What Were These Guys Thinking?

Two men in Lawrence, Massachusetts recently acted in a spontaneous manner, without forethought, to protect a small child from imminent harm.

Exactly the kind of "self-help" behavior that Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley discourages members of the peasantry class from practicing.

I guess she'd prefer if those heroic bystanders had just called 911 and watched the child tumble to her death.

Question

Does one celebrate the opening day of chainsaw season by cutting down a tree, or does one mark the first spring felling of a tree by declaring chainsaw season open?



Either way, it's pretty much a win-win situation.

I got to expand my carbon footprint with a piece of gasoline-powered outdoor power equipment on a gorgeous New Hampshire afternoon. And, by taking the life of a tree, I make the Gorebots cry even more.

For those you keeping score at home, that's the Husqvarna 345e (with 18" blade) that I picked up in the fall of '07 after asking for recommendations here.

In Case You Were Wondering...

...what the death of economic freedom looks like.

Beyond AIG: A Bill to let Big Government Set Your Salary

But now, in a little-noticed move, the House Financial Services Committee, led by chairman Barney Frank, has approved a measure that would, in some key ways, go beyond the most draconian features of the original AIG bill.

Great, that's just what I need, another reason to wish him unwell.

The new legislation, the "Pay for Performance Act of 2009," would impose government controls on the pay of all employees -- not just top executives -- of companies that have received a capital investment from the U.S. government.

And, if a company refuse to accept the next round of "capital investment"?

I don't wanna know.

Also, why do I get the funny feeling that the wages being paid to unionized auto workers won't receive quite the level of scrutiny as others?

"...and domestic."

And, people are wondering why there's been such a run on guns and ammunition as of late.

NY Post: OBAMA'S MOST PERILOUS LEGAL PICK

JUDGES should interpret the Constitution according to other nations' legal "norms." Sharia law could apply to disputes in US courts. The United States constitutes an "axis of disobedience" along with North Korea and Saddam-era Iraq.

Those are the views of the man on track to become one of the US government's top lawyers: Harold Koh.

President Obama has nominated Koh -- until last week the dean of Yale Law School -- to be the State Department's legal adviser. In that job, Koh would forge a wide range of international agreements on issues from trade to arms control, and help represent our country in such places as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.

What could possibly go wrong?

UPDATE: I've been looking for more information on this Harlod Koh guy to see what he's really about. The quip about Sharia law in the NY Post article there seems ot be a bit of hyperbole (hence, the use of the word "could") thrown in by Ms. Clyne for dramatic effect.

I did find this clip from a speech of his back ion 2007 where he spoke about applying international legal standards and conventions to the review of American laws in determining their suitability and Constitutionality.

I find his logic (for lack of a better word) lacking.

And dangerous.

You cannot interpret American law, using as a yardstick the laws of countries that refuse to recognize and respect individual rights and liberty to the extent that our country does [read: is supposed to].

Equating the legitimacy and moral value of the laws of the most free nation on earth with those of nations run by oppressive tyrants is lunacy. It's like saying that hanging people for being gay isn't "wrong", per se, it's just different.

It's taking the position that since most country's have stripped their citizenry of basic human rights and freedom, then we need to do the same so that we can achieve social equality.

If we had wanted to be just like everybody else, we would have let the British ride unmolested to Concord to seize the cannons and powder stored there.

UPDATE II: Here's another "Koh-dak moment" for you.

YouTube: Part of a global video advocacy campaign to help end the crisis in Darfur.

What can we do in Darfur? It seems that no one has a solution.

I beg to differ.

Let me suggest four steps - which we will call "The Four P's".

First, we need a peace process.

Got that one covered too.

Second, we need to get "peacekeepers" into Darfur.

Also known as Blue-Helmeted Embezzlement, Graft, Corruption, and Child Endangerment Specialists.

Strike two, pal.

Third, while this is happening, we need to protect people. We need to protect refugees who are crossing borders, and we need to protect the thousands of internally displaced who are being thrown from their homes.

Op. cit.

And, finally, we need to punish the perpetrators.

Must I continue to repeat myself?

I'm no expert in the field, but even I can see that Koh's entire "plan" is horseshit, given that the success of Step 1 is contingent upon getting reasonable behavior from the irrational and responsible deeds from the hell-bent and reckless.

Good Wall, Bad Wall

An illustrated guide.

Wildlife Identification Assistance Requested

What kind of animal will come out at night and makes a ghastly screaming sound (EWWW-AAAGH!!!) that drives all the neighborhood dogs batshit crazy?

Happy Earth Hour, Everybody!

Whatta you know? Leaving all your lights on unnecessarily really does cause global warming!!!

The temperature in my kitchen just shot up about five degrees. It's like the lighting section in Lowes in here - 13 incandescent bulbs and 8 under-the-cabinet halogens.

Feel the warmth.

UPDATE: I'm giving myself 20 bonus points for bringing in the double halogen work lamp from the garage.

That's Strange

When Bush failed to insert himself in a severe flood zone withing hours of the flood occurring, it was proof positive that he didn't care about the well-being of the citizenry therein. Some even said his actions, or lack thereof, were evidential of his outright hatred of the affected minority population.

I guess times have CHANGEd.

File Under: If not for double standards, they'd have no standards at all.

Fill In the Blank

The United Nations is as useful and beneficial as ____________.

I'm going with "penis rot".

Fox News: U.N. 'Climate Change' Plan Would Likely Shift Trillions to Form New World Economy

What could POSSIBLY go wrong???

File Under: Not Likely To Be Deterred by Gun Laws

Deputy US marshal found dead in Juarez was wanted in US

JUAREZ, Mexico -- A deputy U.S. marshal who was shot to death in Juarez was wanted in the United States, according to court documents.

The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that the body found in a Juarez canal on Wednesday was that of 48-year-old Vincent Paul Bustamante, a deputy U.S. marshal assigned to the El Paso office.

Chihuahua state police said that Bustamante died of a gunshot wound to the head.

At the time of his death Bustamante was on administrative leave. Bustamante was wanted for failure to appear in court on charges of criminal theft of public property, according to Jeff Carter, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service.

"Public property", you say?

Do tell.

According to federal records obtained by the ABC-7 I-Team, Bustamante was arrested on the theft charges March 2. He was accused of selling six government handguns, three government shotguns and a pair of government binoculars without authorization.

The charges required that Bustamante's weapon, credentials and badges be retained by his supervisor outside of work hours, Carter said.

I don't want to speculate before all the facts are in, but this sounds to me like a drastic failure in the business associate selection process.

To Whom It May Concern

The Wal-Mart in Epping had 40 boxes (50's) of Blazer Brass in 9mm on the shelf yesterday. Of course, it's probably long gone by now, but you never know.

Joke of the Day

"Knock, knock."

"Who's there?"

Office of Congressional Ethics

It was one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “drain the swamp” proposals when Democrats took control of Congress: creation of an independent ethics watchdog to sweep aside the “culture of corruption” she says prevailed under Republicans.

But while the new Office of Congressional Ethics is finally in operation — a year after the House authorized it and more than two years after Pelosi was sworn in as speaker — the office has little to show for its work and is encumbered by layers of secrecy.

The most open and ethical Congress ever.

Pelosi called for creation of the OCE when she was sworn in as speaker in January 2007, but it took until October of that year for a special task force chaired by Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-Mass.) to flesh out the details for an independent ethics office. Several more months of haggling ensued, and the plan met fierce resistance from senior lawmakers such as Reps. John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), who saw the outside office as an affront to the congressional tradition of self-policing.

As opposed to the affront to all things decent and moral that is our so-called representative government.

From the Unabridged Dictionary of Hopenchange:

change (verb): 1. to take what's working well and destroy it 2. to take what's broken and make it worse

In Case You Were Having Trouble...

...making out that line in the sand through the thick, hazy fog of Hopenchange hanging low in the air these days.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With many U.S. newspapers struggling to survive, a Democratic senator on Tuesday introduced a bill to help them by allowing newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax breaks.

The former executives of the country's vinyl LP and 8-track tape manufacturing companies were unavailable for comment.

A [Senator Benjamin] Cardin spokesman said the bill had yet to attract any co-sponsors, but had sparked plenty of interest within the media, which has seen plunging revenues and many journalist layoffs.

Cardin's Newspaper Revitalization Act would allow newspapers to operate as nonprofits for educational purposes under the U.S. tax code, giving them a similar status to public broadcasting companies.

Putting newspapers on the government teat.

What could POSSIBLY go wrong???

And, just so we're clear.

I hope Baraoke Obama Fails.

I hope Nancy Pelosi fails.

I hope Harry Reid fails.

I hope the Party Formerly Known as the Democrat Party fails.

I hope Senator Cardin steps in front of a fast-moving bus fails.

If they're all allowed to succeed, it's gonna get messy.

Massachusetts Democrats

They're not even pretending to care anymore.

Sen. Marian Walsh (D-West Roxbury) will take a pay cut after she triggered a firestorm of outrage on Beacon Hill when Gov. Deval Patrick appointed her to a vacant $175,000-a-year job.

Walsh plans to take $120,000 a year instead.

As if that's any less offensive to the hard-working people of Massachusetts who are struggling just to make ends meet and put food on the table for their families.

Only in the deluded minds of the most reality-detached politicians does offering some hack politician a low six-figure, do-nothing job completely atone for the sin of originally offering said hack a high six-figure, do-nothing job.

Frankly, I don't know how Massachusetts has managed to keep itself from burning to the ground over the last twelve years with no one filling that crucial position.

But, wait. As usual, there's more to the story.

Because the first two paragraphs weren't enough of a joke, apparently.

Hoping to renew faith in his reformer image, the governor will also announce a public review of salary and benefits of senior managers at quasi-independent agencies, according to an administration source.

An image that exists only on the retinas of his most devoted, and Hopenchange-addicted followers, people who actually thought (and, likely still think) they were voting for someone who cares about them. Sound familiar?

The Herald disclosed last week that Patrick is pushing hefty $26,000 raises for sheriffs in two low-crime island resorts. The paper also reported that the cash-strapped Turnpike slipped two $100,000 staffers onto its payroll, while failing to lay off any toll takers as the governor had promised.

In case you were wondering what it looks like when you try to stuff ten pounds of "reform" into a five pound bag.

The move comes as the governor is proposing toll hikes and gas-tax hikes in an effort to pay off the Big Dig debt.

Thank God the voters in Massachusetts listened to their intellectually and morally superior overlords on Beacon Hill and voted to keep their income tax in place. Had that ballot question passed, the state would have had no choice but to increase taxes and tolls to make up for the lost...

...um...

...never mind.

Mental Logjam

Too much going on.

Too much gloriously delicious blogfobber out there.

Too much Hopenchange.

Not enough scotch.

Give me a day or so.

Quick Favor To Ask

Can we please stop calling these Marxist ideologues "Democrats"?

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will call for increased oversight of executive pay at all banks, Wall Street firms and possibly other companies as part of a sweeping plan to overhaul financial regulation, government officials said.

It's a gross insult to those Democrats (I'm assuming there are still a few out there) who believe in the principles of capitalism and economic freedom, and the opportunities that this country offers to those who are willing to achieve success through hard work and perseverance.

The Obamilitia Goes On Recon

Taste the Hopenchange.

The Connecticut Working Families Party this weekend has organized a bus [tour] that will make stops at Wilton, Connecticut, AIG office as well as the security-patrolled homes of AIG execs who are fearing for their lives.

"We're going to be peaceful and lawful in everything we do," said Jon Green, the director of Connecticut Working Families. "I know there's a lot of anger and a lot of rage about what's happened. We're not looking to foment that unnecessarily, but what we want to do is give folks in Bridgeport and Hartford and other parts of Connecticut who are struggling and losing their homes and their jobs and their health insurance an opportunity to see what kinds of lifestyle billions of dollars in credit-default swaps can buy."

No word yet if they'll be swinging by Chris Dodd's house for a cup of tea.

All I can tell you is that if one of these Acornholes (What? ACORN's behind this??? I am SHOCKED!) goes back there at night, hops the fence at one of the AIG executives's homes, and is rewarded for his efforts with a .223 Rem slug in the cranium, you'll be able to count the number of seconds of sleep I would lose over it on your antennae.

I'm Guessing TOTUS Has a Prior Engagement

Obama White House bars press from press award ceremony

Most open and transparent administration.

Ever.

Expanding on a Good Idea

This is probably sound advice.

American International Group has sent a secret memo to employees giving them security tips as fury grows in the U.S. over millions paid out in bonuses at the bailed-out insurer.

Employees were warned not to wear any clothing with the AIG logo, to travel in pairs and park in well-lit places, and to phone security if they notice anyone 'spending an inordinate amount of time near an AIG facility'.

I would take it a step further, and suggest to Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, and the rest of their colleagues running the DC-based crime syndicate formerly known as the United States Congress that they not wear any clothing in public that might identify them as sitting members of Congress.

This is not a threat, per se. It is merely a Public Safety Advisory that I'm passing along out of the kindness of my heart.

Because I care.

Marx Madness

I hope everyone's doing OK with their NCAA hoops grids. Here's another pool to get in on to help get your mind off the downward vortex once known as the US economy.

With the new CBO report on the Obama-deficit shattering the multi-trillion dollar mark, all you have to do is guess the date on which the first news story appears using the word "quadrillion" to quantify or project future spending or deficit levels under this administration, and win a nifty prize.

I'll take July 4, 2010, for sentimental reasons.

Though, perhaps I am being too optimistic in assuming the Republic will survive that long, given our current pace toward bankruptcy and dissolution.

Barack Star

Alternate Post Title: Sing Us a Song, You're the Piano Man One We've Been Waiting For



(H/T to NLB reader PISSED for the inspiration)

UPDATE: Though, the last time I checked, farts aren't too well known for going on late night talk shows and insulting the mentally and physically challenged.

Who's up for a quick round of "What If Bush Had Said This"?

The first appearance by a sitting president on "The Tonight Show" may well end up being the last.

President Obama, in his taping with Jay Leno Thursday afternoon, attempted to yuk it up with the funnyman, and ended up insulting the disabled.

Towards the end of his approximately 40-minute appearance, the president talked about how he's gotten better at bowling and has been practicing in the White House bowling alley.

He bowled a 129, the president said.

"That's very good, Mr. President," Leno said sarcastically.

It's "like the Special Olympics or something," the president said.

Hey, Baraoke, who prepped you for your Leno gig? Rangel?

UPDATE II: Yes, I've seen Barack Obama's Teleprompter's Blog.

Gold.

Got Oolong?

The New Hampshire Advantage Coalition will be hosting a Tax Day Tea Party on April 15th in Manchester at Victory Park. Festivities officially kick off at 5:30 PM.

Spread the word.

See you there.

Loathsome Turd

Absolute disgrace.

UPDATE: In case you were wondering where Frank's allegiance lies.

Ed Morrissey asks: If AIG’s retention bonuses are a problem, why aren’t Freddie Mac’s?

Gee, I wonder.

Pardon My Language

F*** every single one of these self-righteous pricks and their phony "outrage"! Soulless f***ing lowlifes, the whole stinkin' lot of 'em!



And, did I mention "scumbag"?



To call these assholes "common crooks" would be a grave insult to common crooks.

And assholes.

UPDATE: Had to add this compilation from Politico.



When the folks at MSNBC start calling bullshit on ya, and you're a top Democrat lawmaker, it's time to go.

Bipartisanship

Though, just like the bipartisanship "stimulus" opposition in the House, this is not the kind of bipartisanship Baraoke Obama really cares for all that much.

When he says "reach across the aisle", what he's talking about is bringing as many semi-rational Democrats as he can over to the full-blown Global Marxist Utopia side of the discussion.

"I pledge to work with anyone - Greens, Socialists, Leninists, Marxists, whatever. It's all about celebrating diversity of thought, baby!"

What To Call Our Teleprompter-Addicted President

Baraoke Obama.

You heard it here first.

Quote of the Day

Via Instapundit reader e-mail:

The CIA should run all secret programs from within a “tea party” protest, it will guarantee a media blackout.

No shit, huh.

Question of the Day

Greg Pollowitz has A Request For Team Obama

Add up all the hours staffers spent discussing Rush Limbaugh in the last two weeks and compare that to the number of hours spent discussing AIG's bonuses and tell me what the answer is.

MSM: Do the same thing.

The country's being run by a bunch of kids who just broke into their parents' liquor cabinet for the first time. It would be laughable if the stakes weren't so high, and the likely damage so severe.

Quick Question

If White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs isn't the biggest pinhead drawing breath today, who is?

Happy St. Pats, All!

I'm kilted and Guinnessed, listening to Christy Moore, while waiting for the brisket to simmer. Catch you all tomorrow.

What, No Pointy Sticks?

Canadian Press:

MONTREAL — Vandalism, a series of skirmishes and about 200 arrests marked a tense anti-police brutality demonstration in Montreal on Sunday.

Police said 48 of the people arrested were charged with criminal offences, while about 150 others were charged with alleged violations of municipal laws. Bricks, bottles and food, including bananas, were pelted at police, while protesters also launched fireworks into the sky early in the march.

Knowing what we know about the lethal threat posed by this seemingly innocuous piece of produce, not to mention Canada's relatively lax banana control laws, I'd say the officers involved showed great restraint in responding to this potentially deadly encounter.

Blog Comment of the Day

Courtesy of 'mostlygenius' at Snowflakes in Hell:

In all truth if this cap was compatible with the rail system on an AR15 they would sell thousands, and somebody would decide it’s the must-have tactical accessory.

Discuss Amongst Yourselves

The dumbest show currently running on network TV is _________.

A. Ghost Whisperer
B. The Big Bang Theory
C. Other (please specify)

Shocking New Development

Now that the campaign is over, the self-professed champion of the middle class is suddenly warming up to the idea of enacting what he described just a few months ago as "the largest middle-class tax increase in history."

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system.

The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as “the largest middle-class tax increase in history.” Most Americans with insurance get it from their employers, and taxing workers for the benefit is opposed by union leaders and some businesses.

It seems like only yesterday when even suggesting such an idea was proof positive that a person was wholly unqualified to serve as president.

From the Unabridged Dictionary of Hopenchange:

the rich (n): 1. American citizens with jobs 2. Business owners who hire American citizens

Precious Metals in Short Supply...

...mainly lead, brass, and copper.

Via NES Forum: Sales of guns, ammo still high

Four months after the election of President Barack Obama, firearms and ammunition sales in Tulsa remain at a fever pitch.

Popular self-protection ammunition is often sold out at local stores, weapons are flying off shelves and the state reports an 87 percent increase in concealed carry permit applications for February 2009 over February 2008.

[...]

The surprise sales come with .380 caliber semi- automatic pistols. A relatively small self-protection weapon, it's not one that people typically fire in great quantity at the firing range, Prall said. Yet, the ammunition is now hard to find. "Nobody would have predicted that," he said.

Tell me about it.

Also, from the article, it should come as no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention that Ruger LCP's are flying off the shelves as fast as the shops can get 'em.

As for the shortage of .380 Auto ammo, maybe one of my Boston-area readers can find out where Jizz got his, and we can try to put together a group buy.

UPDATE: From the comments at the article linked above.

Ever tried to use a civilian gun against the military or even SWAT team? Try it out sometime and see how far your pea shooters get. Republicans maintain they want guns to stop the government, while they insist on having a military capable of destroying us with a missile from thousands of miles away. Get real people and see that you over armed our government and that all the small arms in the world wouldn't beat the military. If you want true freedom from government intimidation, try scaling this military machine down first.

Another liberal making the woefully incorrect assumption that the men and women in the United States Armed Forces, individuals sworn to defend the country and our Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, would be on the other side when the shooting starts.

Also, if the civilian versions of the weapons being used by our military are weak and ineffective "pea shooters", as this intellectual powerhouse would have us believe, why all the effort to have them banned?

pi Day Reminder

Contrary to popular belief, you don't have to be a wicked math nerd to celebrate "pi Day" on 3/14.

You do, however, have to be a one to wait until 1:59 and 26 seconds to do so.

I'll Take "Both" for $600, Alex

It wasn't that long ago, according to President Cuecard, that our world was on the brink of absolute and irreversible economic destruction, and that only a trillion-dollar spending bill (that no one had the chance to read, and that our great-grandchildren will be paying for) could save us from certain doom.

The fate of the global economy was hanging by a thread.

Now, just a few weeks later, Obama wants us to believe that things aren't so bad after all.

Obligatory Rhetorical Question of the Day:

Was he full of shit then, or is he full of shit now?

Tax the Poor, Feed the Rich

It's the "progressive" way.

Outrage is sweeping Beacon Hill after Gov. Deval Patrick quietly slipped a $175,000 plum job to a political pal while squeezing taxpayers to pay more for less from the debt-ridden state government.

Asking citizens to fork over 19 cents more per gallon at the gas pump while bracing for cuts of cops and teachers, Patrick awarded supporter Marian Walsh the pricey plum as assistant executive director of the state’s Health and Educational Facilities Authority.

The job has been vacant for 12 years. The appointment of Walsh, 54, a Democratic state senator from West Roxbury, was revealed amid news of a $1 billion state deficit while Patrick continued his vacation in Jamaica.

[...]

Patrick appointed Walsh’s husband, retired District Court judge Paul Buckley, to a $113,000-a-year job as director of the state’s industrial accident board. He’s eligible to take home a $92,000 pension upon retiring.

Remember, this is the guy who was swept into the corner office on a grass roots tidal wave of "change".

This fraudulent douchebag wouldn't have lasted five days in office in the Boston of 1773. Then again, in the 18th century Massachusetts was populated with clear-thinking men and women, who recognized tyranny and incompetence when they saw it, and were willing and able to take decisive action to overcome the same.

To call the Massachusetts voters of today "sheep" is an insult to sheep.

You couldn't pay me enough to move back to that corrupt shithole of a state.

Taste the Hopenchange

Taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens? Good.

For men and women injured while selflessly serving our country with courage and honor?

Not so much.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki confirmed Tuesday that the Obama administration is considering a controversial plan to make veterans pay for treatment of service-related injuries with private insurance.

One Big-Ass Mistake, America.

The Right to Self Defense in Washington DC

Commoners need not apply.

How It's Done

If only Washington DC operated this way.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- The economy appeared to be on the minds of many Granite Staters who turned out at Town Meetings Tuesday night to vote on crucial spending, from budgets to new projects.

Voters said no to budget increases in nearly every category, forcing many towns to operate leaner than they have before.

The next time you hear some idiot from Massachusetts tell you how much New Hampshire sucks because we have high property tax rates here, kindly refer them to this article and my words below.

It's not rocket science, people.

Local property taxes are collected locally and spent locally. Spending is voted on at the local level. Don't want to pay higher taxes? Get your friends and neighbors together and vote against higher spending.

When taxation and spending are dealt with at the local level, out of the reach of career politicians in a fancy building 100 miles away, it is the people who have the final say as to how much money gets taken out of their wallets, and how that money is spent to best serve the community.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have states like Massachusetts, where the amount of money the state takes away from you is determined by lawmakers who care more about acting in the best interest of their wealthy, special interest campaign donors than they care about doing what's best for the people whose money they are spending.

To surrender control of your tax dollars to a bureaucratic, centralized government is to surrender your freedom of choice. It's ironic (though entirely non-surprising), that it's overwhelmingly "progressive" Democrats - the self-professed defenders of "choice" - who advocate for such a tyrannical system of government funding.

No thanks.

I'll take the New Hampshire way any damn day of the week, and do everything in my power to keep it intact.

Live free or die, baby.

No Justice

Scumbags like this guy apparently have no problem finding .380 ammo right in Tom Menino's backyard.

A search was then conducted that produced an amount of crack cocaine in excess of 14 grams, several scales (commonly used in a cocaine distribution operation), a .380 caliber semi-automatic firearm, numerous .380 rounds of ammunition, a .22 caliber-revolver firearm and numerous .22 caliber rounds of ammunition.

While I haven't seen a single box on the shelf at any of the Wal-Marts up here in the land of "easy availability of guns and ammunition" in friggin' ages.

Two Entirely Unrelated Notes

1. Other than the smallness of the package (and ludicrous "servings per container" number), I'm having a hard time coming up with something bad to say about Blazin' Buffalo Wing Pringles.

2. Introducing sixth graders to the music of B.B. King is harder than it should be. Apparently, he's no Slipknot.

Give Us This Day Our Daily Race Baiting Asshole

Surprise, surprise!

The loyalists in the MSNBC wing of the Obama Kneepad Brigade are responding to Rush Limbaugh's recent criticism of Barack Obama and his policies by labeling Limbaugh as a racist.

Gee, I never saw that coming.

September 2008:

OBAMA '08: Childish race-baiting you can believe in.

October 2008:

Those who dared challenge The Product, or the opinions of his operatives in the media, were immediately attacked by the Hopenchange Race Baiting Machine, and branded as hate-filled bigots.

December 2008:

Prepare to enter the Age of Obama and get ready for the new rallying cry of the "enlightened" class (which we certainly got a generous helping of during the presidential campaign).

"Dissent is Racist!"

February 2009:

That it's now our so-called "free and independent" news media perpetrating the exact same style of politically-motivated, race-based attack against their ideological opposition is beyond sickening. If this country doesn't wake up damn quick [read: like yesterday] from this mainstream media-induced coma of HopenchangeTM, we are rightly and summarily f***ked.

Dogs, balls, etc.

You know the drill.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

For those of you keeping score at home, today marks my 1,826th day as the sole proprietor of this here soapbox.

For five years I've been turning the handle on this pressurized steam vent.

More than 4,000 brilliant and insightful blog posts, over a million site visits from some of the smartest and most attractive people on the planet, and I'm just gettin' warmed up.

Senator Shaheen to DC Schoolchildren

"Who do you think you are? The president's kids???"

Shameful.

These self-professed champions of the common man will throw around billions in wasteful, pork barrel spending for special interest groups, willingly and gleefully amassing trillions in debt for future generations to deal with.

They'll hide behind the disingenuous and disgraceful rallying cry of "IT'S FOR THE CHILDREN!" to defend any and all attempts to expand the power and wealth of the government and restrict the rights and liberties of the individual.

They'll profess an undying devotion to improving the educational opportunities for all our children, telling the American people that a vote for their political opponents is a vote against the well-being of the youth of America.

They'll stare you in the face and tell you they are the candidates for "choice".

Yet, when asked this week to go against the wishes of their campaign financiers in the teachers unions and to continue giving impoverished kids in DC a glimmer of hope that they might be able to escape the festering sewer that is the DC public school system, their elitist bullshit attitude shined right through.

"Private schools in the district are for the children of the rich and powerful. You know, the special people, like presidents, congressmen, and wealthy lobbyists."

"F*** the lower classes."

"F*** their children's futures."

"We've got our futures in politics to take care of."

"Besides, what are they gonna do? Vote Republican???"

"Please. They need us."

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Never before have so many tireless public servants worked so hard and dedicated themselves so completely to the economic well-being and fiscal stability of the state of New Hampshire.

Now, all someone needs to do (no rush, mind you) is remind them they're supposed to be working on behalf of the people of Massachusetts.

Boston Herald: Pols look to hike sales tax

Top state lawmakers are seriously considering a controversial and politically risky plan to boost the sales tax by one penny* to 6 percent, socking it to Bay State residents already facing possible gas and booze hikes.

"Politically risky"?

Excuse me?

There's nothing risky about it.

Why do you think these "stewards of the public trust" have worked so hard over the years to create an environment where a majority of the citizenry becomes entirely dependent on, and beholden to, the benevolent graces of those holding the chains of power?

Whether it's the state workers with their comfy six-figure salaries and their precious pensions, the union bosses and their faithful flock, the fresh out of college 20-somethings lacking fully developed frontal lobes, or the recipients of any number of "free" government handouts, they all have one thing in common - an insatiable appetite for voting for Democrats.

The voters have made their collective desire known. That being that the legislature is free to levy any tax, or tax increase, on any product, service, or monetary asset of any form, in any amount, and the people, in kind, will repay them for their generosity, understanding and kindness by re-electing them term after term.

Governor Hopenchange Jr. and the Democrat leadership (for lack of a better word) on Beacon Hill could enact legislation simultaneously outlawing the use of garden hoses in the Commonwealth, banning the civilian possession of 4-D cell "assault flashlights", mandating helmet use for pedestrians in congested neighborhoods, and levying a 10% methane reduction tax on baked beans and broccoli, and these vacuous turds wouldn't so much as bat an eyelash as they run down the ballot next time around and check off anyone with a "D" next to his name.

But, I digress.

Mr. Speaker, as far as this idea to hike up sales tax in Massachusetts is concerned, you have both my support and my undying gratitude. But don't you think 6% is a little on the low side?

What's Next?

Are Obama and Biden going to propose expanding the domestic job market by opening up certain positions in schools and daycare centers to "moderate" child molesters?

Because that seems to be the mentality they're warming up to in their approach to the conflict in Afghanistan.

AFP: Talks with Taliban moderates 'worth exploring': Biden

Sheepdog 1, Wolf 0

Job well done, Mr. Correia.

A Brockton dad who wrestled a loaded shotgun away from a man who robbed his Brockton convenience store yesterday afternoon said he did what he had to do to save his nephew and wife, who stood next to him when the gun-wielding thug demanded cash.

“I jump on him and I got the gun with two hands and then he started fighting. We were fighting,” recounted Cape Verde immigrant 48-year-old Bebiano Correia, whose store, Universal Grocery Food Market was robbed Sunday afternoon. “He didn’t want to give me the gun.”

Correia, a married dad of six, said the struggle lasted two minutes, and ultimately ended with the thief abandoning his loaded pistol grip shotgun, swiping $200 cash and fleeing.

More stories like this one, please.

Can You Feel the Love In the Room?

Looks like someone hasn't been getting his daily recommended allowance of Peace, Love and Hopenchange in his breakfast lately.

The son of Chas Freeman, President Obama's pick for National Intelligence Council chairman, has a message for his father's detractors: I want to punch you in the nose.

"They are low-lives," Charles Freeman writes of his dad's critics. "And if you're among them and by chance read this: I still want to punch you in the face. You'd deserve it, you schmucks."

This is the same Chas Freeman, of course, who believes the Chinese government didn't take swift enough action to quash the 1989 terrorist uprising in Tiananmen Square.

Yes, he actually faults the Communist regime for allowing freedom of assembly and freedom of speech to be practiced within its borders for as long as they did.

Much like his co-conspirators in Washington running the Democrat party, Mr. Freeman is a proud passenger on the train of thought (or lack thereof) that has redefined freedom and individualism as hazardous commodities.

If anyone needs a punch in the face, not to mention a swift kick to the nether-regions, it's the people who think Chas Freeman is a perfectly viable candidate to head up the National Intelligence Council.

Now, Mr. Freeman (the younger), if you want to physically assault me for having the audacity to exercise my right to speak freely in what is still (in theory, anyway) a free country, I'll be more than happy to assist you in your endeavor.

My e-mail address is located in the right-hand sidebar of this website. Drop me a line, and I'll give you my address and a schedule telling you when I'll be home. I'll even leave a back window open for you.

Nominations Are Open

(link)

Arrogant Turd of the Decade

(video courtesy of Pelosi Swamp Draining Specialists, LLC)

Scenes From My Kids' Bedroom

"Papa, why are you taking a picture of Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew?"

"No reason. Now, go brush your teeth."



I swear, the picture wasn't posed. They just happened to get put away like that after a game of "Muppet Laboratory".

It's just screaming "CAPTION CONTEST!"

No Kidding

Say Uncle: "People aren’t buying duck guns."

I Beg To Differ

This incompetent, socialist fraud sitting in the Oval Office today is exactly what I expected he'd be, and then some.

Now, though, the mask is off and the disconnect between rhetoric and reality is emerging as the dominant driver of the Obama narrative. The contrast is no longer between the young, personable, historic candidate Obama and a creaky, cranky old Republican White Guy, it's between what America thought it was getting in a President Obama (cool, reasonable and beyond partisanship) and what it now sees as the reality of a President Obama (government spending out of control, an uncertain hand on foreign policy, broken promises, more bureaucrats, etc. etc.).

Put another way - what we see now is neither what we were promised, nor what we expected.

Sorry, but those of us in the reality-based universe saw through the paper-thin facade of Hopenchange years ago.

Welcome to Vacationland Taxationland

Dogs licking their balls.

Socialists taxing anything that moves.

It's what they do.

AUGUSTA -- Canoeists and kayakers would be required to pay a $19-a-year license fee to use inland waters under a bill that will get a public hearing next week.

Rep. Jane Eberle, D-South Portland, is the sponsor of LD 626, which requires anyone older than 16 who uses a non-motorized watercraft to get a license. Those who already have a hunting, fishing or trapping license are exempt.

Yes, you read that right.

If this bill is made law, you would need a license to paddle a canoe (or operate a small sailboat, I presume) on a lake in Maine.

I gotta tell you, I can think of a much better use for a canoe paddle right now.

The idea is to get so-called "nonconsumptive users" to contribute to the Maine Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund.

Bullshit.

Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

The idea is to squeeze every last penny out of the taxpayer to contribute to the general fund of the State, so that the Democrats in power can use that money to buy the votes needed to ensure their re-election.

Anyone who can't come to terms with that, and see through this tissue-thin veneer is delusional.

That said, I must now issue this brief, yet important caveat.

WARNING: Do not read the following paragraph if you have recently eaten, or are getting ready to eat, as it will likely cause immeasurable levels of gastric discomfort.

The license would be called a "Wildlife Enthusiast's Conservation Appreciation, Recreation and Enjoyment" license or WE CARE, according to the bill.

No, I will not be reimbursing you for the cost of cleaning vomit from your keyboard. You were warned.

I will be writing to this demented woman as soon as possible.

Here is her contact information:

Address: 187 Pilgrim Road, South Portland, ME 04106
Home Telephone: (207) 767-5005
Business Telephone: (207) 776-3783
Cell Phone: (207) 776-3783
Home E-Mail: eberleja@earthlink.net
State House E-Mail: RepJane.Eberle@legislature.maine.gov

I will let her know, in no uncertain terms, that if she gets this legislation passed, I will make it my goal in life to drive up to our camp in Sebago, Maine every damn weekend the ice is out and engage in illegal canoeing.

I will tell Ms. Eberle exactly when and where this criminal behavior will be taking place. And, I will promise her that any efforts taken by the State to locate me and cite me for violating this asinine fee requirement will result in a cost to the State that FAR EXCEEDS any fine I'd have to pay.

She's got as much chance of getting me to buy a license for my canoe usage as Barack Obama has at getting me to register my firearms with his Fascistic Bureaucracy of Hopenchange.

UPDATE: I just finished reading that Kennebec Journal article linked above. Who's up for another quick round of "Spot the Bullshit".

Rep. Anna Blodgett, D-Augusta, just a few months into her first legislative session, is taking on a big issue: background checks at gun shows.

Blodgett is sponsoring LD 814, which would require anyone selling weapons at gun shows to do an instant background check.

Apparently, federal law requires licensed firearm dealers who sell at retail stores to do background checks, but those who sell at gun shows don't have to, according to the House Majority Office.

Make no mistake about it.

Today's Democrat party represents nothing more than the death of freedom.

Whether economic or personal freedom, they want you to have as little of it as possible. They actually see themselves as the Benevolent Guardians of Freedom. To them, freedom is a dangerous commodity that must be carefully allocated only to select groups of people in measures they deem "appropriate".

Now, where'd I put my torch?

Mr. Kimball, You Are not Alone

Meet New Hampshire businessman Jack Kimball.

“I consider it to be one of the greatest blunders in American history,” said the city businessman. “All my life I was taught that communism and socialism were what we were fighting against. Then, without firing a single shot, that’s what we’re getting. We’ll be passing on all this debt to our children and grandchildren, and maybe beyond.”

Inside his medical facility cleaning business, Kimball keeps a small American flag in his pencil holder, a “God Bless America” plaque in the lobby and a framed photo of his 1967 Navy unit on his office wall. He owns a 9 mm handgun and an M-4 assault rifle, but is not a member of the National Rifle Association.

He also bought “as much ammo as I could get my hands on.”

“I think we have serious things coming,” said Kimball, who is adopting a survivalist mentality by adding generators at his home and planning for worst case scenarios.

“Our enemies see us as weak and they are going to test us,” he said.

[...]

Kimball said he’s not an activist, but “a patriot more than anything.”

Which explains the name of his newly formed group of “like-minded people,” the Granite State Patriots. Its platform, he said, is to support American troops, counter anti-war and pro-Hamas groups within a 60-mile radius, and “keep a close eye on this president.”

Google his group, he said, but “if you’re politically correct, do not join.”

Here's the link: Granite State Patriots

Also:

Following an article in the Portsmouth Herald entitled "Bypass Businessman Says Stop Paying Your Mortgage". Jack Kimball will appear live on FOX & Friends this Friday, March 6th, 2009 at 8:20am. Tune in early to make sure you catch his piece.

UPDATE: Here's the video from yesterday.

I Could Have Sworn I Had Unsubscribed

In my e-mail inbox today:

My friend,

[click]

[delete]

A day late and a dollar short, dickhead.

UPDATE: OK, I can't let this paragraph go unmentioned.

I'm asking you to join me today in supporting the effort to stop this wasteful spending. I'm urging you to make an immediate donation of $25, $50, $100, $250, $500 or whatever you can give to my re-election campaign for the U.S. Senate to continue the fight to bring an end to wasteful spending.

No additional commentary required.

Privacy For Me, But Not For Thee

Meet Stamford, Connecticut Mayor Dannel Malloy, a proud member of Tom Menino's organization, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of gun control-loving politicians posing as bunch of "get tough on crime" types.

As 99.99% of my regular readers know, their goal is to get legislation passed at the federal level, which would make it harder and more expensive for non-criminals to purchase firearms, and to hold gun manufacturers and dealers liable for unlawful misuse of the products they make and sell to non-criminals.

There isn't a gun control proposal out there, to which Mumbles' minions have spoken out in opposition. If it infringes on the rights and privacy of law-abiding American citizens who wish to own guns for lawful purposes, they're "all in".

Perhaps, Mayor Malloy should start cleaning his own house, so to speak, before getting involved with any national efforts to strip me of my Constitutionally-protected rights.

As Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy explores a run for the governor's office, his son is in trouble with the law again.

Ben Malloy, 21, and two other men tried to rob drugs from a Darien man early Tuesday morning, Darien Police said.

Initially, the man told police he was the victim of an armed home invasion, but police said they quickly realized it was a drug buy turned robbery.

Police believe Malloy and two other men had arranged to buy drugs from the victim, but instead of handing over cash, they pulled out guns and told the victim to hand over the drugs. When the victim refused, Malloy and his two friends took off, police said.

[...]

Mayor Malloy and his wife issued a statement after their son's arrest.

"We have worked very hard as parents to support our son and get him the help he needs to combat his emotional illness and substance abuse. We remain deeply concerned about his well-being and will continue to support him throughout his treatment and beyond. We are cooperating fully with police and ask the public to respect our privacy as the police do their job."

Not that this was ever in doubt, but now you know what it takes for an anti-gun rights politician to develop a new-found respect for an individual's right to privacy.

HCR-6 Roll Call Vote

Link.

A Few Random Pics From the HCR-6 Rally

I'll have more to say when I've got more time.

NH Dems Spit on The People, Kill HCR-6

Here's raw video from the Visitors Gallery in the NH State House following the reading of the roll call vote. I was late getting the video turned on, so what you're seeing here is the scene after the crowd had "calmed down".

Depressing Truisms 101

The Democrat party of JFK is dead.

Hell, even the Democrat party of EMK is on friggin' life support these days.

Live at the State House...

...Nick Levasseur is a no-show. Good.

...They're naming some bridges now. How pressing.

...Rep. Itse got HCR-6 bumped to the top of the list.

...roll call vote underway. This is crucial.

...F***ers. More later.

AP Misses the Boat, MSNBC Runs It Aground

I know, I'm shocked, too.

Contrary to the headline hastily glued onto this MSNBC.com piece, New Hampshire House Concurrent Resolution 6 was not filed for the purpose of fighting Obama's pork-laden stimulus spending package, and would have been introduced whether that steaming pile of you-know-what bill was signed into law or not.

Some state lawmakers fight federal stimulus

CONCORD, New Hampshire - For proponents of small government, the $787 billion economic stimulus bill recently passed by Congress isn't a life saver. It's the last straw.

State lawmakers across the country are sponsoring resolutions — most of them only symbolic — demanding state sovereignty, in effect the right to ignore any federal law or policies they deem unconstitutional. And that includes the U.S. stimulus package.

Resolutions such as one introduced in the New Hampshire House are typically nonbinding, meaning they would not have the force of law even if approved by legislatures. Instead, they give legislators a platform to stand up for smaller government and other conservative agenda items, such as limiting gun control.

That's two fallacies in one sentence - just another day at the Associated Press.

1. Gun control is not (or at least, shouldn't be) a "conservative agenda item". At least not in the way the definition of the word "conservative" has been mangled as of late by the mainstream press (e.g. "the last eight years of conservative rule").

To defend our Second Amendment rights from attack is to defend the rights of all Americans to defend themselves and protect their families and communities from harm - be they straight, gay, black, white, rich, poor, rural folk, or city dwellers.

If respecting the rights of all citizens, regardless of their socio-economic status represents a "conservative" belief system, then I will wear that appellation with pride. There used to be a time in this country when tolerance of others was the hallmark of the "progressive" left.

2. This resolution seeks not to advance "conservative agenda items", but rather to prevent the federal government from passing legislation that it has no business being involved with. It's about getting the federal government to respect the limitations of power that are identified in the Constitution.

The purpose of HCR-6 is to demand that the federal government respect the contract that exists between it and the 50 sovereign states that comprise our constitutional republic. The federal government has been grossly overstepping its bounds for some time now.

Example: The Defense of Marriage Act. There is nothing in the Constitution that gives Congress the power to regulate the institution of marriage, yet they went and did it anyway.

If HCR-6 had been filed by a member of the Berkeley (CA) City Council four years ago (OK, minus the part about icky guns), it would have been hailed in the press as one of the most heroic and progressive pieces of legislation in American history.

The Constitution has been torn asunder and stepped on by politicians on both sides of the aisle. This resolution is not a matter of Left vs. Right, or Democrats vs. Republicans. All we are asking is that our elected officials stop using it as a doormat and uphold their oaths of office.

To say the fate our Republic hangs in the balance is by no means an understatement.

UPDATE: Got the truck all loaded up for the 8:00 AM rally at the State House tomorrow morning. See you there!

Quote of the Day

Mind-Numbingly Obvious Edition

David Rittgers:

It defies reason to think that multi-billion dollar criminal syndicates will not be able to get their hands on guns because of an American law banning cosmetic features and dictating lower magazine capacity.

Dogs lick their balls.

Gun control zealots defy reason.

It's what they do.

(link via Say Uncle)

UPDATE: On a related note.

I'm fascinated by the Obama administration's mentality that the fact that violent Mexican drug cartels are raising hell just over the border doesn't justify additional border security or a fence, but it does justify making it harder for American citizens to own a gun.

Any Questions?

Remain Calm!

There's no need to panic.

This is nothing that can't be fixed by imposing a reasonable, common sense "volcano tax" on American oil companies.

The Granite State Stimulus Package Rolls On

Never before, in the history of our great state, has one man done so much to bolster the economy of New Hampshire.

In the same month that Logan International Airport hiked its parking rates by $1, Governor Deval Patrick is asking for another $2 parking "carbon fee" [Hey, quit laughing! He's serious. - ed.] as part of his transportation overhaul filed this week.

It's not a tax.

Noooooo!

It's a common sense, planet-saving carbon fee.

You're not (gasp!) ANTI-PLANET, are you???

The carbon fee, described on page 137 of Patrick's 141-page bill, would that mean a 20- or 30-minute trip to pick up a relative at Logan could cost $6 in parking alone, not including tunnel tolls, which could rise to as much as $7 if legislators fail to pass Patrick's other proposal to raise the gas tax. Three hours in a Logan garage would cost $18; all-day parking in a garage would run $26.

I really hope he gets this passed.

Go, Deval, go!!!

Long-term parking at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport is $10 a day. Getting in and out is a breeze - no smog-filled tunnels, no $7 tolls. Fill your tank with cheap gas, and load up on tax-free goods, and no deposit-required beverages while you're here.

(link via reader Jim, who will whine like a six-year-old girl if I don't give him credit here)

You Do the Math

Ladies and gentlemen, "The One We've Been Waiting For".



I guess it all depends on one's definition of "renaissance".

ChiTrib: Detroit's outlook falls along with home prices

DETROIT — It may be tough to get financing for a new car these days, but in Detroit you can buy a house with a credit card.

The median price of a home sold in Detroit in December was $7,500, according to Realcomp, a listing service.

Not $75,000. Remove a zero—it's seven thousand five hundred dollars, substantially less than the lowest-price car on the new-car market.

Among the many dispiriting numbers that bleakly depict the decrepitude of this onetime industrial behemoth, the steep slide of housing values helps define the daunting challenge to anyone who wants to lead this shrinking, poverty-pocked city of about 800,000 people.

Remember, during the housing boom, when Bush was being blamed for the high cost of housing? How it was all his fault that poor people were being denied the opportunity to achieve the American dream?

Why aren't all those asshats flocking to Detroit in droves to soak up the Hopenchange^TM that's gotta be flowing through the streets of that "progressive" success story of a city like f***in' milk and honey by now?

I don't know about the rest of you, but I can't wait for Obama to shove more of that brilliant Kilpatrick-style "leadership" up our collective asspipe.

And, people are wondering why Winchester White Box is in such short supply at their local Wal-mart.

In a Nutshell

What It Feels Like To Be A Libertarian

Excerpt:

Libertarians spend their lives accurately predicting the future effects of government policy. Their predictions are accurate because they are derived from Hayek’s insights into the limitations of human knowledge, from the recognition that the people who comprise the government respond to incentives just like anyone else and are not magically transformed to selfless agents of the good merely by accepting government employment, from the awareness that for government to provide a benefit to some, it must first take it from others, and from the knowledge that politicians cannot repeal the laws of economics.

SHOCKING!!!

Unemployment in the "progressive" workers' paradise of California has hit double digits.

LA Times: State caught in avalanche of job losses

Let's play "Spot the Irony".

Hollywood studios and television networks have been slashing payrolls as financing and revenue ebb. Although box-office sales are up 23% for the first few weeks of the year, other parts of the entertainment business, such as DVD sales, have been struggling.

Warner Bros. announced last month it would eliminate 800 jobs. Other entertainment heavyweights, including Viacom Inc., video game giant Electronic Arts Inc. and Hollywood's largest independent studio, Lionsgate, have also downsized.

All I can say is, won't somebody please think about Johnny Depp's children?

They could be forced to make some serious lifestyle changes, should their father see his income slashed in half, and only manage to bring home $45 million this year.