Sunday, May 31, 2009

Liberty Movement Under Fire in NH?

The conspiracy theorist in me says there's a coordinated effort underway to discredit the Free State Project and its members, people who have chosen to (or pledged to) move to New Hampshire and work within the structure of local and state government for the promotion and preservation of economic freedom and individual liberty.

Two New England newspapers, two days apart, both managed to publish pieces critical of the Free State Project and its members, using the broadest of brushes to portray them in as negative a light as possible.

First up, from the Boston Globe, comes this portrayal of FSP'ers as anarchists who want to abolish all forms of taxation and work toward the complete dismantling of government.

And, the commenters are, by and large, lapping it up.

For anyone daring to venture into the comment section there, a full-blown hip wader alert is in effect. You've been warned. One of the more "intellectual" folks there tried to make the argument that people in New Hampshire are, in fact, less free than Massachusetts residents.

Boston Globe: The appeal of 'Live free or die'

Next up, is a piece in the Keene Sentinel from Michael Schuman, who apparently went to a Bob Dylan concert, encountered a rude fan who refused to sit down when asked by the fans seated behind her, and decided that she was the quintessential Libertarian.

He then goes on the paint all FSP'ers as selfish louts (and, of course, gun-toting potheads) who think only about themselves, and have no respect for the rights of others.

Yeah, might as well leave those hip waders on for this one too.

Keene Sentinel: Will the Free Staters please sit down?

Now, this could be just a coincidence that two articles were published locally within a few days of one another, both denigrating the people making up the Free State Project in as disingenuous and broad-brushed a manner possible.

On the other hand, there could be some coordinated effort underway, in the "progressive" media, to actively misinform the public and portray the Free State Project as some kind of dire threat to civilized society, in hopes of keeping the voters feeling all warm and fuzzy about the notions of nanny-state government, intrusive legislation, and reckless fiscal policy (i.e. Hopenchange).

As I'm wont to say, stay tuned.


Taste the Hopenchange

Welcome to the United States of Obama.

Justice Department political appointees overruled career lawyers and ended a civil complaint accusing three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense of wielding a nightstick and intimidating voters at a Philadelphia polling place last Election Day, according to documents and interviews.

The incident - which gained national attention when it was captured on videotape and distributed on YouTube - had prompted the government to sue the men, saying they violated the 1965 Voting Rights Act by scaring would-be voters with the weapon, racial slurs and military-style uniforms.


A follow-up editorial asks the obligatory "What if a Republican had done this?".

MSM to grill Obama administration over this flagrant atrocity in 1,000,000,000...999,999,999...999,999,998...


Saturday, May 30, 2009

Remember, Kids...

...according to Janeane Garofalo, those of us who support Constitutionally-protected rights for individuals and Constitutionally-limited powers of government are the racist ones.

No Guns for Negroes - Part 1



No Guns for Negroes - Part 2


Friday, May 29, 2009

Your NH Democrat Majority Hard at Work

WMUR: Controversial Proposal Would Add Tax To Mortgage Refinancing

CONCORD, N.H. -- Critics are saying a new proposal in the state budget could hurt those who need help making their mortgage payments.

At a time when interest rates are near record lows, many people are finding this is the best time to refinance their mortgages and lower their monthly payments. But as the state tries to find ways to raise revenue, refinancing might cost more than expected.

Some lawmakers in Concord are quietly examining the possibility of including mortgage refinancing under an existing 1.5 percent real estate transfer tax. That means refinancing a $200,000 mortgage would cost the homeowner an additional $3,000.


Your democrat majority hard at work.

Good job, voters.

I'm really loving all this Hopenchange.

Not.

How about the Democrats tell us what they DON'T want to tax. Since taking power, they've proposed establishing or raising: sales tax, income tax, candy tax, gas tax, estate tax, capital gains tax, cigar tax, cigarette tax, smokeless tobacco tax, beverage container tax, and now a mortgage refinancing tax, which, by definition, will affect a lot of folks who are already doing what they can to pinch pennies and keep their families in their homes.

By all means, let's make that more difficult for them than it already is!

Here's their "rationale".

Lawmakers said the state is facing tough financial times, and the Department of Revenue is examining a number of ways to raise additional money.


Unlike the hard working, taxpaying citizens in New Hampshire who are just splashing around like Scrooge McDuck in their swimming pools full of gold coins and loose 20's.

That paragraph should read:

Taxpayers said they are facing tough financial times, and that families are examining a number of ways to cut back on their expenses.

But, what do I know. I'm just one of those silly teabagger types who needs to keep my racist mouth shut up so that Anderson Cooper and Janeane Garofalo can tell me what's best for me and my family.

Seriously, though, how many New Hampshire residents increased their household spending by more than 30% over the last two years, knowing they couldn't afford to, and then decided to make up the difference by stealing their neighbor's credit card.

Welcome to Concord.

2010 can't come fast enough.

And, what story about stupid, unpopular legislation would be complete without a comment, or lack thereof, from Governor Invertebrate.

Asked for a response from Gov. John Lynch, spokesman Colin Manning would only say there are several proposals in play.


Staking out a position on any legislation being proposed or discussed, on one side or the other, is like Kryptonite to that guy. His formula for political survival is simple: Don't piss off any particular voter block by actually taking a principled stand on anything.

Courage.


I Honestly Don't Know What's Worse

The allegations of sexual misconduct or the fact that the MB-freakin'-TA has been allowed to operate a law enforcement training facility.

The FBI is investigating allegations that female cadets in a widely used, MBTA-run police academy were coerced into having sex with superior officers, according to a law enforcement official and a lawyer representing T police unions.


But...but...but...

We've been told for years that the only thing these weapons are good for is "spray-firing" from the hip into crowds of innocent civilian bystanders, killing as many of them as possible is a short amount of time.

Why would the Boston Police Department want to arm its officers with such dangerous and indiscriminate killing machines?

The fact that this is the same police department that who managed to kill an innocent college student with what was essentially a glorified paintball gun doesn't exactly bode well for the residents of Boston.


Thursday, May 28, 2009

Free Advice of the Day

To the woman who approached me in the Stratham, NH Staples store this afternoon and asked me for some spare change for food, saying you hadn't eaten in four days:

You might have been a tad more convincing had you not reeked of cigarettes (I'm assuming a minimum of a ten dollar a day habit) and weren't a good 50 pounds overweight.


Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Cue Operation Smokescreen

If* the pole-stroking Obamaphiles in the MSM ever start reporting on this, President Walkonwater's gonna have to send some Tomahawks into the broad side of an orphanage somewhere to get it off the front page.

For the record: I'd like to think that even someone as educated and skilled in the ways of Chicago thug politics as Barack Obama wouldn't be this much of a vindictive scumbag, but he has yet to do anything to demonstrate that he's anything close to trustworthy.

* Yeah, yeah, I know. Work with me, people.


The Inescapable Truth About Band-Aids

Eventually, they fall off.


Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Congress Gets Involved...

...in 10...9..8...

LOS ANGELES — AT&T, one of the biggest corporate sponsors of “American Idol,” might have influenced the outcome of this year’s competition by providing phones for free text-messaging services and lessons in casting blocks of votes at parties organized by fans of Kris Allen, the Arkansas singer who was the winner of the show last week.

[...]

There appear to have been no similar efforts to provide free texting services to supporters of Adam Lambert, who finished as the runner-up to Mr. Allen.


Finally, a potential ethics violation for Pelosi and Reid to sink their investigative teeth into. These have been pretty hard to come by these days, what with this being the most open, ethical and transparent Congress in history, and all.


But, Of Course!

Boston Herald:

A Winthrop man charged in an alleged gay-bashing attack in Provincetown this weekend was described in his well-heeled, waterfront neighborhood yesterday as a "good kid."


Aren't they all?

P-town cops say Patten was drunk early Saturday when he got tossed out of Vixen nightclub and beat up two lesbians, one of whom was shoved through a window.


Calling this waste of blood, bone, and skin a "good kid" is like calling Jeffrey Dahmer a "good cook".


Sunday, May 24, 2009

You Don't Say

Boat Lands In Trees; Alcohol Believed To Be Factor

According to the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, four unidentified men were on Square Pond in Shapleigh, Maine around 1:30 a.m. when their boat went airborne and landed about eight feet off the ground in a patch of trees.

[...]

According to police, alcohol was a probable factor in the accident.


OK, I suppose it's possible that four guys could have put a powerboat eight feet up a tree at 1:30 in the morning without having consumed an excessive quantity of alcohol...


To My Rush Nerd Audience

Happy "24th of May"!


Friday, May 22, 2009

Long Weekend - Open Thread

What's missing?

Have at it in the comments?

Here are two glaring omissions, IMHO.

UPDATE: Speaking of Red Dawn (see comments), I saw it in the $5 DVD bin at Wal-Mart yesterday, on a Double Feature DVD, along with Navy Seals - a veritable Charlie Sheen Film Festival in a box. That's some bargain entertainment right there.

Five bucks is five bucks, eh?


Pure. F***ing. Evil.

Ga. Dad Gets 100 Years For Poisoning Kids' Soup

Guy got off easy.


If Recent History Is Any Indicator...

...I can only conclude that Barack Obama is now a war criminal.

If hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue, then the flip-flops on previously denounced anti-terror measures are the homage that Barack Obama pays to George Bush. Within 125 days, Obama has adopted with only minor modifications huge swaths of the entire, allegedly lawless Bush program.

The latest flip-flop is the restoration of military tribunals. During the 2008 campaign, Obama denounced them repeatedly, calling them an "enormous failure." Obama suspended them upon his swearing-in. Now they're back.


Where are the protests in the streets? Where are the swastikas and bloody fangs? I want giant paper-mache puppet heads, dammit!!!

Can you imagine the reaction of the mainstream media and the left-wing activist groups (insert redundancy apology here) if a Republican had been sworn in as president and went on to break so many campaign promises in such a short period of time?

Hopenchange, indeed.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

Contrary to What You Might Think...

...Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and orange Icee-Pops are a fantastically refreshing combination.

UPDATE: The view from my back deck at 4:05PM on Friday.


Case In Point

If you ever find yourself needing to sum up the mindset of today's leftist (or should I say, "progressive"?) Democrat, but you don't want to come across as being to wordy, look no further than these 14 words of...um..."wisdom" from Vinny G., commenting on this earlier post.

It is sick how people want to rip off the government in this economy.


No further explanation necessary.

Just...wow.

UPDATE: As I commented on the earlier thread:

OK, I just re-read Vinny's comment.

There's simply no way he wasn't just pulling our leg, playing the role of a Bush-hating jackass.

No one's that stupid in real life.

Well-played, sir.


Damn. Now I can't decide if he was pulling our leg or not. I've received more than my share of comments scrawled by functional illiterates, and this one fits in quite nicely with the rest of 'em.

Actor, reveal thyself!


It's 6:13 PM on Thursday, May 21st...

...and Anderson Cooper is still a major douchebag.

That is all.


Slow Learner

MBTA Suspends Bus Driver Allegedly Caught Reading

The MBTA bus driver allegedly caught on camera reading a newspaper while driving through Cambridge Tuesday morning has been suspended for three days without pay.


And, now, for 50 bonus points, what's wrong with that sentence?

Hint:


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

You Don't Say

CNN Money: Fed's economic forecast worsens


Calculate Your New Hampshire Retail Radius

What's the New Hampshire Retail Radius, you ask?

Your NHRR is the distance you'd need to drive to get to a retail store in NH to break even on the money you spend on gas, and save by not paying sales tax to Massachusetts.

No one would think of driving 50 miles, there and back, to pick up a CD or a six pack of Bud, but for bigger purchases, it can definitely be worth your while to make the trip.

New Hampshire Retail Radius

C = Cost of item(s) you are purchasing ($)
M = Your vehicle's gas mileage (mpg)
G = Price of gas(dollars/gallon)

Your current NHRR (based on 5% MA sales tax)


Your revised NHRR (based on a 6.25% sales tax)


Example:

For a new TV that costs $1,299 retail, in a vehicle that gets 20 mpg, and paying $2.20 for a gallon of gas, your NHRR with a 6.25% sales tax in MA would be 369 miles.

So, if you can get to a retail store in NH, driving fewer that 369 miles, you will come out ahead in the end. Feel free to revise that number slightly to account for the added wear and tear on your vehicle.

If you have to drive on a toll highway to get to NH, replace the top term in the formula with "(0.03125C + T) x M" where T = tolls (in dollars).

See you at Best Buy.

UPDATE: This version might be more useful to you.

Calculate your New Hampshire Cost Cut-Off (NHCCO). This is the amount of money you'd have to spend to make it worth your while to drive into New Hampshire to make your purchase. The formula for calculating this value based on a 6.25% MA sales tax is as follows:

G = Price of gas (dollars/gallon)
D = The distance from your house to the NH retail store (miles)
M = Your vehicle's gas mileage (mpg)


If you live 28 miles from a New Hampshire Best Buy store, drive an 18 mpg truck, and gas costs you 2.26 a gallon, your NHCCO value is $112.50.

For the current MA sales tax rate of 5.0%, use this one:


This has been a public service announcement. The material above should, in no way, be taken as an endorsement of tax evasion or other illegal activity. We trust that all of you who make any such purchases will declare the same on your Massachusetts tax return.

UPDATE II: Reader, notDilbert, posted a similarly revised formula in the comments, and adds that your D value should be the difference between the distance to your local retailer and the distance to the nearest NH retailer.

Good point. Here's a handy pictorial guide for you to share with your friends and family.

(click to make more biggish)

Unless, of course, you subscribe the Jay G. way of thinking.

Plus there's the "f*** you" factor of depriving these a******s from their lifeblood (tax $$$).

How can you put a price on that, really?


Simple answer? You can't.

UPDATE III: Save the planet!

Buy a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle and watch your NHCCO plummet!

That's some pretty sweet irony right there. I wonder if Massachusetts will start requiring residents to purchase gas-guzzling vehicles to fight the inevitable shoppers' exodus, once the sales tax hike gets signed into law.


Massachusetts: Let's Tax the Liquor Tax

Massachusetts currently imposes an excise tax on liquor sales of $4.05/gallon for spirits between 15% and 50% alcohol. Every 750ml bottle of 80 proof liquor (vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, etc.) sold in Massachusetts already has a 81-cent tax built into the sale price.

If Governor Patrick signs the sales tax bill into law, liquor sales in stores would no longer be exempt from the state sales tax, meaning that the state would be collecting a nickel ($0.81 x 6.25%) for the sales tax on the excise tax on every bottle of liquor sold.

Follow-up question: How long will it be until they decide to follow Maine's example and stick a 10-cent 15-cent [thanks, Shel] deposit tax on every beverage container liquor bottle sold in the state.

The triple-taxing of consumer goods - it's for the children.


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Breaking (and AWESOME) News!!!

WBZTV.com: Mass. Senate Votes To Hike Sales, Alcohol Taxes

The Massachusetts Senate has voted to increase the state sales tax by 25 percent.

By a 29-10 vote Tuesday, the Senate agreed to raise the sales tax rate from 5 percent to 6.25 percent, mirroring a vote taken last month by House lawmakers.

Supporters said the increase would raise about $633 million in the next fiscal year and help ease some of the deepest state budget cuts. Critics said it would drive consumers to the Internet or tax-free New Hampshire.


But, wait, it gets worse better.

Senators on a voice vote also agreed to lift an existing exemption from the sales tax on beer, wine and alcohol purchased in stores, a change that would bring in an estimated $80 million for substance abuse programs.


Three things:

1. What a bunch of absolute chickenshits, hiding behind the voice vote to protect themselves from ever being held accountable to the voters, whose interests they are supposed to be representing.

2. Anyone who actually believes this extra revenue will go toward its stated purpose there, and not get tossed into the general fund for future use and misuse by the State, is a moron.

3. Are they not aware of the giant New Hampshire state liquor stores located just over the state line on all the major highways leading into New Hampshire from Massachusetts? Do they not know that those stores are already luring customers and their tax dollars away from Massachusetts?

Not to mention the Wal-Mart stores in Plaistow, Salem, Hudson, and Seabrook. They better start thinking about remodeling their beer coolers. Remember, unlike Massachusetts, here in New Hampshire, grown-ups are treated as such, and allowed to buy beer in supermarkets, convenience stores and gas stations.

Good night, and God bless Massachusetts!


A Tale of Two Plagiarists

To see this kind of dishonest or careless behavior coming from a New York Times columnist is hardly newsworthy, but from Uncle Ted???

I gotta think the Nuge will do the right thing and make things right with Marko. He's always been a "rule of law" kinda guy.


Hiking 101

Chapter 1, Page 1:

If you're planning on parking your vehicle in the lot at the base of the trail you're hiking, remove all valuables (and anything that might appear to be of value, such as a gym bag or briefcase). And, before you lock your car, open your glove compartment and center console to show there's nothing in there worth smashing your windows for.

I always thought this was common knowledge. But, as I've learned over the years, common knowledge is about as common these days as common sense.

WMUR: Trail Of Lottery Tickets Leads Police To Burglary Suspect

GORHAM, N.H. -- A trail of lottery tickets helped lead Gorham police to a Massachusetts man accused of breaking into cars, a Dunkin' Donuts and a Gorham convenience store.

[...]

Investigators said the crime spree started last week. Hikers at a local Appalachian Mountain Club parking lot reported a string of car break-ins. The burglar stole more than $1,000 in belongings, including a laptop computer, a purse and a DVD player.


And, speaking of burglarious Massholes...

OSSIPEE, N.H. -- Three men were arrested following a three-hour search and charged in connection with a pharmacy robbery over the weekend.

[...]

In court Monday, family members who drove two hours from Lynn, Mass., said they were hoping for low bail, telling News 9 that the men have children and are needed at home.


Which explains why they were caught breaking into a drug store some 85 miles away. It was "for the children".

File under: Cry me a river, people.


Anti-Violence Rally

You're doing it wrong.

2 Shot At Anti-Violence Rally In Midwest City

(link via Zappa @ NES Forum)


Monday, May 18, 2009

Holding My Tongue

I was going to post something tonight about the latest Joe Biden "incident", but my parents raised me right, always telling me it's not nice to make fun of the mentally-challenged kids.


Boston Globe: The nation of the armed

Pretty much your usual "liberal newspaper columnist tries her hand at shooting and explores state and local gun laws" article.

The funny thing is, they almost always begin like this...

When I first pick up an unloaded revolver, my hand trembles, and it takes me several attempts to pull the trigger...


...but, quite a few (with the obvious exception of those written by Steve "Ow! My vagina's killing me!" Bailey and John "Turnpike" Rosenthal) actually end like this.

...I loaded a .22, raised it and squeezed the trigger. I hit the target five times out of five. If the magazine had held more bullets I'd have kept shooting.


Here's the link.

I left my two cents (OK, maybe more like a nickel) there already (under my old Boston Globe account username, RKBA_in_MA).


Sunday, May 17, 2009

How About a "Suckers and Morons" Tax?

That would bring billions into the Massachusetts state coffers.

Remember back in 2008, when the voters of Massachusetts went to the polls and shot down a ballot initiative to eliminate the state's income tax? It wasn't even close. By a 70-30 margin, the people of Massachusetts told their elected officials that they wanted to keep paying their income tax.

Why would they do that, you ask?

Because the special interest groups and political insiders who run the Commonwealth, and didn't want to see this precious revenue stream dry up, ran a very successful ad campaign, in which they scared the flock into compliance with their wishes.

The voters of Massachusetts were told that if the state income tax were to be eliminated, then the state would have no other option* but to raise other taxes, such as the sales tax, gas tax, taxes on consumable goods, and toll hikes on the turnpike.

The voters of Massachusetts were told that if the state income tax were to be eliminated, then the state would be forced to reduce the amount of local aid being returned to cities and towns across the Commonwealth, and that these municipalities would have no other option* but to raise user fees and create new fees to make up the difference.

The voters of Massachusetts believed what they were told.

The voters of Massachusetts acquiesced, and acted in accordance with the wishes of their benevolent, protective government.

The voters of Massachusetts are gullible, non-thinking idiots.

Boston Globe: A tax hike primer

The debate over raising taxes in Massachusetts has featured twists, turns, and plenty of limbo-like contortions by the state's political leaders. And it's not over yet, as they continue to hunt for a politically palatable way to solve a budget crisis of historic proportions.

[...]

The one clear signal is that the taxes you pay probably will go up, in one form or another. Virtually every tax except the income tax has been seriously discussed, but there's been little agreement over which taxes to raise and how much to raise them.

Patrick has proposed taxes on items from water bottles to candy, and he also wants a 19-cent-per-gallon jump in the gasoline tax.

But so far, what's most likely to rise is the sales tax, which would increase for the first time in more than three decades.


Boston Herald: Fee hikes in works for cash-strapped towns

Municipal officials across the state, scrounging local coffers for revenue, are proposing hundreds of thousands of dollars in hikes on fees, fines and permits for everything from marriage licenses to penalties for false home alarms.

The fee hikes are coming on top of layoffs, furloughs, wage freezes and service cuts intended to cope with falling property-tax revenues and drastic cuts to local aid.


Then again, this is the same group of people who voted for a liberal Democrat for governor to bring "change" to Massachusetts.



* Because, as everyone knows, cutting unnecessary spending, flushing the state of redundant, do-nothing agencies, severing state ties with organized labor and their over-inflated contracts, getting rid of double-dipping into the state and municipal pension funds, cracking down on patronage hiring, and eliminating "free" healthcare for illegal aliens are the wicked desires of hate-filled racists.


Life Imitates Monty Python...Again

Deputies: Banana used as gun in holdup, then eaten

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—Authorities in North Carolina say a store owner and a patron thwarted a teen accused of trying to carry out a robbery by concealing a banana beneath his shirt to resemble a gun.


(insert lame-assed "banana clip" joke here)


Saturday, May 16, 2009

Not For the Recoil-Shy

Another fine example of the caliber of reporting (pun fully intended) from the Boston Globe that we've grown so accustomed to over the years.

"Despite substantial decreases in crime over the past two years, there remains a persistent and unacceptable problem with illegal guns and the use of illegal guns that is endangering this community," he said. Before him, was a table covered with more than two dozen firearms, from a tiny, pearl-handled 22mm pistol to an enormous, black 12-gauge shotgun. All the weapons had been taken off the streets in the past two weeks.


Significantly less recoil than a 38mm, but still...


What's Wrong With This Sentence?

Boston Herald:

As the men and women who prepare the Boston Globe for distribution mull an offer for lower wages and fewer benefits, the paper’s publisher is asking subscribers to pay more for home delivery of the broadsheet.


We Really Dodged That Bullet...I Suppose

They told me that if I voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin, we'd wind up with an administration riddled with incompetence. And, they were right.


Thursday, May 14, 2009

That Was Only Fitting

No Looking Backwards - 5/12/09:

Call It a Hunch...

...but something tells me this guy's days of freedom are numbered.


WMUR - 5/14/09:

A man suspected of posing as a U.S. marshal and taking money from stores in New Hampshire has been arrested.

John Baldasaro, 45, was arrested by U.S. marshals in New York City.


Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Hope(less) and (Short)change!

No Looking Backwards - 1/23/09:

Yippee!!! Big Digs for everybody!!!


No Looking Backwards - 2/7/09:

This is going to make the Big Dig look like a $10,000 kitchen remodel.


Associated Press - 5/11/09:

WASHINGTON – The billions in transportation stimulus dollars that President Barack Obama promoted as a way to create jobs shortchange counties that need the work the most, an Associated Press analysis has found.

[...]

Federal auditors acknowledge they can't yet track the transportation money that is leaving Washington and there is no single list of the thousands of projects planned in each state.


Don't worry. The country's in the best of hands.


Imagine My Surprise...

...when I found out that this guy was a known criminal, whom the Massachusetts criminal justice (for lack of a better word) system had failed to put behind bars where he clearly belongs.

A man among the Massachusetts most wanted list -- who police said has a history of pulling off scams -- is wanted in New Hampshire in connection with armed robberies by a man who posed as a U.S. Marshal, according to investigators.

John Baldasaro, 45, one of Massachusetts' most wanted men, may live somewhere in New Hampshire, according to police. According to the Massachusetts most wanted Web site, Baldasaro is wanted on allegations of impersonation thefts in the Bay State.


Typical Kneejerk Reaction

As in, my reaction to this story was a sudden desire to find the person who made the call and knee the jerk in the crotch.

PELHAM MANOR - Someone at the Pelham Public Library tattled on a teen researching gun carry and concealment laws, which led to the 11th-grader being called into the high school assistant principal's office and being interviewed by police, police said.

[...]

Pelham Manor police Detective Ken Campion said the teen was doing research on gun carry and concealment laws, not on how to conceal a gun.

The name of the book could not be verified and neither the student nor his family would comment.

There was not anything to be worried about with regard to the teen, Campion said after interviewing him Tuesday. He did not break any laws.


No shit.

Editor's Note: This was Pelham, New York, not Pelham, New Hampshire.

Big difference.

Though, I do recall one Pelham (NH) resident who could use a little refresher course on proper concealment techniques.

(link via 'jdubois' @ NES Forum)


T-Shirt Fail

Saw this one at my local Wal-Mart yesterday.



Alternate Post Title: Eid ro eerf evil!


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Call It a Hunch...

...but something tells me this guy's days of freedom are numbered.

CHESTERFIELD, N.H. -- Police in Chesterfield are searching for a man who took money from businesses while claiming to be a U.S. Marshal.

Police said the man showed a badge and a holstered gun to a convenience store owner in Chesterfield Monday morning. He told the store owner that he was investigating a counterfeit bill operation and took an undisclosed amount of money.


And, here's where the victim in the story crosses the line from run-of-the-mill gullible into "What in the name of the Earl of Dingleberry were you thinking???" territory.

He also told the victim that due to the large amount of fake currency he found, he would need to go to the victim's bank.

Police said that while at the bank, the man told the victim that he would need him to turn over the money to be checked. Police said the victim turned the money over and was driven to Vermont before being taken back to the store.


"Yeah, we suspect there's some counterfeit money in this bank nearby, where you just happen to be a customer. So, if you'd be so kind as to take some money out of your checking account and give it to us, so we can properly examine it, that would be great. Thanks."

How does that not sound fishy?

The man was last seen driving a 2005 or newer black Jeep Grand Cherokee with black tinted windows with a single license plate on the back. Police said both victims described the plate as a government plate due to the letters "GOV" written at an angle on the left side of the plate. Police said the plate had a light blue background with dark lettering.


If anyone's interested, as I was, "GOV" does not appear to be a legitimate prefix, either past or present, for U.S. Government plates.

Though, let's review.

He'll lie to your face, tell you he's something he's not, and rob you blind, while all the while, flashing a nice, friendly smile. I dunno, sounds pretty much like the government's M.O. to me.

And, check out the picture at that WMUR story I linked. The guy even helped himself to a lollipop from the bank's candy basket. Nice touch.


Monday, May 11, 2009

Question For You

If Barack Obama can describe the federal budget under George W. Bush as an "orgy of spending", how does he suggest we describe his current fiscal policy? All I've come up with so far is "violent prison rape session of spending".



What an asshat.

And, from the Truly Shocking Files:

The director of the Congressional Budget Office today updated his projections for the budget and economic outlook and is now anticipating a $1.8 trillion deficit this year, and $1.4 trillion in 2010.

This is up from CBO director Douglas W. Elmendorf's January 2009 projection of a $1.2 trillion deficit this year. In short, the US government is borrowing 50 cents for every dollar it spends.


Hey, what's another $600 BILLION between comrades? The way the Obama Express is headed down the track, that will look like a mere rounding error this time next year.

The new projected deficit is four times the 2008 deficit, which was a record high for its time.


Because everyone knows the best way to recover from the harm caused by a reckless spending orgy is to have four spending orgies at once.


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Hint: Foxes Can't Read


You Don't Say

WMUR:

HAMPTON BEACH, N.H. -- An effort is under way to get people to pick up after themselves when leaving Hampton Beach.

Two weekends ago, during 80-degree temperatures, residents said large crowds left the beach covered in garbage. One homeowner snapped pictures of empty food containers littering the sand and used paper plates scattering a nearby sidewalk.

"They should take it back up to the garbage cans," beachgoer Janice Norton said. "I don't want to sit around in dirty cigarettes and trash."

The state Parks and Recreation Department said it will remove 2,000 tons of trash from the beach over the summer. Supervisor Brian Warburton said some signs banning alcohol, fireworks and glass bottles have been put up, but those aren't working.


Really? Signs banning glass bottles aren't cutting down on the number of plastic bottles people are bringing to the beach? Go figure.

That said, O.C. litter pick-up, anyone?


Saturday, May 09, 2009

Known Gun Control/Obamacare Fan Moving to NH?

Great, just what we need.


Priorities

From the L.A. Times:

California could be broke by July, state official warns

Reporting from Sacramento -- California could run out of money as soon as July, the Legislature's chief budget analyst warned Thursday, as a new poll showed voters poised to reject five budget-related measures on the May 19 ballot.


U.S. threatens to rescind stimulus money over wage cuts

Reporting from Sacramento -- The Obama administration is threatening to rescind billions of dollars in federal stimulus money if Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers do not restore wage cuts to unionized home healthcare workers approved in February as part of the budget.


Let's play a quick round of "What do the following all have in common?".

Failing automakers
Failing schools
Failing newspapers
Failing state budgets

Hmmmmmmmm...I wonder.

Not.


Thursday, May 07, 2009

I've Got Some Good News and Some Bad News...

...for Cleveland Indians fans.

The good news:

Indians pitcher Matt Herges retired three Red Sox batters in a row in the bottom of the sixth tonight. Nicely done.

The bad news:

Boston had already scored 12 runs in the inning.

BOSTON (AP)—The Boston Red Sox tied a modern major-league record with 12 runs in an inning before making an out and Tim Wakefield(notes) won his fourth straight decision, 13-3 over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.


From the play-by-play:

Bottom 6th: Boston

- J. Lugo singled to left
- D. Pedroia walked, J. Lugo to second
- J. Bay doubled to deep center, J. Lugo scored, D. Pedroia to third
- M. Lowell intentionally walked
- R. Baldelli singled to center, J. Bay and D. Pedroia scored, M. Lowell to third
- J.D. Drew walked, R. Baldelli to second
- M. Kobayashi relieved J. Sowers
- J. Bailey doubled to left, M. Lowell and R. Baldelli scored, J.D. Drew to third
- N. Green singled to second
- G. Kottaras singled to center, J. Bailey and J.D. Drew scored, N. Green to second
- J. Lugo singled to third, N. Green to third, G. Kottaras to second
- D. Pedroia singled to left, N. Green and G. Kottaras scored, J. Lugo to second
- M. Herges relieved M. Kobayashi
- J. Bay homered to deep right center, J. Lugo and D. Pedroia scored
- M. Lowell grounded out to shortstop
- R. Baldelli struck out swinging
- J.D. Drew grounded out to second


That was one family-sized can of Whup-Ass!


Nope, Nothing To See Here

Just a big-ass pile of Hopenchange.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. today charged seven employees of ACORN -- the left-leaning Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- with forgery and election law violations, saying they filed hundreds of fraudulent voter registrations during last year's general election.


But don't you dare suggest that people be required to prove their identity prior to entering a voting booth.

That's racist.


Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Just What Massachusetts Needs

More gun control!

The bill would allow suspects to be held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing for charges that involve illegal possession, use, or trafficking of guns, the governor's office said.

The legislation would also create a new felony of using a gun while committing a misdemeanor, limit gun purchases to one per month, and require sales of guns by private parties to be recorded by licensed gun dealers.


The press release from Governor Hopeydope's official website can be found here. It clarifies one major error in the Boston Globe article excerpted above.

Specifically, the legislation would:

[...]

Create a new crime (10-year felony) for possessing a gun while committing a misdemeanor that involves the use of force.


Nope. No gray area there.

For additional commentary from yours truly, feel free to scroll through the comments section of the Boston Globe piece linked above, where I posted under the clever pseudonym, Bruce. I'm not in much of a mood for copy-n'-pasting right now.

UPDATE: Full Boston Globe article here. Nice to see Governor Patrick getting his ass handed to him in the comments there. Of course, there are a few gems in there from some members of the ignorance-based "progressive" community.

OK, maybe just a little copy-n-paste action...

messageboardterrorist wrote:

There are people out there who obtain licenses and buy weapons to resell them to criminals.

Conley and Patrick have been asked on multiple occasion to produce some evidence to back up that claim. They have yet to do so. If this claim is accurate, there would be a solid paper trail of evidence. Where is it?

geolovely wrote:

Odd how the abridgement of individual rights is accepted by members of the gun owning community as long as it's cloaked in the newspeak name "Patriot Act".

You haven't spent a lot of time with gun owners have you? Your comment is dripping with the ignorance of the uninformed. A more accurate statement would be directed at the hypocrisy of most gay marriage supporters in Massachusetts: "Odd how the abridgement of individual rights is accepted by members of the gay community as long as it's cloaked in the newspeak name "Reducing Violent Crime".

DirtyWaterLover wrote:

Maybe it's time to repeal the 2nd Amendment.

What prevents a licensed gun owner from selling a gun to a non-licensed gun owner?

The same thing that prevents the millions of licensed drivers in this country from mowing down pedestrians on sidewalks. It's called a functioning moral compass, and its something that 99.999% of us have.

wobecky wrote:

No one needs to own a gun. You got that right. And tell me the last time a homeowner needed to shoot a burglar or would-be murderer. Gimme me a break.... Disarm America Now!!!

I don't blame you Becky for not knowing of any such instances. The Boston Globe doesn't publish those stories that portray gun ownership as a positive asset to society.

College Park, Georgia (just a couple days ago): Two armed men barged into an apartment where 10 college students were having a get-together. They separated the men from the women and started "counting bullets" to see if they had enough. One student had a gun in his backpack, retrieved it, and opened fire, killing one home invader, and causing the other to flee.

Stories like this happen EVERY DAY, whether the Globe cares to print them or not.


Oops...one more. This one just popped up.

joao2002 wrote:

WOW you people are nuts. Guns to protect yourself, are you kidding. I work in a community where gangs are prevalent way of life, guess what all these "gang bangers" use as an excuse to carry a gun: "its so I can protect myself on the streets". Gee it sounds so familiar. So the answer is more guns.... More guns means more people need to protect themselves, more people need to protect themselves means we need more guns.... when does it stop people. Bottom line the only reason you need a gun is if your planning to hurt someone or something either illegally or legally. Less guns less violence, less violence less chance you will need to "protect" yourself.

You'll never understand. The staggering level of ignorance in your comment there more than adequately confirms that.

I own and carry a gun on a regular basis. I sincerely hope I NEVER HAVE TO USE it, but if someone threatens my wife or kids with imminent physical harm (PREDATORY violence), you can bet your you-know-what that I will return as large a volume of harm (PROTECTIVE violence) in return until the threat is neutralized.

Any parent not willing to use force to defend his or her family from imminent harm isn't worth spit in my book. How anyone could consider rolling over and surrendering their children's well-being to a violent assailant just makes no sense whatsoever.

Most of the laws these politicians propose serve only to impair good people's ability to dispense PROTECTIVE violence, while doing nothing to thwart the evil-minded from inflicting PREDATORY violence on their victims, at will.

You're not living in reality, sorry to be the one to tell you that.


(Predatory Violence vs. Protective Violence - H/T to Kevin Baker)

UPDATE II: OK, one more copy-n-paste from the Globe comments, then I'm done with this. I can't continue this battle of wits with these helplessly unarmed foes.

It's simply not fair.

joao2002, how can you write:

"It is sad to say but nothing good has ever come out of a situation where someone has had to act by using a weapon of any type."

...and then follow it up by stating you're not ignorant???

Here are a couple people who would beg to differ with your "progressive" (and WOEFULLY IGNORANT) outlook on this issue.

Gracie Watson from Jackson, Mississippi was out shopping at a local Dollar Store, back in March of 2007. As she was walking through the parking lot, in broad daylight, she was attacked by her ex-husband who proceeded to punch her and kick her mercilessly. Then, while she was laying their motionless, he got on top of her and stabbed her about 20 times in the neck, back and arms.

Not content with the extent of this violent assault, her estranged spouse then proceeded to douse her with gasoline and readied himself to light a match.

He was intent on burning her alive in front of a crowd of onlookers, who were yelling, honking their horns and calling 911 in efforts to stop this evil assault, but to no avail.

Only ONE THING saved Ms. Watson from a certain horrendous death that afternoon. A passerby, who was lawfully carrying a handgun, got out of his car, drew his weapon and yelled "Stop, or I'm going to shoot. And if you run, I'm going to kill you!"

The man held Mr. Watson at bay until police arrived at the scene.

Absent this courageous - and ARMED - citizen, Mrs. Watson would have been reduced to a lump of charcoal, long before the police ever showed up.

Want another? Maybe one a little closer to home?

Geoff Hamann, of Rochester, New Hampshire was at home one evening in September, 2005, when a man broke into his home through an upstairs window. This individual was naked, clutching a tube of mechanical lubricant, walking toward the room where Mr. Hamann's wife and kids were, and repeatedly yelling "I'm coming to get you!"

Fortunately, one of the people in this story had not fallen under that false impression that "there's no good reason to own a gun". After warning this man several times to get out of his house, to no success, Mr. Hamann drew his gun, fired, and killed the intruder.

Again, an individual intent on causing PREDATORY violence - without a gun - was stopped by a citizen returning an equal or greater measure of PROTECTIVE violence, using the most effective tool available.

I've got plenty more stories just like these two. How many more do you want?

If you get your "news" from the Boston Globe, MSNBC, and the Comedy Channel, I understand why you might not have heard of these stories of lawful, defensive gun use that has saved people from death and grievous injury.


I need a drink.


Compare and Contrast

I'll let these headlines (same city, different day) speak for themselves. Suffice to say, in one of these incidents, the criminal was not the only one who was armed.

5/1/09: College Park Man Killed In Home Invasion

5/4/09: College Student Shoots, Kills Home Invader

UPDATE: Here's another story of a home invasion, also in the Atlanta area. This one almost turned fatal for the scumbags involved, and resulted in no innocent victims being killed, due to the selfless and heroic actions of an armed neighbor.

Inside the home, Ambra Horton was at the mercy of the three gunman demanding money.

"I said okay well, it's in the garage. So that's when I began to lead them down to the garage," said Ambra Horton. "So they start to look around in this trunk and they quickly found out that it wasn't' so they get frustrated. So, they go to the next car.

"And while they are over there and focused on trying to find some money, I tip toe just quietly and I mash the button. If you could see all this debris over here, I don't know how I got through all that."

Ambra Horton raised the garage door and when it was raised about 18 inches off the ground, she dove under the door.

About that time, the Horton's neighbor opened fire on the intruders, missing the would-be robbers but allowing Ambra Horton to run to safety.


All these lives being saved by armed citizens...Barack Obama wouldn't be pleased to know about this. Thanks goodness his friends in the mainstream media will do all they can to prevent this news from ever reaching his eyes and ears.

UPDATE II: It's sure been a bad week for defenseless college students in Atlanta.

Less than 24 hours before a Georgia Tech student was shot during a Monday night carjacking, a Georgia State University student was kidnapped and shot by three men in the same area of northwest Atlanta.


Um...Forgetting Something?

Boston Herald:

Ted Kennedy’s wife, Vicki, and his nephew, former congressman Joe Kennedy, are getting set for a bruising battle over who will succeed the ailing senator, according to a new book excerpted in the new issue of Vanity Fair magazine.


Um...guys?

You don't get to choose.

This decision will not be yours to make. Nor, will it be the task of your good friend, Governor Hopnechange.

Should Ted Kennedy's senate seat become prematurely vacated, for any reason, the responsibility of selecting his replacement will fall on the shoulders of the voters of Massachusetts, not, as you would prefer, a hand-picked cabal of political insiders.

Don't you remember?

Just over four years ago, the Beacon Hill power brokers were contemplating the possibility of John Kerry being elected president. And, that if that were to happen, the appointment of his replacement in the Senate would have been in the hands of their (gasp!) Republican governor, Mitt Romney.

So, they did what any bunch of self-serving political hacks would do. They changed the law to suit their needs.

Of course, at the time, they insisted that such a move had nothing to do with politics, and that it was all about recognizing and respecting the voice of the electorate.

(If you need a moment to soak up the irony in that bit of "reasoning" before reading any further, I'll understand.)

Now that the Democrat's once-nebulous agenda of "HopenchangeTM" has been made crystal clear to the American public, and finally revealed for all to see as an agenda of "Tax, Borrow, Spend, Lather, Rinse, Repeat", the people are starting to wake up and see where this path will lead us.

I'm not saying enough people in Massachusetts will come to their senses and elect a small government, fiscal conservative to replace Senator Kennedy, in the event his seat becomes vacant "before its time".

But, should the job of selecting his replacement be left up to Deval "I Dream of Barry With the Light Brown Pecs" Patrick, one thing would be certain, absolute and undying loyalty to Barack Obama and his Bankrupt America Campaign.

My question to you all is this:

How long will it be before someone on Beacon Hill proposes changing the law back to the way it was in 2004, using our current economic crisis as justification for subverting the (once-sacred) will of the people in their pursuit of power?

"There's no time to set up a special election. We're in a crisis!!!"

Or saying that having that senate seat vacant for more than 14.2 seconds would be depriving the good people of Massachusetts of their Constitutionally-dictated representation in the US Senate?

"How dare we allow the people's voice to be inadequately represented???"

I give 'em a week.


Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Whadda You Know?

They always told us that if college students were allowed to carry handguns, there would be "blood in the streets".

And, they were right!

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they’re thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked me who burst into an apartment.


RTWT

One goblin reduced to room temperature, and another likely suffering what had to be a severe case of trouserdump.

Nothing like a story with a heart-warming happy ending to pick up one's spirit on a rainy day.


To Serve and Protect...the Nanny State

KXMB.com: Comedian Ron White Could Face ND Charge

Comedian Ron White sold out two shows in Bismarck last week.

However, its not his jokes making news...but his onstage activity.

A Bismarck Police report states White could face charges of smoking in public places prohibited.

White's comedy routine includes him holding a glass in one hand and a lit cigar in the other.

A Bismarck resident [read: asshat - ed.] sent a letter to the police department informing them of the routine.

An officer dressed in street clothes documented the incident during White's routine on April 30th.


I don't know what the going rate for joke writers is these days, but whatever the fine might be for committing such a heinous crime against humanity in Bismarck, North Dakota, it will likely pale in comparison to the value of all the fresh comedy material, not to mention publicity, White could get for himself out of this one incident.

Alternate Post Title: In the Future, Everyone Will Be a Criminal For Fifteen Minutes

(link via Say Anything)


Monday, May 04, 2009

Must-See Video of the Day

I've touched on this topic before, but it bears repeating.



Via Allahpundit @ Hot Air who states the obvious:

If Bush had spiked this program, the media would have seen to it that every last kid in this video was nationally famous.


Let's review: Low productivity and poor results coming from a failed, unsustainable business model, saddled with over-priced union contracts, and...

Hey, wait a minute! Are we talking about building cars, printing newspapers, or teaching our kids?

File under: Taste the Hopenchange!

If you have a senator who’s up for re-election in 2010, and who voted to kill this program, HAMMER THE EVER-LOVING S*** OUT OF THEM on this issue.

Make them EXPLAIN to the PEOPLE why, in their minds, President Obama’s kids are more deserving of a quality education than the children in DC’s lower-income black families.


Give Us This Day Our Daily Nanny State Asshat

Today's featured Nanny State Asshat is Dover, Massachusetts Police Chief Joseph G. Griffin, author of this craptastic idea.

Boston Globe: Dover to pull plug on drinking ban idea

On the agenda today at Dover's town meeting is a proposal to ban drinking on private property that is in view of a school, playground, or park. Under the measure, Dover Police could confiscate alcohol, issue a $200 fine, and arrest drinkers who defy the law.

After opposition from residents worried that Big Brother was stomping into their yards, town selectmen now plan to withdraw the proposal, rather than have it debated at the meeting.

"The way it was worded may have given some people the idea we would have been going out riding around, saying, 'Hey! There's a guy with a beer in his pocket! Tackle him!' " said Dover Police Chief Joseph G. Griffin.


Yeah, it's not like the chief was suggesting these individuals be violently assaulted. He merely wanted to seize their property without due process, fine them a couple hundred bucks and give them permanent criminal records for having engaged in lawful behavior on their own property.

What's not to love?


Sustaining the Unsustainable

Boston Herald:

Boston Globe unions’ resolve to protect lifetime job guarantees began to crumble this morning as the mailers union agreed to modify the perk under threat of a shutdown of the paper.

“We want to keep the newspaper open and we believe the New York Times [NYT] threat, that if we didn’t come to some sort of agreement, that we would close,” said Mary White, president of Teamsters Local 1 which represents the mailers.

The breakthrough development came at about 3:30 a.m. during marathon talks and left just two major unions - the Boston Newspaper Guild and the pressmen - clinging to the lifetime job guarantees.


Lifetime job guarantees for people who work the printing presses for a newspaper??? Who's the business genius up in management who signed off on that?

That's like hiring people back in the 70's to make 8-track tapes and telling them, "Don't worry. Your job here is safe. You just keep churning out these tapes and we'll keep paying you."

I'm going to resist the urge (this time) to jump on the back of the wagon with all the folks who are saying the Globe's going under because of its liberal slant. Is that the main reason fewer people are subscribing or purchasing advertising? Hardly.

It's a NEWSPAPER, for crying out loud!

Emphasis on "paper".

The Globe's simply dying under the weight of its unsustainable business model. It's bleeding from a wound that is entirely self-inflicted: Overpaid workers (with "lifetime job guarantees") producing an obsolete product.

If the folks supposedly running the show over there are unable to cut operating costs to offset the losses in revenue, they need to wake up to the reality that it's time to say good-bye to the printed version.

I can't think of one thing, for which I'd need to drop 75 cents on a newspaper to find, that isn't readily available on line for free.

World news
National news
Local news
Movie and TV listings
Stock quotes
Sports scores
Recipes
Book reviews
Classified ads
Gardening tips

The death of the printed newspaper has been visible on the horizon for years. You'll get no sympathy from me if you go under for having failed to modify your business plan accordingly. You can't say you weren't warned.


Sunday, May 03, 2009

Facebook Flair Fail

Until scientists discover a cure for Garofalosis, we can expect more people like Kim Lockhart (creator of the FFF featured below) to come out of the woodwork and show their true colors - the colors of hatred, intolerance, and venomous character assassination.


Saturday, May 02, 2009

NRA Decal: Theft Deterrent or Attractant?

From Fox25 - Boston: Theft-proof your home

Robert Siciliano is a Boston Based Security Expert and says to catch a thief, you have to think like a thief.

“All criminals absolutely are looking for the path of least resistance. They are looking for people that aren’t paying attention, and they are looking for homes that aren’t effectively and properly secured,” says Siciliano.

[...]

An alert dog is a bonus. Complete with signage. And this NRA sticker doesn't hurt either.

“Having an NRA sticker gives the impression that Granny’s inside in a rocking chair with a shot gun waiting to attack,” explains Siciliano.


It could also give the impression that there's a gun collection inside just waiting to be stolen the next time the owner's out of town. As far as decals go, I'd be more inclined to go with a security system warning. Or leave a large (preferably blood-stained) dog bowl out on the back deck.

What do the world's most intellectually advanced blog readers have to say on this?


Friday, May 01, 2009

Gay Marriage - Comment Bump/NLB Round-Up

Matt commented here:

As for gay marriage, Bruce, I will never ever understand your support of it. If we actually had the conservative government we want and need, it would never even see the light of day. The reason? It's wrong, pure and simple. Some thing are what they are, regardless of what your personal opinion is. Additionally, what you are missing is that this is only a spearhead for a counterculture movement that has NO intention of stoping at only making marriage for gays and lesbians legal. How you (collectively) can't see that, is beyond my comprehension, given what I know of your ideals, Bruce, and others on this site.


My response, bumped to the front page by request:

My position has always been that IF the government insists on being in the business of marrying people, than they should make such a contract available to any two people who want to pony up the license fees and enter into such a contract with the State.

In my mind, that of a limited government conservative, the less the government interferes in our lives the better.

I'll always side with the rights of the individual over the power of the government. When we let the government define, regulate, and ENFORCE our personal morals and morally-driven behavioral choices, we're f***ked.

Also, I'll never understand the argument about preserving the "sanctity" of civil marriage. There's no "sanctity" to it.

If a man and a woman want to get married by the government, they do not need to (a) declare, under oath, their love to one another, (b) promise to cohabitate, (c) pledge to reproduce and raise a family, or (d) swear fidelity to one another.

The only thing "sacred" and non-negotiable is the license fee.

If this same couple wants to enter into the covenant of Holy Matrimony through the place of worship of their choosing, it's simply NONE of the government's business.

The bill passed by the NH senate essentially tells the State they can't do shit to affect how any church or religion chooses to handle this issue.

Would you have the government placing restrictions and limitations on religious institutions and their ceremonial rites and observances?


In case anyone doubts the consistency of my position on this issue, or is having a difficult time following my reasoning behind it, here are a few posts from my archives, the first of which was published here in March of 2004, just six days into this blog's humble existence.

Going to the Chapel
And in this corner...
Gay Marriage - part III
License to Carry Marry
MA SJC Upholds the Rule of Law - Oh No!
The Gay Marriage Debate - Part 2,994

Oh, and do you want to know which subset of the population has been extremely consistent in its opinion that gays don't have the right to marry?

Democrat presidential candidates.

Here are a couple more from the "If it weren't for double standards, they'd have no standards at all" file:

Our Next Governor?
A Little Consistency Would Be Nice
The Hypocrisy Parade Rolls On
Vocabulary Lesson

Well, that should keep you busy for a while. I'll be heading up to Maine for a couple days now. See you when I get back.