.

[...]

I could poke an eye out with this thing.

But, I digress.

...and explosives.

Oh, that reminds me. I need to fill my truck up with gas this morning. Now, where did I put my License to Purchase Gasoline?

Don't forget that street gangs...

The membership of which is comprised of amoral, law-breaking thugs prohibited under current local, state, and federal laws from purchasing or possessing firearms.

...have murdered thousands upon thousands since 9/11. Far too many believe that power comes from the barrel of a gun.

Yeah, like these bad people.

An inconvenient number are members of the National Rifle Association...

Since when is zero so inconvenient?

which would probably be mounting a defense of the rapper T.I., who was recently arrested for buying three machine guns and silencers.

And, he got paid to write that. I'm still waiting for my checks from the evil gun lobby to start rolling in. Seriously, my dog eats roadkill off the pavement that's more intelligent than this guy.

And hey, Stanley, here's a "bold proposal" for you.

Stop committing aggressive acts of violence.

At the First Annual Jazz Awards, Crouch was invited to present an award, and while reading the nominees made disparaging comments about two of them: trumpeter Dave Douglas and pianist Matthew Shipp. After the show, jazz critic Howard Mandel (not to be confused with "Deal or No Deal" host Howie Mandel), who was largely responsible for creating and organizing the Jazz Awards, confronted Crouch about his earlier comments. After a short argument, Crouch punched Mandel and then was confronted by Shipp, who called Crouch "an Uncle Tom and a fucking loser". However, the two were quickly separated and a brawl was avoided.^[3]

In 2004, Crouch approached critic Dale Peck—who had written an unfavorable review of Crouch's first novel Don't the Moon Look Lonesome—in a Greenwich Village restaurant and slapped him in the face warning him, "Don’t you ever do that again. If you do you’ll get much worse." Crouch has also punched jazz writer Russ Musto and Village Voice letters editor Ron Plotkin and put fellow Voice critic Harry Allen in a choke hold, leading to his dismissal.

[...]

[3] http://www.allaboutjazz.com/birdlives/bl-8.htm

The NRA made him do it.

But, Of Course!

This story is hardly worth a mention, like putting up a post on your blog announcing that the sun will come up tomorrow morning.

The Democrats, by contrast, say that after 10 months of putting in longer days and weeks, they have made significant gains. They cited legislation, including an increase in the minimum wage and new ethics and lobbying rules, as well as in the nitty-gritty work of House committees, which they say has provided much-needed oversight of the Bush administration and will also set the stage for an ambitious agenda next year.

And they blame Mr. Bush and Republicans for Congress’s low approval ratings, which they say will only help the Democrats expand their majority in 2008.

Hey, when your playbook only has one page in it (one-sided, double-spaced, 72-pt. Impact), what else can you do?

(link via Ace of Spades HQ)

Trick Or Treating At My House

A sneak preview:

Quote of the Day

That dim-bulb chick from Chevrolet's latest "eco-friendly" vehicle commercial, aired during tonight's World Series game.

I want to look greener.

I couldn't have put it any better myself.

World Series - Game 4

First pitch in about 15 minutes.

Let's go, boys. Bring it home!

>>> Friggin' Ellsbury, man!

>>> First blood! Big Papi drives in the game's first run.

>>> End of the third, Lestiz lookin' wickid shahp.

>>> Top of the 6th - let's tack on a couple more, shall we?

>>> Manny, get a new helmet that f***in' fits!

>>> Sox up 4-1 in the 8th. Ellsbury just reached on an infield hit. If they go on to win tonight, I say Jacoby gets the series MVP.

>>> Bottom of the 8th. A double-play would be...

OK, never mind.

4-3.

Time for Papelbon.

>>> Bottom of the ninth coming up. Sox up by one.

>>> One down.

>>> ELLSBURY!!! With the catch at the wall! Two down.

>>> F*** YEAH!!!

This Just In!

John Edwards is still a rabid socialist.

John Edwards says if he's elected president, he'll institute a New Deal-like suite of programs to fight poverty and stem growing wealth disparity. To do it, he said, he'll ask many Americans to make sacrifices, like paying higher taxes.

Yeah, he's gonna "ask" us to make sacrifices.

Uh-huh.

And, as part of this humble favor he'll ask of us upon his ascension to the White House, he promises tax audits, heavy fines, and possible prison time for those of us who choose not to acquiesce.

How very "progressive", indeed.

And, at the risk of repeating myself:

Tell you what, Pretty Boy. The day you tear down your multi-million dollar waterfront vacation home and turn it into a safe nesting ground for the local piping plover population, transform your palatial 28,000 sf mansion into a 200-bed inpatient rehab clinic, and move your family into a modest 2,000 square foot home on an acre of land is the day I think about recognizing you as more than an annoying little speck of dust on the coffee table of humankind.

Sox Take Game 3 in Colorado

Sweet.

The rookies, Pedroia and Ellsbury gettin' it done tonight.

Dice-K with the big 2-RBI single.

Just awesome.

Fred's Coming! Look Busy!

This news just in from Fred '08 New Hampshire HQ!

Senator Fred Thompson will be in Concord on Monday, October 29th, to sign his official New Hampshire Presidential Primary Declaration of Candidacy.

Come welcome the next President of the United States!

Meet up in front of the Legislative Office Building at 33 North State Street at 2:15 in the afternoon.

AAAGHHH!!! Make It Stop!

Memo to Boyz II Men:

Go back II voice lessonz.

Thank U.

I Totally Called This One

Tony's not dead.



They never showed the body - pretty much a dead (or not, as the case may be) giveaway that we'd see him pop up somewhere later on in some shark-jumping twist of fate.

Struck Comic Gold Today (I Hope)

While reading the news today at lunchtime, I saw this item in the Portsmouth Herald about Mitt Romney's appearance at Phillips-Exeter Academy, in Exeter, the next town over from me.

I decided to drop by with some reading material for the masses, as well as a little visual aid for those folks reluctant to read anything more than five words long.



Outside the hall where Romney was scheduled to appear, I got to have a lovely chat with a Mitt Romney supporter from Jolly Olde England. Here's a bit of the conversation we had about people's right to defend themselves in their homes (paraphrased as best I can remember).

Me: So what if someone breaks into your house, armed with a knife. Wouldn't you rather have the means to stop him from 15 feet away rather than getting into close combat with him?

Mitt Guy: Oh, God, no!

Me: You'd rather fight him hand-to-hand?

Mitt Guy: God, no! I'd rather be killed than kill someone.

Me (after picking up my jaw): You'd rather be killed than kill someone, even if that person is trying to kill you?

Mitt Guy: Oh, God, yes.

Me: OK.

The best part (I hope) is that this conversation was all captured by a camera crew covering the event. Unfortunately, their equipment had no logo or markings on it that would identify what network or organization they were from.

If anyone finds out, please let me know.

And, yes, that's my spiffy, new Red's Trading Post hat.

Intolerance, Hate, and Thuggery

The proud calling card of the Anti-American leftists everywhere.

Make no mistake about it.

A vote for Hillary Clinton (or Obama, Edwards, etc.) is vote for these feeble-minded scumbags - a bunch of brain-dead automatons, saddled with the intellectual capacity and moral compass of a half-eaten, milk-soaked bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Like Momma Always Used To Tell Me...

...life is like a box of f***ing morons.

Free Advice of the Day

Do with it what you will.

...don’t throw golfballs at meth-heads.

Via Rachel Lucas.

UPDATE: From the comments to the above-linked post:

It never ceases to amaze me that people don’t understand that there are Laws and then there are The Rules.

The Law may say that nobody had a right to shoot the little twerp. And the Law is certainly right, in the sense that that is the template for Society that I would want to live with.

Nevertheless, The Rules still exist, and you forget them at your immediate peril.

The Rules are that if you assault enough people, sooner or later you run into an angry man with a gun.

The Law may protect your right to protest a war in the most scurrilous term possible.

The Rules are that if you choose to do so at the funeral of a fallen soldier, the odds are good that some of his grieving comrades will clean your clock. Pity THAT doesn’t seem to have happened…..yet.

The Rules have no pity. The Rules admit of no mitigating circumstances. The Rules are that if you shoot of your mouth about Harley Davidsons in a biker bar you are cruising for a bruising.

The Rules say that if you call somebody’s mama a whore, you had better be ready for a fight. Regardless of WHAT the Law might say.

Want to grow up in one piece? Learn what The Rules are, and break them only deliberately, understanding the risks you are running.

I have only limited sympathy for the boy’s parents; they raised a young thug who was killed because he started a fight with an even bigger thug.

The Rule in this case is dead simple; Don’t bring a golf ball to a gun fight.

Posted by C. S. P. Schofield on October 24th, 2007 at 9:59 pm

Unfortunately, It Still Only Counts As One Win

Sox take Game 1, 13-1.

Another absolute gem from BecKKKKKKKKKett.

How Can You Tell When Rudy Giuliani Is Lying?

He says something as immeasurably incredulous as this.

[Giuliani] added that he believes in only three restrictions for those wishing to exercise their Second Amendment right — a previous criminal record, a history of mental instability and an age requirement.

Yeah, um, make that five, Rudy. You left off "insufficient funds in one's checking account" and "a failure to become a rich and famous celebrity".

Giuliani's no more credible than Hillary Clinton or Mitt Romney on this topic. Who the hell is falling for this blatant, pandering, conniving, election season horseshit?

In all seriousness, you might as well prop up Ted Kennedy and Dianne Feinstein in front of a bunch of cameras wearing color-coordinated Ted Nugent t-shirts, NRA leather bomber jackets, and matching Five-seveN's in tactical thigh holsters. It would be equally as convincing.

Well, to those of us with more brain cells than our shoe size, anyway.

The article continues:

During his two terms as mayor, Giuliani supported strict gun laws at both the local and national level and advocated the federal assault weapons ban that expired in 2004. But as a presidential candidate, he vows to protect Second Amendment rights at the federal level allowing state and local authorities to determine their own "reasonable" restrictions.

Yeah, he only favors "reasonable" restrictions.

Just like Mitt, no doubt.

And, hey, speaking of liars and frauds, here's what the Brady Bunch allegedly* had to say on this topic.

New Hampshire, the Live Free Or Die State, is known for its limited gun-control laws, including no waiting period for purchases, no background checks for buyers of rifles and shotguns and no restrictions on children under 18 possessing firearms, according to the Brady Campaign, a gun-control advocacy group.

Yep, that's New Hampshire, all right.

The state where eight-year-olds can simply walk into any gun shop they want and stock up on AK-47's, .50 BMG rifles, and pump-action riot guns, with no questions asked and no background checks required.

Hey, why bother telling the truth and dealing in factual information, when distorting reality abd lying out your ass about anything and everything has worked so well for you all these years?

*Normally, I'd credit something this ass-reamingly idiotic to sloppy, inaccurate reporting or typographical error. But, considering the source...

World Series - Game 1

First pitch from Fenway Park is just minutes away now.

The first raindrops, a couple hours away already there.

You know where I'll be.

> OK, pretty decent start for Beckett there.

> OK, pretty decent start for my Pedroia there.

From Not the Boston Globe

(click to enlarge)

How Can You Tell When Hillary Is Lying?

She says something as blatantly untrue as this.

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns[.]"

15,002.

That's how many yesterdays ago I was born, you manipulative, corrupt, vengeful, lying bitch.

Now, I suspect the reporter from the Des Moines Register just didn't hear her full response. So, what do you suppose she really said? Take your pick from the choices below, or offer your own alternatives in the comments.

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns. [They shouldn't be able to load them or use them in any manner, but if they want to get one for the purpose of turning it into a lamp or an ornamental doorstop, I suppose that would be OK]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, [as long as those citizens are currently employed by an agency charged with providing me and my family with a 24 hour-a-day, armed security detail]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, [just not any kind of gun designed, manufactured, or marketed at anytime in the last 160 years]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, [just so long as I get to dictate what those laws are]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, [but that hardly matters, as I'll simply see to it that they can't]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, [and the federal government should have unlimited authority to forcefully seize said guns at any time, for any reason, without due compensation]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns, [but that's contingent, of course, on my future success at getting a law passed that will automatically revoke the citizenship of any American found to be lawfully possessing a firearm]."

"I support the Second Amendment. Law-abiding citizens should be able to own guns. [Rich, powerful, law-abiding citizens who can funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into my campaign coffers through the blatant exploitation of the less fortunate among us, that is]."

(link via Jeff, who's celebrating Bloggiversay #5 today)

This Just In!

Harry Reid is still an incredulous, opportunistic wanker.

Honesty? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Honesty!

Dishonesty and disingenuous doublespeak coming from the mouths of the anti-gun movement?

Say it isn't so.

I'm shocked.

(link via Say Uncle)

Now Get Out There and Celebrate

I just found out, that today is United Nations Day.

You know what to do.

(link via Weasel Zippers, via Hot Air)

Sorry, Mitt, You Simply Don't Get It

Ryan Horsely at Red's Trading Post in Twin Falls, Idaho just received his form letter reply from Mitt Romney in response to a letter he had sent them concerning the BATFE and their reprehensible treatment of our country's reputable firearms dealers.

In the letter, Romney states:

As Governor of one of the most liberal states in the country, I stood up for the rights of gun owners and sportsmen over burdensome bureaucratic regulation.

You did? Could have fooled me.

I look forward to upholding these same ideals in Washington, D.C.

Gee, thanks.

What a pal.

What? Feeling Left Out, Guys?

Apparently, Hillary Clinton isn't the only candidate raking in the cash from suspect campaign donors.

I know. I'm shocked too.

Elrick Williams's toddler niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

So did her sister and brother, Imara, 13, and Ishmael, 9, and her cousins Chan and Alexis, both 13. Altogether, according to newly released campaign finance reports, the extended family of Williams, a wealthy Chicago financier, handed over nearly a dozen checks in March for the maximum allowed under federal law to Obama.

Such campaign donations from young children would almost certainly run afoul of campaign finance regulations, several campaign lawyers said. But as bundlers seek to raise higher and higher sums for presidential contenders this year, the number who are turning to checks from underage givers appears to be on the rise.

What? You mean they found a way to circumvent the law?

Again, I'm simply shocked. The next thing you're gonna tell me is that our nation's drug laws have been proven to be equally ineffective.

Now, in the interest of fairness, the Washington Post does mention that it's not just the Democrats whose candidates are benefiting from this bullshit.

A supporter of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), Susan Henken of Dover, Mass., wrote her own $2,300 check, and her 13-year-old son, Samuel, and 15-year-old daughter, Julia, each wrote $2,300 checks, for example.

Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

WARNING: If you're the kind of person who doesn't take kindly to having his of her intelligence insulted, I beg you to go no further, and stop reading this post at this point.

OK, you've been warned.

Samuel used money from his bar mitzvah and money he earned "dog sitting," and Julia used babysitting money to make the contributions, their mother said. "My children like to donate to a lot of causes. That's just how it is in my house," Henken said.

Uh-huh.

I'm remembering back when I was 13 years old. And, if someone had dropped $2,300 cash into my lap, the very first thing I'd have done with it is cut a check to the John Anderson for President campaign.

Dirtbike? I don't need no stinkin' dirtbike.

Really, Dad, I swear! I want to give more than TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS to some rich guy who wants to be president.

What's the Big Deal?

I get Hillary Clinton and Karl Marx mixed up on a daily basis.

Our Forefathers Would Be So Proud

File under: Only in Massachusetts

BROOKLINE - On a recent afternoon, Kettly Jean-Felix parked her car on Beacon Street in Brookline, fed the parking meter, wheeled around to go to the optician and came face to face with a wild turkey.

The turkey eyed Jean-Felix. Jean-Felix eyed the turkey. It gobbled. She gasped. Then the turkey proceeded to follow the Dorchester woman over the Green Line train tracks, across the street, through traffic, and all the way down the block, pecking at her backside as she went.

"This is so scary," Jean-Felix said, finally taking refuge inside Cambridge Eye Doctors in Brookline's bustling Washington Square. "I cannot explain it."

[...]

Some Brookline residents have welcomed the birds, happy to see wildlife strolling amid the nannies with $300 strollers and Trader Joe's shoppers. But many others worry what the keen-eyed, sometimes ornery birds might do, prompting as many as a dozen calls to the police department every day.

Good lord.

I hope, for their sake, these people never entertain the thought of moving into my neighborhood. They'd never be able to leave the house without a police escort.

All You Need To Know

End of discussion.

UPDATE: OK, for those of you who still don't get it*, and actually claim to support Mitt Romney's position in thinking that Massachusetts gun laws are just fine the way they are, and not in need of any "weakening", I ask...

Do you support gun control laws that...

(a) ...give police chiefs the power to deny a citizen his right to own a gun for having committed the grievous offense of losing a rented Blockbuster movie?

(b) ...give police chiefs the power to deny a citizen his right to own a gun for having committed the grievous offense of failing to keep his address current on his automobile registration?

(c) ...give police chiefs the power to revoke a citizen's right to own a gun for having committed the grievous offense of forgetting to button up his coat on a windy day, and allowing his legally-licensed concealed weapon to become visible for a couple seconds?

(d) ...give police chiefs the power to deny a citizen his right to own a gun for having committed the grievous offense of living in an apartment building with loud neighbors?

(e) ...tell the aforementioned "criminals" that the only way they can possibly re-acquire their supposed right to bear arms is through a costly and time-consuming judicial appeal process, all costs of which are to be paid out of their own pockets, regardless of the outcome of the appeal?

(f) ...give local politicians the power to deny the right to own a gun to those citizens who simply can't afford the high cost of navigating one's way through the costly and time-consuming licensing process, while allowing their affluent and politically-connected neighbors living a few blocks away to exercise their rights at relatively little out-of pocket expense?

(g) ...ban the outright possession of certain firearms based on the physical appearance of said firearms, even though they are functionally identical to, and in many cases, lower-powered than many common hunting and sporting firearms?

(h) ...require residents from out-of-state to pay $100 a year to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for permission to carry a $10 canister of pepper spray for defensive purposes?

(i) ...make it a criminal offense for an unlicensed individual to walk out of a public gun range, and into the parking lot with a spent shell casing stuck in the sole of his or her shoe?

If you answered yes to any or all of the above questions, then, by golly, Mitt's your man! I'll pass, thanks.

*And, on the NGI (Not Getting It) Scale, that would have to rank right up there with not being able to get a dose of the clap in a Tijuana whorehouse.

Onomatopoeia of the Day

Shin K. Cheng

Happy 10/22!

Here's mine.


Here's Michael Whalen's.


Here's (Gilbert, AZ) Mayor Steve Berman's.


Where's yours?

UPDATE: Post updated so as to avoid having to file this one under "This thread is worthless without pics!"

Three different stock styles, one great rifle.

UPDATE II: Here's Jim's.

UPDATE III: Continuing with our "Celebrate Diversity" theme, here's Yuri's.

UPDATE IV: Say Uncle says, "Meet Mr. Plinky."

UPDATE V: The Rattail Bastard chimes in with his, as well. Note the extra-violent folding stock. EEK!!! Hold me, Rosie!

UPDATE VI: Here's Andrew's. You think he's glad he made the decision to flee Massachusetts for life in sunny (and silent) Florida?

UPDATE VII: Sebastian's spray-firing bullet hose.

UPDATE VIII: Kevin Baker's tackdriver.

Culture of Corruption, Indeed

From Ed Morrissey:

Nominating Clintons to the White House three times doesn't qualify as a mistake for Democrats, either. This demonstrates a lack of ethical oversight on the part of their party that reflects the kind of governance they represent. If Hillary wins the nomination after having her campaign conduct these kinds of criminal and ethical violations, then that tells Americans quite a bit about their threshold for corruption in pursuit of power.

The background story:

A search of Chinatown donors yesterday by The Post found several bogus addresses and some contributions that raised eyebrows.

Shin K. Cheng is listed twice in federal records for giving $1,000 donations to Clinton's campaign on April 17.

But the address recorded on campaign reports is a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases, hemorrhoids and skin disease.

An apt summation of life in the United States of America under a Hillary Clinton presidency: You get screwed, and your health suffers as a result of it, all because of a pain in the ass who makes your skin crawl.

Two Words

Dustin.

Pedroia.

How To Ruin a Young Life...

...in zero (tolerance) easy steps.

A Berkeley County student is kicked out of school for bringing a butter knife to campus.
"I know I made a really stupid decision but I don't think I should be expelled for it."

Amber Dauge says that stupid decision was taking a butter knife to school. Amber ran out of the house to meet the bus while making a sandwich. When she realized she had the knife, she put it in her bookbag..then put it in her locker at Goose creek High school. She forgot it was there...until a few weeks later ..when the knife fell out of her overstuffed locker.

"A kid behind me yelled out a comment that I was going to stab someone with the knife and everyone started laughing and the teacher saw it", Amber told us.

The teacher told the principal and Amber was suspended and recommended for expulsion.

She attended an expulsion hearing last Thursday..and it was made official.

Not that this advice will be of any use to her now, but all she had to say was she brought the knife to school to help her jimmy open her birth control pill dispenser and she'd have walked away scot-free.

(link via Say Anything)

Game On

ALCS Game 7 and the GOP debate, both underway.

I'm taping one of them to watch later.

I'm Liking This Randy Moss Guy

Kid's got potential.

*** WARNING! ***

Do not read this column by Larry Elder if you have an irrational fear of small, inanimate objects, the safe and responsible operation of which requires about as much skill as working a manual pencil sharpener.

For the rest of us, it's hardly anything new. Though, it's a good read, nonetheless.

Obligatory ALCS Game 6 Post

I'm not gonna bother asking "Who will win?". We already know the answer to that one. The question of the day is:

"Who will step up bigtime for the Sox tonight?"

I got dibs on soon-to-be-crowned Rookie of the Year, Dustin Pedroia.

He's due to open up a can of whup-ass on Carmona.

Post your picks in the comments.

Top 1: Tribe down in order.

Bottom 1: My man, Dustin Pedroia, kicks things off for Boston with an infield single up the middle! Yeah, baby!

Youk reaches, Pedroia safe at 2nd (Cabrera couldn't hold on to the ball). Big Papi steps up to the plate.

Ortiz walks. Again. Bases loaded for Manny. Will he be Manny, or will he "be Manny"?

Wiff.

Lowell pops up. Two down.

J.D. Drew! Sox up 4-0!

Tek walked. Big Jacoby Ellsbury at the plate.

Come-backer to Carmona. Inning over.

Top 2: Martinez launches one around Pesky's Pole. 4-1 Sox.

Garko goes down swinging. One away.

Peralta grounds out to Lowell at third. Lofton up.

Lofton lofts one...right to Manny for out number three.

Bottom 2: Lugo to lead things off, followed by D-Ped. Hey, everyone needs a cheesy rap nickname.

Lugo, you go. Back to the bench.

Pedroia doubles off the wall in left, and he's 2 for 2 on the night.

Youk hits one to short, Pedroia digs it out and gets third. No throw to first.

And Ortiz hits into a double play. Damn it.

OK, I'm turning the laptop off now. Gotta focus on the game.

Later.

[...]

Top 9: Sox up 12-2. Just when you thought it was safe to go to bed, the Sox send Gagne to the mound. They can't just let me enjoy the game, can they?

OK...Hafner flies out. That's one.

Martinez grounds out to Gagne. Two down. Starting to feel better now.

And, Garko grounds out to Lowell who makes a kick-ass barehanded grab to throw him out.

See you tomorrow.

EEEK!!!! Leather Goods!

From the University of Florida:

TO: Deans

FROM: Dr. Patricia Telles-Irvin, Vice President for Student Affairs
RE: Protest Event Next Week

A national group known as Students for S&M and Bondage Rights, which advocates allowing students and others to engage in unconventional sexual practices, plans an Leather Bondage Gear Protest all next week. Students who participate in the event are being urged to wear leather bondage accessories to class in order to protest state laws and university policies that allegedly restrict sexual freedom on campus.

Neither state law nor campus policies prohibit wearing such leather items, so anyone who participates in this event is within his or her rights. However, if any faculty member or student feels genuinely threatened, they should feel free to call the University Police Department. If you would, please pass this along to your department chairs and faculty.

Oh, wait. That's not quite what the memo said.

Seems it's the scary, non-politically correct leather accessories that they're worried about their faculty feeling threatened by.

My mistake.

Story at Say Uncle, who pretty much nails it in two words:

...beyond silly.

Harry Reid's a Dink

That's all. As you were.

Putting the "Stark"...

...in stark-raving loony.

Now, I can see a 12-year-old saying something as asinine as that.

I can see a 20-year-old, ideologically-blinded, "progressive" college student saying something as asinine as that.

I can see some burnt-out, 60-year-old pothead, stumbling through the streets of Berkeley, wearing a faded Che t-shirt saying something as asinine as that.

But an elected member of the United States Congress???

OK, never mind.

Seems to me, the only thing shocking about Congress' whopping 11 percent approval rating is that it's as high as it is.

ALCS Coming Back to Boston

Sox take Game 5, 7-1. Another gem thrown by Josh Beckett, who struck out eleven Cleveland batters, while surrendering just one walk and five hits, through eight innings.

And, Manny Ramirez earned the dubious distinction of hitting the longest RBI single in the history of the game, a towering fly ball that bounced off the top of the wall in right field, but stayed in play, allowing speed demon, Big Papi, to score from first base.

Hey, Manny, those things that connect your hips to your ankles are called "legs". Use 'em.

Shocking News!

No, I'm not talking about the latest story about Hillary Clinton's foreign sugardaddies funneling money into her campaign by taking advantage of the people residing in our country's downtrodden, minority neighborhoods.

That's known as "standard operating procedure".

Nothing shocking there.

But, to read about it in the Los Angeles Times???

Dishwashers, waiters and others whose jobs and dilapidated home addresses seem to make them unpromising targets for political fundraisers are pouring $1,000 and $2,000 contributions into Clinton's campaign treasury. In April, a single fundraiser in an area long known for its gritty urban poverty yielded a whopping $380,000.

[...]

Clinton has enlisted the aid of Chinese neighborhood associations, especially those representing recent immigrants from Fujian province. The organizations, at least one of which is a descendant of Chinatown criminal enterprises that engaged in gambling and human trafficking, exert enormous influence over immigrants. The associations help them with everything from protection against crime to obtaining green cards.

Many of Clinton's Chinatown donors said they had contributed because leaders in neighborhood associations told them to. In some cases, donors said they felt pressure to give.

The other piece of the strategy involves holding out hope that, if Clinton becomes president, she will move quickly to reunite families and help illegal residents move toward citizenship.

Why bother with the ridiculous, outdated notion that the people deserve a candidate who can earn their trust, when there will always be one nearby who's ready and willing to buy their votes?

(click here to purchase)

Huh Huh Uh Huh...

...he said "woodcock".

New to the blogroll this morning, Upland Feathers.

Upland Feathers is written for sporting adventurers who have a passion for grouse, pheasant, quail, woodcock, and wild turkey hunting. The blog features:

- Where-to hunt on public lands
- Unboxing articles on the latest gear
- Insight to the services and features of guides, lodges and outfitters
- In the field gear tests
- Conservation programs
- Latest regulations from state and federal wildlife agencies

Upland Feathers is part of the Swamp Yankee Media brought to you from a husband and wife team in East Haddam, Connecticut, a small town on the Connecticut River where we share our yard with wild turkey and whitetail deer as well as an occasional grouse. As the name infers, we are New Englanders with a decidedly Yankee take on bird hunting.

Subdural Disconnect du Jour

Via Kevin Baker:

Like everything else, most gun-toting Americans have been brainwashed into thinking it provides them security (from criminals and the Government), when the reverse is true.

I should point out, however, that I own a gun, as I live and hike in a remote area with mountain lions and feral dogs. I pray that I never need to use it for I wish to never harm any creature.

The defense rests.

Again.

Your 2007 Journalist of the Year

Major kudos going out this morning to KDFW-TV reporter, Rebecca Aguilar, who had the balls to track down a career criminal outside a liquor store, and grill him over his illicit lifestyle choices, going so far as to prevent him from getting in his car and leaving the scene until he had answered her questions to her satisfaction.

"Are you a crime-happy kind of person? Is that what you enjoy doing? Breaking into people's homes, threatening their lives, and stealing their belongings?"

Oh, wait.

No she didn't.

Warning: RCOB Alert is in full effect.

Q&A of the Day

From Fred Thompson:

How many days a week do you have to work for the federal government? I get pretty queasy when it's more than one.

R.I.P. Common Sense

It was nice knowing you.

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A Williamston woman is alive, thanks to the quick response of a police officer who got her out of her car seconds before an Amtrak train slammed into it -- and it was all caught on camera.

Every night, Greer police Officer Marcus O'Shields meets an officer from the Greenville-Spartanburg Airport to exchange information. Tuesday, just after midnight, O'Shields went to the meeting place near the Norfolk Southern tracks along Highway 80 near the Poinsett Bridge.

That's when he spotted a car driven by Betsy Devall stopped on the tracks.

Devall was on the phone with a friend. It took O'Shields nearly a minute and a half to convince Devall to get out of the car and away from the vehicle -- just 17 seconds before the train crashed into the car.

"Ma'am, please get out of the vehicle."

"Do you mind? I'm on the phone."

God bless the police officer with the patience to carry on that conversation for 90 seconds without tazing the individual in question and dragging her out of the car in a semi-conscious state.

The incident was caught on camera by one of the officer's dashboard cameras. On tape, Devall is heard thanking O'Shields for saving her life. She told him she wasn't familiar with the area.

How about being familiar with train tracks?

Joe Kenney for Governor

Last spring, I was at the State House in Concord to attend a hearing on the issue of education funding in New Hampshire. I got there early, and decided to grab a bite to eat at the cafeteria downstairs before heading up to the hearing room.

When I made my way to the cashier, I noticed I was right behind Governor Lynch in line, who was grabbing a couple slices of pizza. I took the time to shake his hand and introduce myself, explaining that I had recently relocated to New Hampshire from Boston, and that I was feeling more than a little troubled over the way New Hampshire seemed to be heading in the direction of Massachusetts-style, nanny-state government.

He assured me that he shared my concerns. Though it felt a lot more like a feigned Bill Clinton "I feel your pain" moment than anything resembling genuine empathy.

I then reiterated my feelings on the matter, telling him, in no uncertain terms, that I take the state motto of "Live Free or Die" very seriously.

His reply?

"So do I. So do I."

In light of recent events...

1. His support for an override of President Bush's SCHIP veto, so that the Democrats can get more of the middle class hooked on government entitlement programs.

2. His signing into law of a statewide smoking ban for bars and restaurants.

3. His steadfast refusal to stake out a position on any issue that has even a hint of controversy attached to it.

4. Using the turnpike toll increases as an end-around to raising taxes without going through legislative channels.

...I can only come to one conclusion.

Governor Lynch lied to me.

Period.

End of discussion.

Therefore, in the best interest of the future of New Hampshire, and for the preservation of our state's historical commitment to limited government, low taxation, and respect for individual liberty, I am hereby endorsing the candidacy of Joe Kenney for Governor.

Sen. Joseph D. Kenney, a Republican from Wakefield, is in his fourteenth year in the legislature. He beat well known Conway radio talk host George Cleveland, the Grandson of President Grover Cleveland, and long time Democrat activist to win his third term in the Senate this past fall. A Lt. Col in the Marines reserves active duty the Senator was called up to serve during his term last year in Iraq. He was known to do constituent service work from his laptop while in Iraq. The senator worked his way up from private to Lt. Col; has been a member of the U.S. Marine Corps since 1980, and today serves as a special projects officer. During his career Joe has also been a public assistance officer, a teacher, and a summer youth director.

Go, Joe, go!

Quote of the Day

From Eric at Viking Pundit:

It gives me a warm feeling knowing that my FICA taxes, which I could have put into my kids' college fund, will go towards teak decking and nickel slots at the casino. God bless America!

Gun Control...

...because a dirtbag's right to break into a man's place of business and beat him about the head and shoulders with a brick is more sacrosanct than that man's right to prevent him from doing so.

Like Friggin' Clockwork

I was listening to Tom Finneran on WRKO this morning. He was on with his co-host, Massachusetts State Representative Rachel Kaprielian, discussing the decision by a middle school up in Maine to start dispensing birth control to students as young as 11, without requiring parental notification.

Therefore, under the new measure, if children were to receive birth control prescriptions and didn't want to tell parents, they would not be required to do so and neither would school health officials.

Most middle school children are aged 11-13.

A caller gets on the air and makes the point that these "progressive" "educators" have no problem putting 11-year-olds on the pill without telling their parents, but they'd be appalled if anyone suggested we get our schools to teach our young people about firearms safety with parental notification.

Sure enough, that set off Kaprielian's liberal ding-dong panic button.

"WHAT??? You can't put a GUN in a KID'S hands!!!"

Sand, head, some assembly required.

That is one seriously ignorant twit.

Now, as someone who's been highly critical of Finneran's show in the past [though, the show is showing some signs of improvement], I gotta say he was balls-on this morning on this issue.

What I wanna know is, why isn't the focus on finding the people who are raping our 11-year-old daughters and holding them accountable for their actions?

That's the thing about no-brainers. There are simply too many brainless people out there.

Ask Not...

...for whom the cuckoo clock tolls.

I blame Bush.

Quote of the Year

Houston homeowner, Nathaniel Brooks.

You sneeze, you're dead, man.

Two repeat offenders off the street, due to one armed homeowner with the willingness, determination and the moral fortitude required to protect his family and his home. No shots fired. No "blood in the streets". No "O.K. Corral" gunfights. No innocent bystanders "gunned down in a fusillade of bullets".

Quote of the Year (first runner-up prize) goes to Mrs. Brooks.

He doesn't shoot, he still scores!

Polly Wanna Coroner?

When are nominations for Pet of the Year due?

Homeowner's Parrot Alerts Him To Would-Be Burglar

A northwest Dallas homeowner shot and killed a would-be burglar and it was all because a pet bird said "Hello."

Police said the homeowner's bird may have saved the day by greeting the alleged burglar with "Hello" when the man walked into the back of the house in the 3600 block of Cortez Drive.

Good birdie.

It's All New Hampshire's Fault

Further proof, as if any was required, that Boston Mayor Tom "Blame ______" Menino is a disingenuous fraud, addicted to the constant need to deflect blame and criticism from the failed policies of his office and his party.

Boston Herald:

The 15-year-old suspected gangbanger who allegedly shot a Pop Warner football coach in the leg during an afternoon practice this weekend was ordered by a court to be placed under around-the-clock electronic surveillance two weeks ago, but it was never put in place, the Herald has learned.

The Roxbury teen, who is “well-known to police,” according to two law enforcement sources, was in juvenile court Oct. 2 for violating the conditions of his probation in connection with a weapons charge.

Gee, what were the odds of that?

“He fell through the cracks,” one law enforcement source said. “He should have (been) in the system with the bracelet.

If, by the "system with the bracelet", you mean "prison with a blanket and a tin dish", I totally agree.

Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said, “The decision to bring a loaded gun to a city park and pull the trigger [there ought to be a law! - ed.] is reckless, brazen and completely unacceptable. We will not stand for it, and neither should the community.”

Emphasis on "should".

Yet, this is the same community, which year after year, elects the same liberal, criminal-coddling politicians, on the same failed promises, with the same results, and the same excuses.

The community brought this on itself, and only the communty can bring about a remedy.

Don't hold your breath.

UPDATE: Don't feel bad, Boston. You're not alone. From New York City, home to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Tom Menino's partner in crime in their "Mayors Against Free Citizens" coalition, comes this charming tale.

Tavin [Alves], 16, was looking out the window of his Bushwick bedroom last week when he was struck and killed by a stray bullet, allegedly fired by a trigger-happy career criminal with 17 prior arrests.

Quick! Ban all long guns with checkering on the stock!!!

Jack up the gun license fee to $5,000!!!

Expand the NICS background check to include elementary school playground scuffles!!!

We've got to do something!!!

Oh, wait. Fear not! The mayor's on the job.

The two families' anger and anguish came as New York grapples with gun violence, and Mayor Bloomberg demands federal action to get guns off the streets.

When idiocy and fascism collide.

(link #2 via Zendo Deb)

Rest In Peace, Ethel

From the Lowell Sun, via reader and frequent commenter, ASM826 (paragraph breaks added by me).

Athanasia "Ethel" Eliopoulos, 94, died Friday, October 5, 2007, at D'Youville Manor. Ethel was born on Feb. 10, 1913, in Lowell, Mass., the daughter of the late Elias and Eleni (Mangiavas) Eliopoulos.

She graduated from Lowell High School, and attended Boston University before leaving to pursue a professional working career. She received formal training as a stenographer, was an expert in shorthand, and a licensed Real Estate Broker before becoming the first woman in the United States to hold the position of local Director of Social Security in a district office.

After serving nearly 50 years in various capacities, Ethel enjoyed a long and illustrious career and was considered a pioneer in the field of Social Security. She was the recipient of many awards within the Greek community as well as one of the first women to receive the John J. Bartlett Award, this prestigious award is given for extraordinary service within a United States governmental program. This award is extremely rare as under one-half of just one percent of government employees ever receive it.

During her working years Ethel appeared regularly on Saturday morning local radio and was involved in a Question and Answer column that appeared periodically in the Lowell Sun Newspaper. She also co-wrote, directed and starred in a short tutorial film that was used in training for Social Security start up offices.

Ethel traveled extensively throughout her life having visited many countries including but not limited to China, Greece, Ireland and Turkey as well as numerous locations throughout the United States. She particularly enjoyed Sannibel Island, Florida.

Upon retiring from Social Security, with little to no respite she quickly returned to work in the private sector working with her niece buying and selling antiques in an Essex, Mass., Antiques shop.

She is survived by two sisters, Pauline Hollis and Bessie Natsios of Lowell; and a brother, Peter Eliopoulos of Palm Bay, Florida. Her many nieces and nephews will miss their long tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve together. The family is grateful for her countless friends, and the wonderful care she received at D'Youville Manor. With her passing, Ethel's final wish was ultimately granted when she did not have to see Hillary Clinton become president.

ELIOPOULOS Friends will be received at the M.R. LAURIN FUNERAL HOME, 295 Pawtucket St., Lowell on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. Her funeral will take place on Thursday at 9 a.m. from the Funeral Home to be followed by services at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Lowell at 10 a.m. Interment to follow in Westlawn Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to the Holy Trinity Church, Lewis St., Lowell, MA 01854. Funeral arrangements under direction of Louis M. Fazio III, M. Richard Laurin, Scott Laurin.

May her soul find eternal peace.

If You Repeat a Lie Often Enough...

Looks like someone hit the punchbowl a little too soon.

"Some candidates talk the talk about Republican principles. Others actually have a proven track record of governing according to Republican principles. Rudy Giuliani has that record," Randy Mastro, a deputy mayor in Giuliani's first term, told the AP.

Yeah, like actively pursuing frivolous litigation aimed at putting gun manufacturers out of business. A regular Ronald Reagan, he is.

Giuliani could have had the presidency in hand already, had he switched parties last year and sought out the Democratic nomination. No contest.

Why Do I Even Bother?

It's like having a conversation with a tree stump, minus the Reasoned Discourse^TM that such a conversation would actually produce.

Enemies of the People

Make no mistake about it.

The 2008 elections, at both the state and national levels, will be the defining moment for the future of New Hampshire and the United States of America. It's become abundantly clear over the last few months what that future would like under a Hillary Clinton presidency:

- massive expansion of the federal government's control over our personal lifestyle choices
- increased regulations on industries, which will serve only to hinder our nation's productivity
- socialized medicine, leading to rationed, lesser-quality healthcare
- higher tax burden for all working Americans
- more taxpayer-funded entitlement programs
- blanket amnesty for illegal immigrants and their extended families
- sweeping gun control legislation which will serve only to disarm the law-abiding citizenry

But, what will become of New Hampshire? What future can we expect for our little corner of the world, should the Democrats retain their majorities in the state legislature and hold on to the governor's office? Will we remain the "Live Free or Die" state?

Fortunately, to answer that question requires neither a crystal ball, nor advanced prognosticative abilities. One merely has to look back at the events of the last 12 months to see what the proud, "progressive" members of the new majority in Concord have been up to. I'm putting this list together to help paint a more complete picture of the Democrats' real agenda and to show the people of New Hampshire what kind of future these nanny-state politicians envision for the Granite State.

As I was going through my archived posts to find all these links, I ran across a few stories I had completely forgotten about. That made it even more clear how important it is to get this information all together in one place and to get it out to the people of New Hampshire, so that they can make an informed choice the next time they step into the voting booth.

The fact that I had forgotten about some of these recent legislative efforts by the Granny-Staters (Granite State nanny-staters) really woke me up. I live for this stuff. If these stories dropped off of MY radar screen, there's a better than average chance they never made it onto the radar screens of the average voter in New Hampshire.

Let's review, shall we?

We'll begin in November of 2006 (quoted text from the Union Leader), with the vice chairman of the Democrat Party, Ray Buckley.

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.

They couldn't even wait for the newly-elected legislators to be sworn in before beginning their assault of our personal and economic freedom. And, believe me, they were just getting warmed up.

Do read on.

Mr. Buckley was immediately followed by Representative-elect James "Chafing at the Bit" Kennedy of Exeter and his proposal for a state income tax. I'm guessing he had to write up several drafts of that one until he was able to produce a saliva-free rendition without too much smudged ink on it.

Come January, once the newly-elected legislators were sworn in and the Democrat majority in Concord was officially in place, they wasted no time pushing their big government, nanny state agenda. As you'll see, the first few months of 2007 proved to be a very busy period for these busybody pols.

First up, we had State Senator David Gottesman of Nashua, who kicked off his New Year's celebrations by sponsoring the bill (that was eventually signed into law) that stripped private property owners of their right to choose which legal, though politically-incorrect, activities would be allowed to take place on their property.

Lawmakers backed by the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society said yesterday they will push for passage of a smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

The ban will cover establishments open to the public, but not private clubs such as the American Legion, said the bill's prime sponsor, Sen. David Gottesman, D-Nashua.

Later that same month, State Representative Laura Pantelakos filed a proposal to criminalize the use of cell phones while driving. Her rationale? Apparently, people who drive and talk on the phone at the same are making it harder for her to endanger the lives of their children by flying down the highway going 20+ mph over the posted speed limit.

As February rolled around, and most folks were trying to find the perfect sweet treat for their valentines, State Representatives Paul McEachern and Jim Splaine were busy trying to push legislation through the senate that would have made it illegal to sell any of those cakes and confections made with evil trans fats. You know, because who better to decide what you put into your body than a bunch of meddling liberals?

Now, they say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This year, in New Hampshire, March came in like a stampede of crazed, power-hungry donkeys on dope and went out like a, well, a stampede of crazed power-hungry donkeys on dope. Stay with me here, there's quite a bit of ground to cover.

Meet State Representative Catherine Mulholland of Grafton.

While her aforementioned colleagues, McEachern and Splaine, were busy trying to outlaw the sale of any food item made with trans fats, this courageous public servant was working diligently to come up with a "solution" for dealing with the candy and chocolate goods not covered by the trans fats ban.

What did she come up with? A candy tax, of course! Come on, like you really had to ask.

Now suck on this Gobstopper (via WMUR.com):

As a candy maker and retailer, [Dave Quinn, an employee at Can Otis Chocolates in Manchester] would have to get multiple "candy licenses," which would cost his store about $450, and his store would be required to buy 'tax stamps' to be put on all candy, a cost that would be passed along.

You might want to give that one another reading or two, just to make sure it says what you thought it says. I know I had to.

I'll tell you, if I had a nickel for every time I've said "I wish I was making this stuff up", when commenting on this abject lunacy, I'd actually have enough cash on hand to afford to live in their Utopian fantasyland, where the very air we breathe would likely be subject to some kind of user fee.

Though, I'm not sure I'd have accumulated enough nickels to be able to afford a pistol license, if people like State Senator Peter Burling were to get their way.

Yes, March also saw the all-too predictable opening salvo against New Hampshire's "lax" gun laws. You know, the ones that allow all law-abiding American citizens residing in the state to exercise their Constitutionally protected right to bear arms in the defense of their homes, families, and communities, irrespective of their income level or their level of coziness with the state's political power structure.

That piece of legislative poison (Senate Bill 44) would have undoubtedly proven itself to be to "foot in the door" that the area's anti-gun rights groups have been clammoring for in their attempts to bring Massachusetts-style gun control to the rest of the country. Seems that Burling and his supporters agree with Boston Mayor Tom Menino that equal rights for poor people living in poor communities is simply a tired, outdated concept that has no place in their "perfect world" scenario.

But, wait.

There's more. It's still only mid-March.

We haven't even made it to the vernal equinox yet.

You're all likely aware of how the Democrats in Washington have been trying to expand the SCHIP program to provide taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits to all those "poor" families living in 4-bedroom homes, driving multiple vehicles, and pulling down over 80-grand a year.

But, did you know that the Democrats here in New Hampshire were way ahead of the curve, as far as the left's insatiable appetite for unfettered expansion of taxpayer-funded handouts is concerned?

Meet State Representative Martha McLeod from Franconia (quoted text from the Union Leader).

How many 25-year-old college graduates would you say really need to go on the dole? If you answered, "all of them," you might be a Democrat in the Legislature.

House Bill 790, sponsored by Rep. Martha McLeod, would expand the New Hampshire Healthy Kids program, which is sort of a Medicaid for minors, to cover "young adults who are less than 26 years of age."

[...]

And by the way, the bill would cover non-New Hampshire residents enrolled in colleges and universities in New Hampshire. So the New Hampshire Healthy Kids program would give subsidized health insurance to some Dartmouth and UNH students from Massachusetts and Connecticut.

But, hey, let's cut the lady some slack. As I've said before, it's not like it's HER money she's throwing out the window.

Fast forward now to the month of May.

Ahhh, spring! When a young man's thoughts turn to beer, women, and baseball. And the liberal New Hampshire Democrats' thoughts turned to looking around to see if there are any freedoms still being enjoyed by adults in this state that they haven't been successful in eliminating yet.

Of course, they managed to find one.

Even more predictable than the previously mentioned assault on the rights of New Hampshire gun owners, was this attempt to pass a mandatory seat belt law. And, just as it was a couple months prior when we were fighting to preserve our second amendment rights against this stench of statism, we find State Senator Peter Burling's name all over this latest affront to our freedoms.

Rule #1: If a politician (especially a politician with Peter Burling's pedigree) uses the phrase "common sense", while arguing in favor of the expansion of the powers of the government, bad things are going to happen to you if he gets his way.

OK, I know I said this was going to be a "year in review" kind of post, and we're barely six months into it. But, my fingers are getting tired, so I'm gonna wrap it up here. I believe I've made my point.

I won't even bother going into any detail about this year's massive 17% increase in the state's operating budget, and what the Democrats are doing to pay for (some of) it. That's more than enough material for a separate post altogether.

It's not pretty. Trust me.

It goes without saying that I'd like to go out and buy myself a new 57" LCD TV, but I'd be hard pressed to justify breaking into my neighbors' homes to find the money to pay the Visa bill when it comes due. If only our benevolent legislators in Concord shared that sentiment.

So, anyway, if you're a New Hampshire resident, and you feel it is in your best interest (and mine) to keep voting for these nanny state Democrats, please share with me and my readers your rationale for doing so. I'm trying to see what the attraction is, but I keep coming up empty.

This Was Cool

Got to shake hands with this guy today.

My Kind of Evil

Breda of The Breda Fallacy:

I asked her if she'd like something similar to the Blue Moon and she nodded emphatically yes. After an evil moment of fantasizing about suggesting the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, I pointed out a hefeweizen, explaining the concept of wheat beers. Her eyes glazed over at that point, so she grabbed a six pack and walked away thanking me.

Al Gore Wins Nobel Appeasement Prize

Just in case you weren't previously convinced that the Nobel Peace Prize has jumped the shark, Al Gore and the International Panic and Catastrophe Committee have been awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.



No additional commentary required.

Additional shameless self-promotion, on the other hand...

To celebrate this occasion, I'll be unloading my "Al Gore can kiss my carbon footprint" stickers for a buck each, when you buy five or more.


Send payment by Paypal (spit, spit, anti-gun bastards!, spit) to the e-mail address in the right-hand sidebar.

All proceeds will go directly to the purchase of a beautiful, new (to me) Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum revolver (6 barrel, blued, 1973 D.O.M.)

Be On The Lookout

Zero Hour Arms down in Easton, Massachusetts was broken into a little after 5:00 AM today (Thursday). The scumbags made of with ten firearms. Here's the list (make, model, SN), as provided by 'bsquiral' at the NES Forums.

Shotguns/Rifles:

Sears Shotgun model 14, 12ga (no SN)
Winchester model 67A, 30-06 (SN: G155280)
Winchester model 70, 300 Win Mag (SN: G1415184)
Remington model 700 (SN: E6327994)
J.C. Higgins bolt gun model 51C (SN: 7561)
Inter Ordnance STG 2000 rifle, 7.62x39mm (SN: G-8406-06)

Handguns:

Colt 1911a1, frame only (SN: FR20142E)
H&K USP Compact pistol, 9mm (SN: 27-015283)
Glock pistol model 17, 9mm (SN: ZD548US)
AMT Automag pistol, .50AE (SN: 57-3000)

Not that I'd expect these assholes to try to unload these through any legitimate channels (gun shop, pawn shop, gun shows), but you never know.

GunMAN?

Headline: Ohio Gunman Had Violent Episodes In Past

The shooter was 14 years old.

CLEVELAND -- Public school officials in Cleveland have canceled classes Thursday, a day after a shooting rocked an alternative high school called SuccessTech Academy.

The 14-year-old boy who opened fire reportedly had violent episodes in his past.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer said Asa Coon had spent time in two juvenile facilities after a domestic incident. The paper also said he had been suspended from school last year for trying to hurt another student. And in addition to problems at home, the boy had a history of mental health problems and threatened to attempt suicide last year.

Monday he had been suspended from school for fighting, but he showed up Wednesday with two handguns and a bag stuffed with bullets and three knives. Police say he started shooting, wounding two teachers and two students before killing himself.

Police said they were at the boy's home on Monday evening for another incident and weapons were found inside, so the teen had access to weapons, WEWS-TV in Cleveland reported.

While, I am generally against laws that make it a criminal offense to not secure your firearms in a certain manner, regardless of whether there are children in the home or not, it seems to me that, given this kid's history, anyone who allowed him access to firearms and ammunition should share in the blame for this incident.

It's not like there weren't any warning signs.

To the idiots who let this kid walk out the door with a loaded gun, I send out a hearty "F*** you!" this morning.

We can now expect the anti-gun rights crowd to grab onto this story and use it to encroach further on what rights we still have, thanks to your monumental carelessness and stupidity.

Only In Massachusetts

Federal Complaint Filed After Store Robbed 8 Times

(WBZ) GARDNER A police officer in Gardner insists convenience stores don't have to be easy targets for thieves, so he filed a federal complaint about workplace safety to try to bring about some change.

How about filing a complaint against all the politicians in Massachusetts who do insist that convenience stores and their employees have to be defenseless, easy targets for thieves?

Lt. Gerald Poirier of the Gardner Police Department is not just going after crooks. He's going after a store owner by filing a federal complaint about workplace safety.

Did I read that right? Is he suggesting that store owners are somehow to be held liable for the actions of the lowlife dirtbags who are robbing their stores?

The complaint comes just a few days after a Shell Food Mart on Pearson Boulevard in Gardner was robbed Sunday afternoon.

The clerk struggled back and managed to pull off the robber's hooded sweatshirt, so surveillance cameras were able to video his face, but no arrests have been made.

Poirier is now asking the Federal government to step in because he said the store repeatedly has left cash boxes out in the open and leaves the employees alone and vulnerable.

Yep, it's the store owners' fault.

Victims cause crime!

That's a new low, even by Massachusetts' "progressive" crime-fighting standards.

"Why allow these people to enter into premises when there's a lone worker, especially a young teenager or a lady, who can't defend themselves?" Poirier said.

Excellent questions, indeed! Though, I suspect the lieutenant isn't looking at this issue from the same angle I am.

Why are we allowing career criminals to walk the streets, free to rob 7-11's at will, instead of locking them up when we have the chance?

Why are we forcing people working in these stores to be defenseless victims, knowing full well that our prosecutors and judges aren't doing enough to lock up violent offenders?

Anyone?

Bueller?

Bueller?

So, Poirier got on the phone with OSHA, the Federal agency in charge of workplace safety. He said the owners of the Shell Food Mart are subjecting their employees to violence.

Naturally, the "solution" begins with a phone call to a federal bureaucracy. God forbid we start handling these things on the local level and learn to take care of ourselves without calling in for reinforcements from the feds.

Can you say "Katrina"?

There have been 8 robberies at the same Shell store in the last 5 years.

Yeah, that's what happens when the official store policy is "Free money for anyone who asks." Same reason why we read about bank robberies every day in the news. It's an easy score for someone desperate for drug money.

"These things can be prevented if a system is put in place," Poirier said.

These things can be prevented if a .38 is put in a holster.

But there is some good news for people who work in convenience stores. In the last 12 years, robberies and murders of stores clerks are down 50 percent.I

The number of states adopting "shall issue" licensing laws for concealed carry permits, over roughly that same time period (1993 to present) has gone from 16 to 37 (up 131%).

Don't hold your breath waiting for this "coincidence" to be reported by any of the mainstream news outlets in this country. That might give the impression that guns aren't inherently evil, and that the Second Amendment is, in fact, still relevant.