No Looking Backwards

Looking Forward

2010-06-04T20:02:00.000-05:00

After 2,276 days, 4,936 blog posts, and more than 1.3 million site visits, the time has come to close up shop here at No Looking Backwards and hang up my blogger's hat. When I started writing what was then mAss Backwards back in March of 2004, I had no idea how long it would last, or how many people would find it the least bit interesting.

Well, a whole bunch of you did, and for that I am grateful (and, yes, still a little awestruck). It's been a genuine privilege keeping this blog up and running all these years, and I'm glad others have enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

I started blogging as a therapeutic means of venting my frustration at local (and national) politicians and their penchant for taxpayer-funded malfeasance, after having experienced first-hand the level of disdain for individual liberty (not to mention, common decency) held by many in elected positions of power.

And, as they say, the rest is history.

I want to thank you all for having taken the time to poke your head in, read what I've had to say, and participate in the conversation. Over the last six years, I've had the pleasure of meeting, through this website and others, some of the nicest and most down-to-earth folks I've ever known.

For those of you who have been regular readers of mine over the years, rest assured, you haven't heard or seen the last of me. For as one chapter ends, a new one soon begins.

The days of sitting on the sidelines are over. It's time for me to stop talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly - where our state (and federal) government is concerned - and start doing something about it. It's time to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. Time to live up to the name "No Looking Backwards" and set my sights forward.

New Hampshire is at a crossroads, with our future and our children's future dependent upon which road we choose to travel.

I'm choosing to continue in my efforts to rescue New Hampshire (and our country) from the destructive forces of big government, runaway taxation, special interest-driven politics, and reckless spending.

My name is Bruce MacMahon and I am hereby (as of 3:15 this afternoon) declaring my candidacy for New Hampshire State Representative in District 10 of Rockingham County.

I have decided to leave my blog intact for anyone who wants to read through my archives and learn more about my perspective on life, liberty and the pursuit of the perfect pint of Guinness.

If you're just stopping by for the first time, pull up a chair and have a look around. Be warned, my writing has been described at times as somewhat coarse, though it's nothing that wouldn’t garner the Joe “This a f***ing big deal.” Biden seal of approval.

My official website, www.bruceforstaterep.com, will be up and running some time this weekend (be sure to check out the "Donate" page when you get there - wink, wink).

Facebook users can find me here. Become a fan today and become part of the conversation. Twitterers (tweeters?) can follow my tweets (twits?) @ Bruce_MacMahon.

See you 'round.

Last one out, kill the lights and pull the door closed behind you when you leave.

Thanks.

- Bruce

Time to Renew My BJ's Membership?

2010-06-04T05:34:00.002-05:00

If she decides to go the cooperative witness route, and starts naming names, in an effort to get a reduced sentence, we're gonna need to make some serious bulk popcorn purchases.

Exit Questions: How dirty does a Massachusetts politician have to be to get actual prison time? What did the Feds have on Wilkerson that compelled her to cop a plea deal?

Pravda on the Potomac

2010-06-02T22:25:00.002-05:00

Obama's FTC plan to reinvent America's news media

Yeah, that's what we need - more governmental control over the country's news media.

Methinks Obama must be sensing his love affair with his fawn-eyed admirers in the press is coming to an end, as his once-stoic facade of irrefutable magnificence crumbles a little more with every passing day.

File Under: Imagine if Bush had done this.

Remember

2010-05-30T08:56:00.004-05:00

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before

2010-05-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

Broken record, turntable, some assembly required.

Maine needs to tighten gun laws to prevent illegal sales

Maine has one of the highest gun ownership rates in the country and a higher rate of death from firearms than Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire and six other states.

As you can imagine, changing Maine's gun laws to more closely mirror those of New Hampshire is not being considered as a solution. Also, strangely absent from their "analysis" is Washington DC's firearms fatality rate.

I know.

Apply shocked face here.

Maine is the No. 1 supplier of guns used in crimes in Massachusetts.

Sure it is, in some alternate universe where 84 is greater than 385.

Additional commentary from yours truly in the comments over there.

I Can See Russia Racists From My House

2010-05-29T07:23:00.003-05:00

Boston Globe: Mass. Senate passes crackdown on illegal immigrants

Such a hate-filled place.

Dogs, Ponies, and a Show...

2010-05-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

...some assembly required.

I Guess It All Depends...

2010-05-27T14:21:00.001-05:00

...on one's definition of surprise.

Recent research at Harvard Business School began with the premise that as a state's congressional delegation grew in stature and power in Washington, D.C., local businesses would benefit from the increased federal spending sure to come their way.

It turned out quite the opposite. In fact, professors Lauren Cohen, Joshua Coval, and Christopher Malloy discovered to their surprise that companies experienced lower sales and retrenched by cutting payroll, R&D, and other expenses. Indeed, in the years that followed a congressman's ascendancy to the chairmanship of a powerful committee, the average firm in his state cut back capital expenditures by roughly 15 percent, according to their working paper, "Do Powerful Politicians Cause Corporate Downsizing?"

"It was an enormous surprise, at least to us, to learn that the average firm in the chairman's state did not benefit at all from the unanticipated increase in spending," Coval reports.

:-|

Elderly Couple Not Dead

2010-05-27T14:09:00.000-05:00

Mayor Daley not pleased.

Bend Over, America

2010-05-25T09:41:00.002-05:00

Or, to put it more accurately, don't bother straightening up.

Conserve your energy.

Remain bent over.

UPDATE: In related news...

USA Today: Private pay shrinks to historic lows

Can we call them Marxists now?

Dear Gatorade...

2010-05-23T17:45:00.000-05:00

The next time you introduce a new flavor as nasty as "Fierce Melon", please make it so that a spectrometer is not required to tell the color difference between it and orange-flavored Gatorade.

Yuck.

Remember, Kids...

2010-05-22T06:59:00.002-05:00

...it's the people opposed to the Obamgenda who are the unhinged extremists threatening civil order in this country.

When is a protest not a protest?

Now this event would accurately be called a "protest" if it were taking place at, say, a bank or the U.S. Capitol. But when hundreds of loud and angry strangers are descending on your family, your children, and your home, a more apt description of this assemblage would be "mob." Intimidation was the whole point of this exercise, and it worked-even on the police. A trio of officers who belatedly answered our calls confessed a fear that arrests might "incite" these trespassers.

Statement from the president condemning this thuggery in 10...9...8...

Yeah, right.

Besides, everyone knows the real enemy are all the small business owners in Arizona who have this weird, inexplicable desire to keep their businesses afloat and take care of their families and their communities.

The Downfall of Free America Continues

2010-05-20T22:54:00.002-05:00

Due process? We're Democrats. We don't need no stinkin' due process!

Millions of Americans arrested for but not convicted of crimes will likely have their DNA forcibly extracted and added to a national database, according to a bill approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday.

By a 357 to 32 vote, the House approved legislation that will pay state governments to require DNA samples, which could mean drawing blood with a needle, from adults "arrested for" certain serious crimes. Not one Democrat voted against the database measure, which would hand out about $75 million to states that agree to make such testing mandatory.

"We should allow law enforcement to use all the technology available to them...to reduce expensive and unjust false convictions, bring closure to victims by solving cold cases, better identify criminals, and keep those who commit violent crime from walking the streets," said Rep. Harry Teague, the New Mexico Democrat who sponsored the bill.

But civil libertarians say DNA samples should be required only from people who have been convicted of crimes, and argue that if there is probable cause to believe that someone is involved in a crime, a judge can sign a warrant allowing a blood sample or cheek swab to be forcibly extracted.

Are you pissed off yet?

Keep reading.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership scheduled Tuesday's debate on the bill--called the Katie Sepich Enhanced DNA Collection Act of 2010--using a procedure known as the "suspension calendar" intended to be reserved for non-controversial legislation.

"Suspension of the rules is supposed to be for praising the winner of the NCAA championship or renaming Post Offices," Harper says. "Things like collecting Americans' DNA are supposed to be fully debated in Congress."

Openness? Transparency? Honest debate?

Surely, you jest.

My Good Deed For the Day

2010-05-20T21:05:00.003-05:00

I bought my neighbor some ammo today.

Of course, I plan on helping him dispose of it in the (hopefully) near future. He's got his father's old Marlin Levermatic Model 57M (.22 Magnum) that is in dire need of some range time (after a little cleaning session).

Nineteen-fifty-nine was a busy time for the Levermatic lineup. In addition to the 56 DL, Marlin also introduced two tubular-magazine short-stroke lever rifles. The Model 57 was chambered for .22 Short, Long or Long Rifle, and the Model 57M was made for the new .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (.22WMR) cartridge. After Winchester announced the .22 Magnum cartridge in 1959, Marlin required only a slight redesign of the basic Levermatic mechanism to adapt it to the new rimfire cartridge. Thus, Marlin was able to beat Winchester into production. Winchester did not market a rifle to shoot their new cartridge until 1960.

[...]

The Model 57 rifles were introduced with curved aluminum receivers, but in 1960, Marlin reportedly reverted back to the squared steel receivers for the Levermatic rifles. The tubular-magazine variants of the Levermatic were more popular than the original box-magazine version. A total of 34,628 Model 57s (1959-1965) were made, while the even more popular 57M, in .22 Magnum (1959-1969) sold 66,889 rifles.

I'll have pics up when I get them. A quick visual inspection of the rifle shows a gun that's been very well cared for over the decades. I'm looking forward to punching some holes with her.

Open Letter

2010-05-20T20:08:00.004-05:00

Dear Presidents Obama and Calderon,

Just a couple months ago, you and your allies in the United States Congress and in the mainstream press were lecturing us about how downright un-American it is to speak out in such harsh terms against a piece of legislation written and enacted by duly elected representatives of the People.

Some went so far as to label such speech seditious.

So, if you'd be so kind as to [CENSORED], that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much.

Sincerely,

The American People

The Sanctity of Marriage

2010-05-18T15:45:00.001-05:00

You're doing it wrong.

Victim Selection

2010-05-17T16:23:00.001-05:00

You're doing it wrong.

Money quote:

"I picked the wrong house," he reportedly said, "because a UFC [mixed martial arts] fighter lived there and beat me up."

Phriday Night Photo Phun

2010-05-14T22:17:00.001-05:00

Dear 2010 Bruins,

2010-05-14T20:35:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the club.

Sincerely,

The 2004 Yankees.

Preheated Coffee Mug

2010-05-14T05:43:00.001-05:00

Hands down, the best use for an instant hot water dispenser.

Well, that, and heating up the ice cream scoop.

Priorities

2010-05-13T21:47:00.002-05:00

Boston Herald: Three arrested in FBI sweep from Times Square probe

Three people have been taken into custody on immigration violations today after raids in Watertown, Brookline and other parts of the Northeast in connection with the attempted May 1 Times Square bombing, according to the FBI and state officials.

One man arrested in the Bay State today had previously been ordered out of the country, a federal source tells the Herald.

[...]

The Herald has learned the Bay State men arrested are Pakistanis who provided money to the Times Square bombing suspect. That money trail was the key to today’s sweep.

Enter the country illegally, settle down in Massachusetts, and funnel money to would-be terrorists, without the authorities knowing who or where you are or what you're up to.

But just try to get a license to lawfully own a firearm in the Commonwealth, and they've got your fingerprints, photo, name, hair color, eye color, weight, address, SS number, birth certificate, job title, employer's name and address, etc.

Ask me again why I moved out.

Whatever You Do,..

2010-05-12T17:37:00.002-05:00

...don't speak out publicly against these fine public servants, protest their actions in any way, or organize within your communities to get them voted out of office. That would be racist.

Or seditious.

Or homophobic.

Or terroristic.

I haven't got the latest DNC fax to tell me which one it is this week.

MA-Compliant Handguns

2010-05-10T19:37:00.002-05:00

That is, until someone sends Martha Coakley the link.*

*I'm assuming she's not one of my more regular readers here at NLB.

Of All the Nerve!

2010-05-10T05:50:00.001-05:00

How dare the people of Utah assemble in a peaceful, lawful, and democratic manner and freely choose their own congressional candidates, without first consulting with, and obtaining approval from their intellectual superiors at the New York Times.

Instant Scumbag

2010-05-09T21:40:00.002-05:00

Just add badge.

Though, I'd wager these sad excuses for law enforcement officers were incorrigible scumbags long before they joined the force.

Not Much To Argue With Here

2010-05-08T08:25:00.002-05:00

The Definitive Guide to Telling New Hampshire and Vermont Apart

Overview

Simply put, Vermont is a little bitch. When you see the V in Vermont, think “vagina” and it will help you get a fair assessment of the state. New Hampshire, in contrast, displays a much tougher persona. As you might guess about the only New England state to host a NASCAR race, its residents are more likely to own guns and less likely to have college diplomas, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing when your neighbor is as fruity as Vermont.

Other than the fact that Vermont is crawling with heavily-armed hippies, they're pretty much spot on.

Putting My Nerd Hat On

2010-05-06T21:41:00.006-05:00

Can anyone come up with a neater solution method then the one I came up with (using Heron's formula) that froze up my TI-89 calculator?

Look at all those itty-bitty numbers. And just one variable. How tough can it be?

UPDATE: After drinking a couple cups of coffee and shaking loose the cranial cobwebs, I sat down and started from scratch. Ended up taking me maybe an hour to get it, without having to use a calculator (unless I wanted the answer in decimal form).

I'll post the solution in a minute. There was a typo on it.

UPDATE II:

A Giant Bowl of Awesome

2010-05-06T15:46:00.000-05:00

With awesome sauce drizzled on top.

Good Job, Kid

2010-05-06T05:46:00.002-05:00

As for WMUR's headline writers, not so much.

Teen Has Confrontation With Burglar In Home

[...]

Justin Mosher, 16, was in an upstairs area of his home when he heard a car in the driveway. He thought it might be salesmen, but then he heard the door open and a burglar run upstairs in another area of the house.

Mosher quietly slipped outside and hid behind some bushes where he could see the suspect vehicle. He took down the license plate number and then went to a neighbor's house to call 911.

Did I ever tell you about my confrontation with Mick Jagger?

It was in Foxboro during the Stones' "Steel Wheels" tour.

He was on the stage, and I was sitting in the opposite endzone seats enjoying the show. Nearly came to fisticuffs, I tell you.

He'd Get My Vote

2010-05-05T16:50:00.001-05:00

From GOP Congressional Candidate (WI-7) Sean Duffy's list of favorites:

Sports Drink: Cold Beer/Strong Coffee

2010-05-05T14:42:00.001-05:00

From Dictionary.gov

2010-05-05T14:12:00.001-05:00

No-Fly List (noun): A mysterious, government-controlled database, the main purpose of which seems to be to allow terrorists to board passenger aircraft while preventing eight-year-olds on vacation with their families from doing the same.

I Got Your Hateful Rhetoric Right Here, Baby

2010-05-04T05:42:00.002-05:00

Here's some more of that violent, anti-government rhetoric Obama's been so worried about late...

Oh, wait. Never mind.

In other news, (as if I needed another reason to loathe this sad excuse of a man) Michael Bloomberg had this to say about the failed car bombing in Times Square:

"If I had to guess 25 cents, this would be exactly that. Homegrown, or maybe a mentally deranged person, or somebody with a political agenda that doesn't like the health care bill or something."

Ready the shocked face!

Bloomberg's apology forthcoming in 999,999,999...999,999,998...

File Under: You Don't Say

2010-05-04T05:39:00.001-05:00

Fox 25 News reported last night that people are puzzled as to why a repeat drunk driver was caught driving recently. After all, the state had (gasp!) taken his driver's license away.

I guess "He doesn't @#$%ing care!" never crossed their minds.

Home Again

2010-05-02T15:53:00.002-05:00

WTH? I go away for a week and when I get back, my grass is like a foot high.

Got lots to catch up on.

Right now I'm a little busy drinking a cold beer in the front yard.

Outta Here

2010-04-22T21:57:00.002-05:00

Leaving tomorrow for Seattle. Going to visit my brother and his family in Bellevue, so the girls can meet their newest cousin for the first time.

Other than a trip to Wade's, are there any must-see spots or attractions in the area?

I Gave Up After "Fittingly Phallic"

2010-04-21T15:18:00.003-05:00

I'll assume I didn't miss anything worthwhile.

What Are You Doing Tomorrow Night?

2010-04-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

The Brentwood New Hampshire Republican Town Commitee will be hosting its Republican Congressional Candidate Forum at the Hilton Auditorium at the Rockingham County Complex on North Road in Brentwood tomorrow evening.

The event will run from 7:00-9:00PM, with a chance for attendees to win a gift certificate to Goody Cole's BBQ in Brentwood. Come and meet [read: grill] all six GOP candidates for NH's 1st Congressional District.

And bring a friend.

Stealing Guns In NH?

2010-04-20T05:31:00.002-05:00

Why take the risk, when, according to people like Tom Menino, anyone with $50 and the ability to write his name in the dirt with a stick* can drive up here and buy any gun they want.

*OK, after writing that sentence, I realize that qualification rules out an awful lot of people - especially among registered voters in and around Menino's zip code.

Will Obamacare Cover Writer's Block?

2010-04-19T21:41:00.000-05:00

I got nothin'.

Arizona's Brady Score Took a Beating Today

2010-04-16T21:18:00.002-05:00

Ready the cries of bloodshed and chaos.

Seriously, People...

2010-04-16T15:36:00.002-05:00

...give it a rest.

Your narrative has passed on! Your narrative is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it'd be pushing up the daisies! Its metabolic processes are now history! It's off the twig! It's kicked the bucket, it's shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-NARRATIVE!!

Emphasis on "His" (As Usual)

2010-04-15T05:49:00.002-05:00

AP:

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's national standing has slipped to a new low after his victory on the historic health care overhaul, even in the face of growing signs of economic revival, according to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll.

The story notes that Obama enjoyed an approval rate of 67% in February of 2009, right after he was sworn into office.

Then he started, you know, doing things.

Friendly Reminder

2010-04-15T05:44:00.000-05:00

It's Buy a Gun Day.

Leftist Tolerance On Display at Boston Tea Party

2010-04-14T17:24:00.005-05:00

Via the Boston Phoenix:

Note the tolerant, "progressive" gentleman who decided to get his jollies by writing "FUCK YOU!" in big letters across the Tea Party signature board (@2:53).

With the predictability of the sunrise.

If anyone has the right to be upset by this video, it's the person signing paychecks at the Phoenix, who (I presume) paid someone to put this third-rate video out.

Do you know this loser? If so, please
have him call 1-800-GET-A-LIFE.

Sad, Pathetic, and Childlike...

2010-04-14T14:26:00.004-05:00

...but, oh so predictable.

New Hampshire Democrats are engaged in a statewide search for liberal activists willing to attend so-called tea parties on Thursday and carry signs expressing racist or fringe sentiments, a Democratic source with knowledge of the effort tells NowHampshire.com.

According to the source, who sought anonymity for fear of reprisals, the Dems’ last minute scramble reflects a growing obsession among party leaders that they need to discredit the tea party movement soon or it will overwhelm them come the November election.

Former Democratic State Party Chairman Kathy Sullivan is heading up the search, the source said. Sullivan has been calling and e-mailing liberal activists trying to get them to attend tea parties in different parts of the state and hold signs denying the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate and make racially disparaging comments to reporters.

“This is Kathy’s [Sullivan] project,” the source told NowHampshire.com. “She is absolutely obsessed with painting the tea party people as racists.”

Why these people insist on disrespecting Dr. King's legacy the way they do, I'll never understand. Dr. King dreamed of a world where people are judged by the contet of their character, and not the color of their skin.

Ms. Sullivan's actions and motives speak volumes to her character, and it's not a pretty picture.

UPDATE: Sullivan issues denial.

Will a denial-denial be forthcoming from NowHampshire.com?

Thanks For Clearing That Up

2010-04-14T05:42:00.001-05:00

NLB reader PISSED sends along this item from the Union Leader.

OK, then.

Lovely

2010-04-13T15:09:00.002-05:00

I guess I've got this to look forward to right when I'm about to send my daughters to college.

Taxpayers earning less than $200,000 a year will pay roughly $3.9 billion more in taxes — in 2019 alone — due to healthcare reform, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, Congress's official scorekeeper.

Of course, this will be Bush's fault.

And, remember, Obama never said the tax burden on middle class America wouldn't increase by 39 billion dimes. He only promised it wouldn't go up by one.

Who could have known that all this Hopenchange would make even the simple act sitting down so uncomfortable?[/rhetoricalquestion]

"...and my s*** smells like petunias too!"

2010-04-13T14:48:00.002-05:00

delusional (adj): see Klein, Jon.

CNN U.S. President Jon Klein said that based on a format of credible, nonpartisan news, CNN is "alone in a category of one."

Link via JammieWearingFool, who lists a couple excellent examples of CNN's recent "nonpartisan" news reporting.

I'd add to that Wolf Blitzer's "nonpartisan" fact-checking of a Saturday Night Live skit from last year that dared to cast President Walkonwater in a less than beamingly spiritual ray of rapturous sunlight.

...Damned If He Doesn't

2010-04-13T05:34:00.001-05:00

If Scott Brown had accepted the invite, the headline/narrative would have been:

Scott Brown leaves DC, ignores the needs of his constituents to party with Palin.

Anyone who thinks or claims otherwise either hasn't been paying attention, or is part of the problem.

The New York Pork Exchange

2010-04-12T21:53:00.003-05:00

Hey, what's another billion dollars in union payback pork?

NEW YORK — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand proposed $1 billion in loans and grants Monday to help build 2,100 grocery stores in areas around the nation that lack access to fresh food.

Gillibrand said the measure would help about four million New York residents living in so-called food deserts by providing the funding for more than 350 stores statewide, many in low-income areas. Modeled on a similar program in Pennsylvania, the legislation would provide startup grants and loans in rural and urban areas to expand access to fresh food and to create jobs.

The folks at Walmart are still trying to open stores in Chicago using their own money and are being told to go screw. No graft/kickbacks/campaign cash, no store. There's only one reason to pour a billion dollars of taxpayer money into something like this.

To give the labor unions what they can't get by competing in a free market economy, and force the rest of us to pony up the cash.

See also: Stimulus, Obamacare, DC School Vouchers.

Welcome to New York

2010-04-12T21:49:00.002-05:00

Here's your state-approved, salt-free, unsweetened particle board biscuit. Enjoy it, or we'll fine you $1,000.

Following on the heels of her batty colleague Felix Ortiz who tried to ban the use of all salt in restaurant cooking, New York Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens) has proposed a bill to make the "selling, storing, distributing, holding for service, or using in preparation" of high fructose corn syrup illegal in New York, effective immediately on passage of her bill.

These people have lost it.

As has anyone voluntarily living in that state.

Outta Here

2010-04-10T11:35:00.002-05:00

On our way to drop off the kids and the dog at the grandparents' house in Maine. Then celebrating our 11th anniversary with a night out in Portland.

Pelosi: Obamacare Is Like a Refrigerator

2010-04-08T17:47:00.001-05:00

I agree.

If you don't know what's inside it, odds are it's gonna really stink when you open it up in a year or so.

America Badly Needs a VAT

2010-04-08T14:17:00.002-05:00

...full of tar.

And one of these truck-mounted blown-in insulation rigs for portable, yet rapid dispersion of feathers.

If You're In the Area

2010-04-07T22:18:00.002-05:00

Mark your calendars:

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 – 7PM
Hilton Auditorium, Rockingham County Complex
117 North Road, Brentwood, New Hampshire

New Hampshire 1st Congressional District Candidate Forum featuring, Rick Ashooh, Peter Bearse, Robert Bestani, Mike Castaldo, and Frank Guinta.

From the Department of Perfect Timing

2010-04-07T17:39:00.003-05:00

Got a $5 Walmart gift card in the mail on the same day my local Walmart got a shipment of .45 WWB.

In other (significantly less festive) news, 550-round Federal .22 is over 18 bucks a box. WTF?

In Case You Were Wondering...

2010-04-07T16:16:00.001-05:00

...what it looks like when a narrative falls apart.

File Under: G.F.L.

2010-04-06T17:24:00.002-05:00

Van Hollen: Democrats to Once Again Run As Party of Change

Yeah, you keep on having relations with that chicken, buddy.

Here's a little news flash for you. America has woken up and smelled the "change". And it smells like old socks.

Quote of the Day

2010-04-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

Via Politico:

"Are you a princess or a representative?"

I can't wait to cast my votes against these two.

211 days to go.

One Big Fringe...And Growing

2010-04-03T19:47:00.002-05:00

Well, you can't say Barack Obama has broken all of his campaign pledges and promises. After all, he did tell us he was going to unite the country and bring people together from both sides of the political divide.

CNN: Disgruntled Democrats join the Tea Party

Bipartisan distrust of our corrupt federal government and the deceitful, power-hungry, parasitic beings entrenched therein. Very nice.

Keep it up, Barack. You've go some work to do. Last I checked, you still had a higher approval rating than fecal impaction.

OK, You All Can Stop E-Mailing Me This Now

2010-04-02T17:30:00.001-05:00

To Paraphrase Dorothy Boyd

2010-04-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

You had me at "Protesters are well-advised to arm themselves...".

...with portable video cameras, and document everything. It might also be a good idea, as a commenter suggests, to print out these flyers and pass on copies to local police and media, in advance.

Glenn makes a good point though.

If you are attending any of the local Tea Party rallies over the next couple of weeks, be on the lookout for anyone trying to pass themselves off as one of us, while carrying signs with racially inflammatory or threatening language.

Get them on tape, follow their every move. Watch for buses or vehicles with identifying markings or stickers. As I've learned first-hand on several occasions, you can often do a lot more good for the cause by carrying a video camera, rather than a flag or a sign.

All's Well That Ends Well

2010-04-01T07:22:00.002-05:00

But, holy crap on a stick...it took them FIVE MONTHS???

A heroic off-duty special police officer who saved a psychiatrist from her rampaging, knife-wielding patient will not face charges in the man’s death, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said.

Paul M. Langone “acted in self-defense and the defense of Dr. Astrid Desrosiers” when he shot and killed Jay Carciero, 37, of Reading at a Massachusetts General Hospital bipolar clinic Oct. 27 as Carciero slashed and stabbed Desrosiers, Conley said.

Amy Bishop was exonerated in the shotgun murder of her brother in what, a day and a half?

Exercise In Futility

2010-04-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

I was racking my brain last night, trying to come up with a good n' snarky April Fool's Day post, but then I saw this, and realized any such efforts would be in vain. I'd never be able to top that.

UPDATE: Blog comment exchange of the year (via AoSHQ):

I wonder how people in England keep that island from tipping over. It's obviously loaded unevenly down south toward London.

Posted by: rdbrewer at March 31, 2010 10:29 PM

The Scots keep a huge pile of rocks on their end.

Posted by: eman at March 31, 2010 10:31 PM

QotD: Race-Baiting Smackdown Edition

2010-03-30T23:43:00.002-05:00

The Daily Gut:

Look, this debate is basic: it's small government vs. big government. So how cowardly do folks like Blood and Frank Rich have to be that they can't man up and defend their love for collectivism? The only reason they scream race, is because that debate scares them. They know a racial accusation prevents dialogue, because such a harmful charge far outweighs any benefits of winning an argument.

Yep.

Tolerance...

2010-03-30T06:57:00.001-05:00

..."Progressive"-style.

Ponder Me This

2010-03-30T05:39:00.001-05:00

If your car broke down alongside each of these two events, at which event would you most likely find (a) someone willing to help you, who (b) had the skill set required to repair your car?

In Other "News"...

2010-03-29T21:23:00.000-05:00

...bears shit in woods.

A Brief, Yet Poignant Reminder...

2010-03-29T18:27:00.000-05:00

...of what was once considered the ultimate in patriotic expression of one's political beliefs.

(Warning: Large jpeg file at link)

Need a Good Tea Party Sign Made Up Cheap?

2010-03-29T14:43:00.005-05:00

I found a decent way to get a small banner printed without spending a lot of dough on a large printout or having to wait a week for the printer to turn the order round.

I created the graphics as a .PNG file measuring 2880 x 1536 pixels (@ a resolution of 96 pixels per inch), then split it into thirds (960 x 1536 pixels) and saved it as three separate files. I took them to staples to get printed on 11x17 card stock, and was planning on just taping them to a piece of foam-core board.

The girl at Staples said she could trim the edges for me, tape the sections together and laminate the whole thing right then and there. For less then $14, I had a nice laminated 32" x 17" banner.

Here's the one I'm getting made up for the Tea Party events coming up in New Hampshire in April.

I'll put the files on line and post a link if anyone wants them. If you have other ideas for signs, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Also, if you're looking for the latest and greatest in Gadsden flags and apparel, you know where to go.

CNN Epic (x10^∞) Fail

2010-03-28T13:30:00.004-05:00

Though, in her defense, it's not a lie to describe 10,000+ people as "dozens". Just as its not a lie to say Nome, Alaska is "within walking distance" to Miami - it's just a shitload of walking.

(link here, pic by American Patrol via Gateway Pundit)

I Guess It Doesn't Fit the Narrative

2010-03-27T08:12:00.001-05:00

Imagine if everyone went outside today and picked garbage up off the streets and sidewalks for an hour, instead of sitting at home in the dark *feeling* good about helping the planet.

Coming Soon...

2010-03-26T22:01:00.002-05:00

...to a once-great health care system near you.

UK: Hospital wards to shut in secret NHS cuts

But, that could never happen here. We've been "promised".

And, I love the part about their plans to conveniently "forget" to release the details of this report until well after the next election.

Hopenchange is alive and well in (Once-)Great Britain.

All Part Of the Plan

2010-03-26T12:38:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the United States of Insolvency.

Just wait until people really start to get worried and cashing out their 401K's and savings accounts.

Step 2: Apply Shocked Face - UPDATED

2010-03-26T05:30:00.002-05:00

Step 1: Read about New Hampshire State Representative Nick Levasseur posting stupid and offensive shit on the internet.

I know.

I'm shocked too.

Here's a little background information for those not in the know. This habit of proving one's self an idiot by posting stupid crap online is nothing new for Levasseur.

Back in February of ‘08, while learning of Levasseur's epic ignorance on the use of firearms and the concept of self-reliance, we found out via his Myspace.com profile that his interests include:

Medicine, biology, mathematics, anything that doesn’t involve Organic Chemistry, cars that don’t begin with “Ford” and end with “Aspire”, HBO series, Bill Mahar, politics, the hunting of neo-conservative Reaganites (a shooting sport brought to you by the republican party in more ways than one!), sleeping (it is sad when necessary life takes become occational hobbies).

And, much like his “progressive”, hoplophobic counterparts in Washington, D.C., Levasseur is quite skilled at playing the “These evil Republicans are threatening me!” card.

Bonus Money Quote - Obamacare Edition:

From May of ‘08, here’s how he felt about the idea of forcing individuals to purchase health insurance against their will, which I’m sure is now perfectly OK with him, now that his Savior President has taken this very path.

[Student Government Association] President Nickolas Levasseur said the association loudly opposed the university’s requiring students without health care coverage to buy $1,400-a-year policies through the school.

You can't make this shit up.

UPDATE: Smile, Nick! You're on ~~Candid Camera~~ Channel 9 news.

I'm Guessing He Fell Asleep In the Theater

2010-03-22T23:23:00.005-05:00

Check out Bart "I *heart* Big Government" Stupak's favorite movie.

(click image to enlarge)

Riddle of the Day

2010-03-22T22:07:00.003-05:00

What's the difference between Romneycare and Obamacare?

Highlight here for answer ---> Obamacare hasn't failed yet.

From the Hopenchange Dictionary

2010-03-22T05:50:00.001-05:00

Post-partisan (adj.): Describing a condition where you, as a member of the electorate, are expected to bend over so that the partisans in power can ram a post up your ass.

Facades Are Tarnished Now

2010-03-22T05:34:00.002-05:00

So, what song is stuck in your head today?

Beneath, Between and Behind - by Rush

Ten score years ago, defeat the kingly foe
A wondrous dream came into being
Tame the trackless waste, no virgin land left chaste
All shining eyes, but never seeing

[Chorus:]
Beneath the noble bird
Between the proudest words
Behind the beauty, cracks appear
Once with heads held high
They sang out to the sky
Why do their shadows bow in fear?

Watch the cities rise
Another ship arrives
Earth's melting pot and ever growing
Fantastic dreams come true
Inventing something new
The greatest minds, and never knowing

[Chorus]

The guns replace the plow, facades are tarnished now
The principles have been betrayed
The dreams's gone stale, but still, let hope prevail
History's debt won't be repaid

[Chorus]

Get Bent, Barney

2010-03-21T14:19:00.001-05:00

Huffington Post (via Instapundit):

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) emerged from the House floor irate to denounce Republicans for ~~cheering on the protester~~ communicating with the American people.

There...FIFY.

Tea Partier Caught On Tape Yelling Racial Slur

2010-03-21T09:03:00.003-05:00

*** NLB EXCLUSIVE ***

Via Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON — Demonstrators outside the U.S. Capitol , angry over the proposed health care bill, shouted "nigger" Saturday at U.S. Rep. John Lewis , a Georgia congressman and civil rights icon who was nearly beaten to death during an Alabama march in the 1960s.

[...]

A colleague who was accompanying Lewis said people in the crowd responded by saying "Kill the bill, then the n-word."

Here's the devastating audio:

Lowballing

2010-03-19T05:42:00.002-05:00

Speaking as someone who worked for ten years on the $3.5 billion Big Dig, I'm not exactly sold on these numbers either.

President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and their allies, are cheerfully citing “ten year” costs of $940,000,000,000.00 — apparently believing this to be a far more palatable figure than $1 trillion. But even this colossal tally is like the introductory price quoted by a cell phone provider. It’s the price before you pay for minutes, fees, and overcharges — and before the price balloons after the introductory offer expires.

And, before fraud, extortion, and theft are factored into the equation.

To see the bill’s true first-decade costs, we need to start the clock when the costs would actually start in any meaningful way: in 2014. The CBO says that Obamacare would cost $2.0 trillion in the bill’s real first decade (from 2014 to 2023) — and much more in the decades to come.

But $2.0 trillion wouldn’t be the total ten-year costs. Instead, that would merely be the “gross cost of coverage provisions.” Based on earlier incarnations of the proposed overhaul, the total costs would be about a third higher (the exact number can’t be gleaned from the CBO’s analysis, which is only preliminary and is not a full scoring) — making the total price-tag between $2.5 and $3 trillion over the bill’s real first decade.

This plan will bankrupt our nation, plain and simple. Why would Obama and the members of the "progressive" caucus in Congress go ahead with plans to...

Oh, wait, never mind.

It's a Health Care Bill AND a Dessert Topping!

2010-03-18T15:28:00.003-05:00

Last month, Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi were making the hideously asinine (and bullshit-saturated) argument that Obamacare was, in fact, a jobs bill.

Now, we find out it's also a disaster relief bill.

It's a miracle bill, I tell you! Destined to ease all of life's unpleasantries!

Try as I might, I can't stop replaying this classic SNL bit in my head, everytime we learn something new about this wonder drug and its mystical powers.

Nope, Nothing To See Here

2010-03-18T15:02:00.002-05:00

I'm sure the timing on this was purely coincidental, just like it was when Obama nominated the brother of a Congressman (coincidentally, one who was "undecided" on Obamacare) to a federal judgeship.

These could all be coincidences.

You know, like I could start generating my own electricity at home by building a nuclear reactor in my back yard and powering it with the uranium rods I plan to start crapping out tomorrow morning.

Enemies of the People

2010-03-18T13:54:00.002-05:00

Both of New Hampshire representatives in Congress made it clear today that placating the unconstitutional, authoritarian whims of Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, and Harry Reid is of greater importance to them than representing the People of New Hampshire.

The Hill reports:

Democrats shot down a Republican effort to force an up-or-down vote on the Senate healthcare bill on Thursday afternoon.

In a 222-203 vote, Democrats beat back a GOP resolution offered by Democrat-turned-Republican Rep. Parker Griffith (Ala.) that would have forced lawmakers to vote on the Senate healthcare bill separately from the series of fixes they hope to make to that legislation.

Roll call here.

In 2006, Carol Shea-Porter made a pledge to the voters in the first congressional district, vowing to "bring New Hampshire values to Washington".

Since when did arrogance, dishonesty, and a burning and insatiable need to piss on the will of the People become New Hampshire values?

Before I Forget...

2010-03-17T22:15:00.002-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Didn't have much green to put on this morning. Does my olive drab "Peace Through Superior Firepower" t-shirt count?

In case You Were Wondering...

2010-03-17T05:51:00.000-05:00

...what a flamingly hypocritical scumbag looks like.

It's Got Rock Phenomenom Written All Over It

2010-03-16T18:02:00.003-05:00

If someone hasn't already started a band called "This Is My Shocked Face", I might just have to do it myself. Of course, we'd have to take a page from the Kiss playbook and only allow ourselves to be photographed wearing over-sized shocked face masks.

Can I Get Me an "AMEN"?

2010-03-15T20:35:00.001-05:00

The day Paul Ryan announces his candidacy for president is the day he breaks the record for most money raised on-line by a politician in 24 hours or less.

Memo To All Would-Be Congressfolk

2010-03-15T15:53:00.003-05:00

In a year when a commitment to fiscal conservatism and respect for the Constitutional limits on our federal government are all that will be needed to win elections this fall, do yourself a favor - stick to those talking points and don't play the Stupid Douchebag Card.

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) said Sunday that the expansion of state laws allowing gay marriage could lead to people marrying horses.

Hayworth, during an interview with an Orlando, Fla., radio station explained: "You see, the Massachusetts Supreme Court, when it started this move toward same-sex marriage, actually defined marriage — now get this — it defined marriage as simply, 'the establishment of intimacy.'"

"Now how dangerous is that?" asked Hayworth, who is challenging Sen. John McCain from the right in Arizona's GOP Senate primary.

"I mean, I don't mean to be absurd about it, but I guess I can make the point of absurdity with an absurd point," he continued. "I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse."

Or vote for the back end of one in August.

The former Republican congressman then insisted that the "only way" to prevent men from marrying horses is to create a federal marriage amendment. Hayworth noted that he supports such an amendment.

Dude.

Latest Treasure Hunt Find

2010-03-14T21:05:00.003-05:00

I went treasure hunting with the kids and the metal detector the other day in the woods behind the house, where local resident of yesteryear threw away and buried a lot of bottles, cans, and what-not.

One of the girls dug this up.

Googled the name "Matthews and Willard" and found that it's the bottom section of an old (1897) Kerosene Bicycle Lamp (nickel-plated brass).

Kinda cool.

It's What's For Dinner

2010-03-14T17:23:00.001-05:00

I was never a big fan of overly complicated recipes.

Thar She Blows!

2010-03-12T23:22:00.006-05:00

I was walking around the woods behind the house the other day, in the aftermath of the windstorm, to see how many trees we lost. This top section of a pine tree had blown down not too far from the girls' treehouse.

And with my hand in the shot for the obligatory "for scale" pic.

Looking up, I couldn't see any trees with their tops missing. Kept looking around until I finally found where it had come from.

It's hard to capture in the pic just how far the top of this tree had been blown away from its trunk, so I grabbed my trusty Bosch rangefinder (this thing kicks ass!) and measured from the broken end back to the base of the trunk.

Yeah, it was a little windy.

The Softening of the Lambs

2010-03-12T06:39:00.002-05:00

Felix Ortiz and his statist ilk know this asinine bill is dead on arrival. They're just conditioning the sheep before they drop the new and "improved" version - a less-encompassing, more "common sense" salt ban - on them.

Incremental erosion of our liberty. It's the bedrock principle upon which their empire rests.

State: We must ban all _________.
Sheep: NO! That's outrageous! We Won't let you!
State: OK, you win. We'll only ban certain kinds of __________.
Sheep: YAY! We defeated the tyrants!

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Everyone's Favorite Game

2010-03-11T16:43:00.003-05:00

Time for another round of "What's Wrong With This Headline?".

WBZtv.com: Cigarette Blamed For Fire That Killed 2 In Everett

Hint:

Investigators say it all started when a young woman carelessly tossed away a lit cigarette.

While The Early Bird Gets the Worm...

2010-03-11T15:24:00.002-05:00

...it's the lucky bird who gets the last box of .380 Auto off the shelf at his local Wal-Mart on ammo delivery day.

The Suspense Was Killing Me

2010-03-11T09:08:00.001-05:00

Boston Herald:

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The University of Alabama in Huntsville has fired the professor accused of shooting six co-workers, killing three.

CNN Slanders Senior Citizen

2010-03-11T08:15:00.004-05:00

Nice headline writing/placement, guys.

And, of course, happy birthday, Chuck!

No Wonder I've Been Feeling So Tired Lately

2010-03-11T06:30:00.001-05:00

As of today, I've been writing this blog for six years (with an average of just over 2.2 blog posts per day).

I need a ~~nap~~ scotch.