How Can This Be???

This simply can't be true!

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) -- As 2006 draws to a close, New Hampshire can celebrate a reduction in the number of highway deaths this year.

Division of Motor Vehicles Director Virginia Beecher said fatal crashes dropped from 161 last year to 122 this year.

But, the voters of Massachusetts were told this past year that they needed primary-enforcement seat belt laws, inorder to make their roads safer and reduce the number of highway fatalities.

Yet, New Hampshire doesn't have any kind of seat belt law on the books.

Further, the voters of Massachusetts were told by the state's liquor store owners that allowing wine to be sold in supermarkets would result in an alarming spike in highway fatalities, as ordinary people would, apparently, be powerless to resist the urge to drink two or three bottles of cabernet sauvignon on the way home from Stop & Shop, and end up mowing down large crowds of schoolchildren on the sidewalk.

Yet, here, in my new home state of New Hampshire, I am able to drive to the nearest gas station, supermarket, or convenience store and buy all the beer and wine I want (if I CHOOSE to do so), any day of the week, including holidays.

Why, it's almost as if the government trusts the people here to act as responsible citizens, and therefore doesn't feel the need to cradle them, monitoring and controlling every aspect of their lives, as if we were a bunch of undisciplined seven-year-olds.

And, it's almost as if the voters of Massachusetts have been fed line after line of complete and uttter bullshit by those who profess to know what's best for them, and have, as usual been eating up every last bite...

...from their plastic Winnie the Pooh and Spiderman dishes.

Words To Live By

Via Adam G. at Universal Hub:

If you're packing a gun and crack and your passengers are all equipped with knives (and if one of them is wearing a bullet-proof vest), you probably don't want to be doing 45 m.p.h. on a quiet residential street.

Can't add much to that.

Drinking in the Irony

Seen today on Rte. 125 in Plaistow, New Hampshire:

A compassionate liberal in her SUV with the Massachusetts "Invest in Children" license plate proudly affixed, pulling into the Walmart/Home Depot parking lot for a little tax-free shopping.

THIS JUST IN!

Getting out of your car, while it's still moving, and dancing on the hood can be hazardous to your health.

Also...

Clamping a centerfire pistol cartridge in a vise and using a hammer to pound a metal screw into the primer can produce less-than-favorable results.

Who knew???

I Guess It All Depends...

...on one's definition of "simplification".

MBTA Discards Fare Quirks

(AP) BOSTON - The MBTA is getting rid of some historical fare quirks, including free outbound rides at aboveground Green Line stops and exit fares at some Red Line stations, in an attempt to simplify the system and make it more equitable [for whom? - ed.].

"If you get on the train, you should know that it's $1.70, and it's the same as if you're on the Red, Green, Orange, Blue, or Silver line," said Daniel Grabauskas, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's general manager. "It's a simplification of the system."

Let's review, shall we?

The "old" system for boarding an outbound Green Line train at an above-ground stop:

Step 1: Get on train.

The new "simplified" system for doing the same:

Riders paying with cash are being asked to board at the front door where they will be issued a receipt. Pass holders can enter at any door, but are encouraged to use the middle door, where passes will be scanned by a conductor.

On the D Line, riders are encouraged to tap their CharlieCard or to insert their CharlieTicket into validator machines at platforms for a receipt they can show upon boarding at middle doors.

The T also plans random checks to ensure that all customers pay their fare.

Have I mentioned lately how much I don't miss living down there anymore?

Baking the Dead Horse

Kevin Baker's latest.

Shedding the Chains

I'll be heading into Boston in an hour or so for the closings on our Roslindale condos. Yes, as of this moment, I'm still a Massachusetts property owner.

That thorn shall be pulled shortly.

In other news, my wife encountered a rather fearless ruffed grouse in the driveway yesterday. It wanted to get into the garage, and was swayed very little by my wife's foot stomping and yelling. She had to beat a hasty retreat to get away from the savage beast.

Though, my first thought was, "So, we're having grouse for dinner then?", it's a good thing she didn't go for the shotgun. I doubt there'd be much meat left on the bones after hitting it with 00 buckshot from less than 10 feet away.

A Thoreau Misunderstanding

With the predictability of the sunrise, a few folks commenting over at Blue Mass. Group are hailing the Massachusetts legislature's defying of their sworn oaths of office and constitutional obligations as some kind of heroic act of civil disobedience.

In this case, NOT obeying the law is the moral thing to do

Rather then vote to put the civil rights of a persecuted minority on the ballot, the legislators should say:

"I am practicing civil disobedience. I am not going to support of a vote on this issue. I am willing to accept the consequences at the ballot box if the people disagree with this decision of conscience"

Decency does not require strict adherence to the law

For instance, if a law is unjust, then breaking the law is perfectly decent. Were those that illegally harbored escaped slaves before the Civil War not decent human beings?

In this case, members of the Legislature can argue that this law was unjust in this instance because it would allow one minority to restrict the rights of another minority.

Civil Disobedience is a Massachusetts Tradition

This is a civil rights issue. It is just for the legislature to practice civil disobedience by refusing to vote on the pending anti-gay amendment.

If the legislature practices civil disobedience by refusing to vote on the amendment, they will be taking part in a long standing tradition in the commonwealth. Massachusetts has a very long history of civil disobedience when it comes to matters of freedom and civil rights. Let us not forget the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution [huh??? - ed.].

Sorry, kids, but I gotta send up the bullshit flag.

Rosa Parks' refusing to surrender her seat on the bus to a white person, risking arrest and prosecution, was an act of civil disobedience.

Henry David Thoreau's refusal to pay taxes to the government as a form of protest against the government's policies was an act of civil disobedience.

A group of anti-war protesters chaining themselves together, refusing to clear an intersection when ordered to do so by the police, subjecting themselves to charges of disorderly conduct, are committing acts of civil disobedience.

If I were to protest Massachusetts' gun laws by carrying a concealed weapon without the required permit, on the grounds that providing for my personal safety by exercising my right to self-defense is of greater importance to me than the government's unconstitutional laws designed to prevent me from doing so, would be an act of civil disobedience.

But, these current attempts to expand the definition of civil disobedience to include the behavior of an agent of the government defying his sworn oath of office, acting in direct violation of the state constitution, and subjugating the rights of the citizenry in the process, is so far off base, it's laughable.

BMG commenter "Trickle up" gets it.

Civil disobedience takes on a very different character when laws are disobeyed by the state.

Of course, under this new definition, the Bush adminstration's wiretapping policies could be labeled as acts of civil disobedience. If he feels the fourth amendment places unjust restrictions on his ability to do what he feels is morally right, then he should simply ignore it, right?

Where are the accolades from the left for the president and his courageous decision to pursue that program?

Bay State liberals talk a good game about "equal rights for all", but as soon as someone they disagree with demonstrates the resolve to exercise his right to petition the government in a manner prescribed by law, well, then all bets are off. And, any efforts taken by the government to abbrogate that person's rights will be hailed as a great victory for "equality".

And people ask me why I wanted to leave such an idyllic place as Massachusetts.

The More I Read It Over...

..the more I find myself in complete agreement with today's ruling by the SJC.

Going back to the CBS4Boston.com piece linked to in my previous, rambling and disjointed post (it's a wonder what a couple pale ales can do to clear one's mind), I found these great quotes...

"Beyond resorting to aspirational language that relies on the presumptive good faith of elected representatives, there is no presently articulated judicial remedy for the Legislature's indifference to, or defiance of, its constitutional duties," Justice John Greaney wrote for the unanimous court.

Well, if enough people in Massachusetts actually cared...

Yeah...don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

Plaintiff C.J. Doyle of the Catholic Action League said he doubted lawmakers would act, despite the court's rebuke.

"There is no court decision that can infuse the Massachusetts General Court with integrity," he said. "Our legislators have demonstrated time and time again a contempt for the constitution and for their oath of office."

Preacher, meet Choir.

And, of course...

Rep. Michael E. Festa, who supports gay marriage, said he'll do whatever it takes to keep the question off the ballot.

"All of us believe strongly that because the proposition being put before us as a body is so offensive to the constitution, and our notion of what equal rights should be for all of our citizens, we are going to do everything appropriate and necessary to keep it off the ballot," said the Melrose Democrat.

Well, Representative Festa, I'm sure the few remaining licensed gun owners in Massachusetts will be glad to have you in their corner as they prepare to do battle with the state legislature next year over the upcoming avalanche of unconstitutional and "offensive" gun control legislation that is sure to be flowing freely once Governor Patrick is sworn in.

You will be working tirelessly to protect their equal rights, won't you? Surely, their constitutional rights are of equal importance to you as the rights of others.

I mean, you wouldn't want to be exposed as some kind of blad-faced hypocrite now, would you?

Would you?

Lost Still Missing: Moral Rectitude Respect For the Constitution and the Rights of the Citizenry

If found, please return to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Massachusetts General Court (see updates below).

From CBS4Boston.com:

BREAKING NEWS: The state's highest court is refusing to order lawmakers to vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, saying it had no power to force another branch of government to act.

This, of course, is the same judicial body that ordered the Massachusetts State Legislature to enact a law legalizing gay marriage, once they ruled that the State Constitution, in its current form, did not prohibit same-sex marriages.

Nope, no politically-driven agenda there. Move along.

From the CBS4Boston.com story found here:

The state's highest court on Wednesday said even though lawmakers have defied their constitutional duties by failing to vote on a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage, the court has no legal authority to force them to act.

So, even if elected officials in the Commonwealth are suspected of being in defiance of their constitutional duties, and that matter is brought before the courts by a group of citizens, as is their right under the laws of the Commonwealth, the SJC says they are powerless to intervene on such matters.

Can someone explain to me, then, why Massachusetts even has a State Constitution? Or a Supreme Judicial Court, for that matter.

Needless to say, this ruling will be hailed as a great victory by many on the "progressive" side of the fence down in the Bay State. You see, tyranny and the usurpation of the rights of the people [and due process of law - ed.] are perfectly acceptable. Just so long as the tyrants are on your side, it seems.

Gee, I miss that place.

NOT.

UPDATE: I love this bit...

[The SJC] argued that voters unhappy with lawmakers for refusing to take up the question can vote them out of office.

But, to even suggest that the lawmakers uphold their sworn constitutional oaths of office [gasp!], put the proposed amendment to a roll call vote, and then be subject to the wrath of the voters who might be unhappy with the way they voted, is simply out of the question.

The Massachusetts Philosophy: When in doubt, always err on the side of authoritarianism.

UPDATE II: David Bernstein at the Boston Phoenix's "Talking Politics" clarifies:

The SJC didn't order the legislature to act on same-sex marriage. It gave the legislature six months to try to write new legislation on the matter if it wanted to (which it did not), before the ruling went into effect.

So presumably, that ruling could have also allowed for the legislature to begin the process of amending the state constitution to prohinit same-sex marriages, if they wanted to.

And, now that a group of citizens [gasp - commoners!] has attempted to begin that process, via the channels proscribed by state law, the legislature - to date - has done nothing but thumb their noses at them.

How dare they exercise their right to participate in the legislative process! Who do these mortal peons think they are?

But wait...

Bernstein also predicts that the MGC will, in fact, bring the proposed amendment to a vote before the current legislative session expires.

Now, as I understand it, if the MGC refuses to bring the proposed amendment to a vote, the Governor would have the authority to call them back into session to do so. This is significant, because, if they can time it so that authority falls on the shoulders of the newly-sworn-in Governor Patrick, well, we pretty much know how that will end up.

Not to mention, it would have the added bonus of depriving Romney of a "Watch me crackdown on those amoral sexual deviants" talking points, in his efforts to woo the Christian Conservative voting block.

UPDATE III: CBS4Boston.com keeps revising their opening paragraph:

In a rebuke of the Legislature, the state's highest court Wednesday ruled lawmakers have defied the constitution by refusing to vote on a proposed amendment that would ban gay marriage.

Hence, the altered post title.

Weebs, in the comments, poses the eternal question:

Well, what recourse is there now that the legislators have violated their oaths of office? Can they be removed? Arrested? Anything?

Or, do the citizens of the Commonwealth just sit back and get shit on once again?

We'll see. It seems to all come down to whether they bring the matter to a vote before the end of the session or not. Too close to call, in my book.

Satan's Snowball

David at Blue Mass. Group links to this Pundit Review post highlighting one of many obstacles Mitt Romney will have to overcome on the road to the GOP presidential nomination.

It's nothing terribly earth-shattering, by any stretch of the imagination. It's something that the law-abiding, gun-owning population of Massachusetts has known for quite some time now. Other are just starting to key in on it.

I'll let David explain.

Damn, [Romney] sounds like a Second-Amendment-repealin' freedom-hatin' Ted Kennedy clone! And he's courting which wing of the Republican party??

Now, you're talking my language, David.

And, you're right on the money.

If Mitt Romney thinks he can convince the nation's gun owners that he's on our side, come 2008, he's got another thing coming. He's gonna have about as tough a time in that department as John "Can I Git Me a Huntin' License Here?" Kerry had in 2004.

Not to mention, he'll look equally ridiculous shooting skeet in his freshly creased L.L. Bean barn jacket, should he decide to follow Senator Shotgun's lead in that arena.

And it won't matter a drop of spit to the folks in Flyover Country that he was constantly working on the other side of a veto-proof majority of Democrats in the state legislature.

The fact that he could have been more vocal in standing up for the Second Amendment rights of the citizens of Massachusetts, but chose not to be, could* very well come back to bite him in the ass in 2008.

* Had to go with "could" there, having seen the list of early front-runners for the GOP nomination. Let's just say no one's likely to mistake any of them for the second coming of Ted Nugent anytime soon.

Another "Common Sense" Gun Law, No Doubt

File Under: Did You Know?

It costs more to relinquish one's "right" to own a gun in Massachusetts, than it does to obtain the same rights and privileges in New Hampshire, Maine or Vermont (or pretty much anywhere else, for that matter)?

After shelling out close to $900 to secure my "right" to own a gun in the land of the "most effective gun laws in the nation", I am now REQUIRED by law to notify the state's Firearms Record Bureau, BY CERTIFIED MAIL, that my Massachusetts gun license is no longer valid, on account of my having moved out-of-state.

They had to fuck me just one last time on my way out the door, I suppose.

Repeat After Me

If we say it often enough, it will become reality.

Ready?

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

Two men were in critical condition and another was recovering from wounds yesterday after being shot shortly before midnight at a Christmas Eve party in South Boston, police said.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

Last night around 6:34pm, officers in District 3 responded to a radio for an armed robbery at 82 Fowler Street. The victim stated when he pulled up to the address he was approached by four females with masks and one with a gun. The victim went on to state that the suspects took his wallet and one suspect fled in the victim’s motor vehicle.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

Last night around 11:50pm, officers in District 6 responded to a radio call for a person shot at 10 Logan Way. On arrival officers located Boston EMS working on one of the victim’s inside the hallway on the floor landing suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. The second victim was located on the second floor landing suffering from a gunshot wound to the back. The third victim was located at Brigham and Women’s Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the arm.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

This morning around 2:44am, officers in District 6 responded to Boston Medical Center on a report of a shooting victim. Officers located a victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

At about 8:03pm officers from District 2 responded to 12 Dunmore Street in Roxbury on a report of shots fired. On arrival the officers recovered ballistic evidence and located a trail of what appears to be blood. Minutes later the Boston Medical Center reported that two people entered the Emergency Room suffering from gunshot wounds.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

This morning around 2:13am, officers in District 3 responded to a radio call for shots fired at 150 Norwell Street. Prior to arrival officers were updated that a person was shot at 6 Millet Street. Officers located a black male suffering from a gunshot wound to the back.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

Last night at about 11:01pm, officers assigned to District 3 responded to a call for an armed robbery report. The 51-year-old victim reported to the officers while making a food delivery on Browning Avenue in Dorchester he was robbed at gunpoint.

Menino's gun buyback program was a "major success".

A 14-year-old boy was gunned down yesterday evening in what police sources described as an “execution”-style murder outside a Roslindale Sunoco station.

Yep...just another weekend in Boston, Massachusetts.

Suckers!

Meanwhile....

Boston Mayor Tom Menino spent his Christmas Eve spreading good cheer.

The mayor hit the streets of Boston for the annual Christmas Eve Walk. This year's walk started at 11:30 a.m. at the T-Stop Grocery on Geneva Ave. in Dorchester.

No doubt, with his adoring media entourage and taxpayer-funded, armed security detail close at hand.

Hey, Mumbles! What do you say you start next year's Christmas Eve walk at 11:30 p.m. on Geneva Ave in Dorchester? Vulnerable, weak, and defenseless - just the way you require your loyal subjects to be.

Yeah...didn't think so.

Thus the Chaos Commences

Merry Christmas, all!

Snowsheep

Back Online

OK, got the cable internet up and running.

I'm back in business.

Can't say I'm going to exactly miss Roslindale all that much.

A 13-year-old boy was gunned down yesterday evening in what police sources described as an "execution"-style murder outside a Roslindale Sunoco station.

A second 14-year-old was wounded in the 6:05 p.m. shooting attack, which sent dozens of pedestrians, bus passengers and gas station customers ducking for cover. Late last night police put out an alert that they are looking for a black male in a yellow or gold hooded sweatshirt.

Meanwhile, in Brentwood, New Hampshire, a dump truck totally ran a red light up on Route 125 yesterday.

I blame the rising cost of asparagus.

A Quest For Freedom (cont.)

Well, we're getting there. A minor glitch with the furnace was taken care of today, and "the big truck" heads up tomorrow morning. Unpacking and gratuitous celebratory beverages to follow.

Meanwhile...

I went to the Town Clerk's office today to get my certificate of residency, which I'll need to get my NH driver's license. Then, walked around the corner to the police station to pick up my Resident Pistol/Revolver License application.

Ten bucks is ten bucks, eh?

For their sake, I hope the ACLU, or any other special interest group from the Perpetual Victimhood Society, doesn't need to conduct business in the Town Clerk's office there any time soon. They won't be too pleased with the Christmas tree on prominent display in the lobby. And, the evergreen garlands with the patriotic red, white, and blue ribbons would likely send them into convulsions.

Next, was a quick stop at Lindy's Country Store for a sandwich and a bag of chips. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Raj, a hard-working, law-abiding, legal immigrant, and fellow refugee from the People's Progressive Republic.

Lindy's Country Store - Brentwood, NH
(photo credit: brentwood.town-center.org)

We had a great talk about property tax rates, education, gun laws, free-spending politicians, and Massholes of the clueless, dingbat variety who move up to the area only to find that their $500,000 McMansion isn't connected to a public sewer and that their backyard actually has a large concrete box buried in it, that gets filled with human waste and needs to be pumped out periodically.

"Ooooh...gross!"

And, their drinking water comes out of the dirt and rocks deep beneath their luxurious abodes!

"Aaaaaagghh....dirt!"

But, I digress.

So, anyway, there I was, in a small grocery store, surrounded by all kinds of beer and wine, yet somehow, I managed to make it out of there without downing three bottles of Pinot Noir and driving drunk through a schoolyard full of kids.

So, to those I leave behind, I say enjoy your Question 1 landslide victory from last month's elections. As for me, I'll be enjoying my newly-restored right to CHOOSE, thank you very much.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I'd have to give Lindy's Country Store a solid 4.

- Good sandwiches
- Good beer and wine selection, at decent prices (the Smuttynose IPA was 50 cents less than at the package stores in Boston)
- Large variety of tobacco products for those who CHOOSE to partake (chew, dip, cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco, and even corn cob pipes)
- Good assortment of hardware, automotive, and household products
- Live bait

Yes...life is good.

Compare and Contrast

Just a little Thursday morning horse-flogging to help you get ready for the long weekend ahead.

In some states and municipalities, as we all know, the authorities have decided that it's "common sense" to make it as hard as possible for law-abiding citizens to arms themselves to provide for their own self-defense.

I mean, we wouldn't want to infringe on the rights of the state's scumbag population to carry out armed home invasions, would we?

Yesterday around 10:55am, officers from District 3 [Dorchester] responded to a radio call for an armed robbery at 126 Armandine St. On arrival, officers spoke to the victim who reported that two suspects forced their way into her house and robbed her at gunpoint.

Needless to say, in most other states, the government actually trusts its citizens, who so CHOOSE, to own and carry firearms for the protection of life and property. Quite the radical concept, I know.

Police arrested an 18-year-old for burglary after a Sherburne Road homeowner took his car keys and held him at gunpoint until police could arrive.

Not very "progressive" of him, I'd say.

Nanny 617

A blind man could have seen this one coming:

(AP) BOSTON Massachusetts is considering following New York City's lead and banning restaurants from serving artery-clogging artificial trans fats -- a move some lovers of greasy food are giving a thumbs-down.

State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, co-chairman of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health, filed a bill Tuesday to make Massachusetts the first state to impose the ban.

"It's basically killing people," Koutoujian said.

He said health officials have know about the "evils" of trans fat for years. He said two recent developments -- greater access to non-trans fat cooking oils and a move by some major restaurant chains to get away from trans fat -- now make a statewide ban possible.

"People are dying and suffering heart events all around us and trans fat is something that is easily replaceable," he said. Trans fat is produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil through hydrogenation.

Now, suppose that story had gone something like this.

(AP) BOSTON Massachusetts could become the first state to ban the HIV-spreading behavior of anal intercourse if a bill to be filed today wins legislative support.

Massachusetts is considering reviving the puritanical sodomoy laws banning homosexual men from engaging in anal sex -- a move some in the gay community are giving a thumbs-down.

State Rep. Peter Koutoujian, D-Waltham, co-chairman of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health, filed a bill Tuesday to make Massachusetts the first state to impose the ban.

"It's basically killing people," Koutoujian said.

He said health officials have known about the "evils" of the HIV virus for years. He said two recent developments -- greater access to condoms and a move by some in the gay community to shy away from casual sex -- now make a statewide ban possible.

"People are dying and suffering from AIDS all around us and anal intercourse is something that is easily replaceable," he said. The HIV virus can be spread when homosexual men engage in casual, unprotected sex.

What do you suppose the local reaction would be?

Of course, Represenative Koutoujian wouldn't dare propose such a law. He knows just as well as anyone that certain health-endangering activities are more politically correct than others, and are given protected class status. On the other hand, if he's so fucking concerned about regulating behavior that is "basically killing people", how could he oppose such a ban?

Surely, State Senator Jarrett "Ban the Fluffernutter" Barrios would lend his support to such a "common sense" public health initiative.

And, why stop there? Last I checked, cigarette smoking was causing all kinds of health problems for the people of Massachusetts - lung cancer, emphysema, heart disease. Don't tell me that the state's tax revenue from cigarette sales is more important to these bums than the lives of OUR CHILDREN!

Where's the compassion, people???

It couldn't be that all these big-government, we-know-what's-best-for-your-family, nanny-staters are nothing more than a bunch of disingenuous, two-faced hacks, now, could it?

Because, that would be quite the shocking revelation.

It's Official

I am, in every legal sense of the word, a New Hampshire resident. We closed on the new house in Brentwood this morning, hit the Super Wal-Mart in Epping, bought a Christmas Tree, and let the girls have at it (pics to follow).

Of course, I'm typing this from the confines of the "soon-to-be someone else's" condo in Roslindale. Got a few more things to pack up before the movers take over.

The big truck heads north on Friday. We make a cameo appearance in Boston the week after Christmas to finalize the condo sales, and we are 100% free and clear of the clutches of Meninostan.

So sad.

Not.

When You Have Finished Recording...

...simply hang up, or press octothorpe for more options.

(via Bogie)

Priorities

Please, tell me I'm reading this wrong.

CINCINNATI --A 13-foot boa constrictor wrapped itself around its owner's neck and killed the man in his home, authorities said.

An acquaintance found Ted Dres, 48, inside the snake's cage Saturday and called police, the Hamilton County Sheriff's office said.

The snake was still strangling Dres when deputies arrived, and the officers had to work with members of an animal protection group to remove the reptile, the sheriff's office said.

For future reference, if any of you should come across a boa constrictor squeezing the last breath out of my lungs, feel free to send the PETA folks home, and call in someone from a "Holy Crap! This Animal is Freakin' Killing This Guy! Shoot It In The Head! Quick!" group.

mAss Backwards Productions Presents...

A Quest For Freedom
The Documentary

Stay tuned for a series of posts, documenting with photographs and video, our long-awaited exodus from Massachusetts. Join us as we say good-bye to Kennedy Country, bid farewell to the Valley of the Shadow of Mumbles, and begin life anew in the "Live Free or Die" state of New Hampshire.

Destination: Freedom House

Thank You, Mumbles

Imagine the weekend we would have had in Boston if Mayor Menino's gun buyback program hadn't been such a "major success".[sarcasm off]

From the Boston Globe:

A triple shooting on a quiet Mattapan street Friday night, a double stabbing in East Boston yesterday, and two overnight shootings punctuated a violent weekend in Boston.

I sense a new "task force" is in the works.

Packing Day

Three days to closing day.

About 50 boxes worth of crap in my basement to pack up today, and only two or three sips left in my "large dark, two sugars". Better get started.

And, thanks to all who voted for me in the Weblog Awards. Your invitations to the housewarming party in January will be "in the mail" soon.

Polls Are Open

You know what to do.

This post will remain at the top of the page until the polls close on the 15th, and the competition has been squashed. You can vote once a day, every day, until then.

UPDATE: She's up against some serious competition, but the inimitable Sondra K. (Knowledge is Power) is certainly worthy of your vote, as well.

As is fellow gun blogger A Keyboard and a .45.

UPDATE II: For Christ's sake, people! Are you gonna let me come in second, behind some guy named Bubblehead? I'm trailing by six votes.

UPDATE III: I've retaken the lead by one vote (as of 1:39 PM Thursday). Don't quit on me now, people! Just pretend you're all Wisconsin Democrats or members of ACORN. Get that vote in by any means necessary!

This one's going down to the wire!

Spread the word!

UPDATE IV: Up by 83 votes as of 2:00 PM. My eleventh-hour "get out the vote" campaign is bearing fruit, but this is no time for complacency, people. Tell your neighbors! Tell your elderly relatives in Duluth! Tell that really hot chick with the purple hair who works at the adult book store down the street (or, um, so I'm told).

Most importantly, pay no mind to the baseless claims of chicanery and voter fraud being bandied about by my otherwise-worthy adversary in this contest.

Who's Buying This?

From the Boston Globe:

Senate president Robert Travaglini today apologized for publicly criticizing Deval Patrick, saying he had "misspoke" at a breakfast a day earlier.

Translation: Yeah, I was blowing smoke up your ass then, but I'm telling you the truth now.

Put me down as "less than convinced".

From my Bullshit Detector Owner's Manual (p. 48):

If a politician issues two seemingly contradictory statements, or a statement meant to clarify an earlier statement that cast him or her in an unfavorable light, the one made with the fewest number of reporters and news cameras present is the more truthful (by far) of the two. The other, little more than damn-I-so-got-busted, gotta-cover-my-hindquarters bullshit.

Don Veto Travaglini

Post title changed. Wasn't happy with my first attempt at a veto/Vito play on words.

From the Boston Globe:

Senate President Robert E. Travaglini yesterday publicly scolded incoming governor Deval Patrick, telling a breakfast audience that he had warned Patrick to cooperate with the Legislature or Travaglini would withdraw support for Patrick's agenda.

Translation: You get that rubberstamp ready, or else.

In remarks that shocked some in the audience...

Why this should come as a shock to anyone is beyond me. Must've been some folks from out of state in that room.

...the Senate president said that he wants to work with the governor-elect, but he strongly suggested that if things don't go well, the Senate will block Patrick's legislative efforts.

According to the notes of one audience member, Travaglini said: "I told the governor-elect, if you're willing to share and you care and you prepare and are ready to deliver, then everything will work out. If not, I have senators across the state who share my vision and my approach and if forced to choose, I'm comfortable with whom they'll choose."

And, I'm more comfortable than ever with my decision to pack up my stuff and move my family and my tax dollars out of state.

The remarks were confirmed by five people, who gave similar accounts of his statements, but did not want to be quoted by name. Travaglini spokeswoman Ann Dufresne did not return repeated phone calls seeking a comment yesterday.

And, then there's this little gem.

Patrick has repeatedly said he can find $735 million in wasteful spending in the yearly budget. According to audience members, Travaglini said when he objected to the figure, Patrick backed off and said he didn't really mean it.

Remember when Patrick was campaigning so ferociously against the "Beacon Hill Insider Culture"? He had his grassroots band of devotees convinced that all they had to do was get rid of the Republican in the corner office, and life would be a bed of roses.

The will of the people would once again reign supreme!

"YES WE CAN!"

Patrick gave the Democrat-dominated legislature a total pass and placed every ounce of blame for the shortcomings of our state government on the shoulders of Kerry Healey and Mitt Romney, and the people ate that shit up. They honestly believed Deval was "different" than the rest, and that real change was on the horizon.

Goes to show, some people will believe anything, as long the messenger has a nice suit on and talks in a calm, soothing manner.

"You are feeling sleepy...sleeeeeepy..."

If the 2006 Congressional elections are to be seen as a referendum on President Bush and his policies in Iraq, then the Patrick victory should be seen as a call for Travaglini and the rest of these power-hungry, would-be dictators to stand down and restore the ability of the electorate to shape their local government.

But, of course, that would require these bloated gasbags up on Beacon Hill to put the welfare of the Commonwealth and its citizens ahead of their political aspirations and their never-ending quest for supreme power and control.

Yeah...like that'll happen.

I Guess It All Depends...

...on one's definition of abuse.

ABINGTON — Police have removed a 17-month-old boy from a squalid apartment in North Abington and charged his teenaged mother with child endangerment.

"There was a strong odor of animal urine and feces," Deputy Police Chief Christopher Cutter said. "The apartment was in complete filth, with trash piled up, rotten food about and a cat litter box that apparently hadn't been changed in months. It was overflowing and something was growing on the litter. They used Sterno cans to heat water to bathe the child."

Cutter said the boy has been living in the house for at least three months with no heat or hot water.

[...]

[The landlord] said there was no evidence of abuse.

R.I.P. Peter Boyle

Dead at 71.

Who could forget?

NUMB3RS

Over the last 33 months, I've blogged about many a story here at mAss Backwards involving the illegal use of firearms, and the ineffectiveness of our gun laws to curtail the violent crime rate in our urban areas.

And, yes, some of those stories involved individuals licensed by the state to own firearms. I've written about each and every one of those stories to come to my attention, and believe me, I'm looking for 'em.

By my count, there have been maybe ten or so such stories to hit the news wires, where a licensed gun owner used his or her firearm in a reckless or illegal manner. If anyone can come up with a more accurate summary, I'll be happy to update ths post.

Not counting incidents involving police officers (no amount of gun control will prevent them fom misusing their sidearms), or incidents where the person was subsequently not charged with any wrongdoing or acquitted of the charges brought against them, we're down to maybe three or four, including the Foxy Lady nutjob.

Anyone care to provide me with the number of gun-related crimes in that same time period, perpetrated by individuals prohibited by state or federal laws from possessing firearms?

Take a guess.

500?

1,000?

Yet, Massachusetts has a whole bunch of new gun control laws looming on the horizon, which, as usual, are inspired by the illegal actions of a miniscule percentage (n) of the population, and will be obeyed by only the remaining (100-n)% of us.

This Just In!

If you fire a rifle without actually aiming it at your target, your accuracy might be affected somewhat. Who knew?

From the Patriot Ledger:

A security guard at the nightclub, Ned Tsouprake, 46, of New Bedford was working when the shooting started.

[...]

"I jumped back and saw this guy, who looked like he was in a black SWAT uniform with a mask on and a rifle in his hand. He had his gun at waist level and shot at me. I don’t know how he missed."

Speaking of Bell Curves and Outliers

Strip Club Shooting Suspect Had Valid Gun License

The Freetown man who police say opened fire in a New Bedford strip club Tuesday morning was licensed to carry a gun and had no history of violence.

[...]

Abbott says a new license was issued in 2005 and would have permitted Medeiros to purchase an assault-style military rifle.

Abbott says a background check conducted before the 2005 licensing showed Medeiros had not been convicted of any felonies or violent crimes, and had no restraining orders against him.

Don't expect anyone in the Massachusetts State House to see this guy what he was, a statistical anomoly. Here we have a regular guy who seemingly just snapped one day and decided to go on a murderous rampage. Doesn't happen very often, but the press will more than make up for that with their wall-to-wall coverage of this tragedy.

Sadly, his actions will be used to broad-brush the rest of the state's gun owners as a bunch of simmering, ticking timebombs, who simply can't be trusted to possess these dangerous, mind-altering killing machines.

and, you can certainly forget about anyone like Jarrett Barrios reading about this event and thinking, "Gee, this guy could have inflicted just as much damage by driving his car through the club's parking lot at closing time, mowing down pedestrians along the way, or by walking into the club and swinging a machete at anything that moved. maybe, the fault here lies not with the gun. After all, that's merely the tool chosen to carry out the wishes of the deranged person holding it."

Why, that would require the acceptance of this crazy little concept called reality.

This Must Be a Typo

Menino proposes selling City Hall

Boston City Hall, the Massachusetts State House and the Attorney General's office have been for sale for decades now.

It's the Massachusetts Way

You gotta "love" a state where the people in charge do everything in their power to (a) make it as difficult as possible for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families from murderous scumbags, and (b) ensure that murderous scumbags are free to walk the streets with impunity.

Meet Oscar Rosa.

November 26, 2006:

The suspect, Oscar Rosa, 20, is accused of stabbing Craig Vierra on Nov. 26 at about 2:15 a.m. Patrol officers spotted a fight on Lansdowne Street and discovered that Vierra had been stabbed. Officers chased several men who ran from the scene and arrested Rosa after they said he discarded a knife.

December 11, 2006:

Boston police today asked for the public's help locating a suspect wanted for the fatal stabbing of a 32-year-old man on Lansdowne Street in November.

Ummm...

And, from the Boston Herald:

Boston police are hunting a Natick man who apparently went on the lam after he was released on $5,000 bail for stabbing a bouncer at Avalon last month, charges that were upgraded to murder after the victim died last week.

The disappearance of suspect Oscar Rosa, 20, brought a strong rebuke over the bail amount yesterday from the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, which had asked for $20,000 bail.

[snip]

"Insomuch that bail is set to ensure that a suspect is returned to court to face the charges,” Wark said, "it's apparent that the bail set here did not meet that goal."

What??? The guy didn't show up????

But, he PROMISED!

I am truly shocked!

Has he no respect for our laws?

UPDATE: Here's one you don't see everyday.

From BPDNews.com: MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED

This morning, Rosa arrived at Boston Municipal Court where he surrendered to homicide detectives relative to the murder warrant. Rosa was escorted to District 4 where he was booked and charged with Murder.

I guess every bell curve has its outliers.

Just Off the Wire

From Boston.com this morning:

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. --Three people were fatally shot, and several others, including two police officers, were wounded at an early morning rampage at a New Bedford strip club, police said.

NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that the shooting took place after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Route 6 club. Several other people were wounded as well.

The gunman walked into the club in full body armor as it was closing and opened fire. The two officers who were working details at the club responded and were wounded. Other police surrounded the club and before 6 a.m. they stormed the building. They reportedly found three people dead, one of them the gunman.

Of course, my first reaction, upon reading this horrific piece of news was, "The Foxy lady moved?".

From Eyewitness News, Channel 12 in Providence:

We do know that the suspect was carrying a M-16 automatic gun. There's no word yet on the conditions of the victims.

Thank GOD we have all these gun laws in Massachusetts disarming the non-criminal population to prevent these horrific shootings.

File Under: Possible, But Not Likely

From CBS4Boston.com:

5 Arrested After Machine Gun Shooting In Yarmouth

Seeing how Airsoft pellet guns are desribed as "high-powered" weapons by the news media, on a regular basis, I have my doubts as to the accuracy of that headline.

But, hey, it sure sounds sca-a-a-ary!

Yarmouth police responded to a report of shots fired at 447 Winslow Gray Road at 3 a.m. Twenty-year-old Austin Avelar was inside the home when the shots rang out.

"Someone knocked on the door...then gunshots came through the window," said Avelar, who was not injured.

The suspects fled the scene in a black SUV.

State Police pulled over the suspected vehicle in Fitchburg some two hours later. Troopers found the 9mm Machine pistol believed used in the shooting and a 44-caliber revolver in the SUV.

The caption on the photo accompanying the story calls the weapon a "DEC Tech-9mm Machine Pistol" [yeah, I know, but it's close enough by CBS Standards - ed.], which even Dianne "Turn 'em in!" Feinstein knows is nothing more than a semiautomatic handgun.

From Wikipedia (FWIW):

The TEC-9 was originally designed by Swedish company Interdynamic AB of Stockholm as the MP-9, a cheap submachine gun for military applications. Interdynamic was unable to drum up any interest among governments, and the MP-9 never entered production. Unwilling to give up on the design, Interdynamic set up a U.S. subsidiary to market a semiautomatic version to civilians. The MP-9 was redesigned by George Kelgren, and became the model KG-9. Owing to its submachine gun heritage, the original TEC-9, model KG-9, featured an open bolt design which made it relatively easy to illegally convert it to a fully automatic submachine gun. Criminals soon discovered this fact and the TEC-9 became associated in the public mind with gang violence, especially drive-by shootings.

Question: If this was a KG-9, converted to a fully-automatic weapon, (A) why did they call it a Tec-9, (b) why no charges for illegal possession of a machinegun, and (c) where are the Feds?

Answer: Because it wasn't a machine gun these useless little Tupac-wannabe's were shooting at the guy's house. Now, it's possible that it was. But it's also possible the Patriots are gonna call me up to play defensive end against the Jaguars on Christmas Eve.

Sure, that gun looks all scary, and gangsta and shit. And, yeah, stories like this are likely to help Jarrett Barrios get his next round of "common sense" gun control pushed through the legislature faster than you can say "It's FOR THE CHILDREN!".

So, why let accurate journalism ruin a pefectly good opportunity to shit on (what's left of) the rights of law-abiding gun owners in this state?

Quote of the Day honors from this incident go to Yarmouth Police Sgt. John Fallon:

"This is a very serious weapon. This is a killing machine. It can lay out bullets in rapid fashion[.]"

Sorry, Sarge, but that gun, like ever other gun produced in the history of modern firearms manufacturing, can't "do" anything.

It's simply a chunk of metal and plastic - perfect for flogging a dead horse with.

Now, if some scumbag lowlife were to pick it up and make a series of conscious decisions to actually load it, aim it at someone, and pull the trigger, then that's a different story.

I realize that's not a popular version of that story around here, as it places the blame for an individual's actions on (GASP!) the individual.

What kind of sick world would that be?

UPDATE: From The Yarmouthport Register:

Troopers then arrested all five suspects and recovered a Mac-10 .45 caliber machine pistol.

And, from Channel 12 Eyewitness News in Providence (via the AP):

Police seized a 45-caliber machine gun pistol.

Perhaps the CBS4 story was the "fake, but inaccuarate" version.

Either way, feel free to put this one right where if clearly belongs, in the ever-expanding "Massachusetts Gun Control Success Stories" file.

Gun Control: Becuase a gun in the hands of a law-abiding citizen represents a far greater danger to society that a kitchen knife/length of rope/SUV in the hands of a violent criminal.

UPDATE II: Seems the jury's still out on this one. From the Yarmouthport Register (also dated 12/11/06):

Yarmouth police say state police confiscated a DEC Tech-9mm machine pistol...

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Boston Globe write-up, where this weapon will be transformed into a belt-fed anti-aircraft gun.

Quick Riddle For You

Q: What's better than knowing you're closing on a new house in New hampshire in nine days?

A: Getting a call from your broker saying the sellers are moving out early, and asking if you'd want to move the closing date up a day or two.

So, I will officially become a New Hampshire resident in (slightly less than) eight days.

Please adjust your calendars accordingly.

As you were.

Thursday's Pop Quiz Revisited

From yesterday:

Which of the following actions can be successfully eradicated through the use of legislation and "consumer safety" regulations?

(A) A psychopathic nutjob deciding one day to embark on a murderous workplace rampage, and "slaughter" his co-workers.

(B) A law-abiding citizen purchasing a firearm and carrying it on his or her person, for the purpose of self-defense and the protection of others.

From CBS4Boston.com, tonight:

(CBS) CHICAGO - A gunman shot four people and took a hostage in a downtown skyscraper Friday, then was killed after police fired at him, authorities said.

I am stunned that Chicago's "common sense" handgun ban would be so blatantly ignored by some vile scumbag with vicious, cold-blooded murder on his mind.

Stunned, I tell you.

Also from the story:

The gunman, armed with a snub-nose revolver, knife and hammer, shot the four over "several minutes," police Superintendent Phil Cline said.

Four people shot over the course of "several minutes".

Thank God, the festering pile of corrupt politicians who run that town had the foresight to disarm every law-abiding folks therein.

Why, if someone in that building had the ability (they certainly had the time) to return fire in defense of themselves and their co-workers, someone might have gotten hurt.

I rest my case.

Again.

Like My Momma Always Said

Life is like a box of morons.

A South Shore teenager was seriously injured after falling off the back of a moving car after school on Thursday.

And, of course, what story of this nature would be complete without...

NewsCenter 5's Jack Harper reported that the accident happened just after classes let out at Silver Lake Regional High School on Pembroke Street in Kingston

To Serve and Protect (Their Own)

From the Springfield Republican:

SPRINGFIELD - A city police officer was arrested yesterday for the third time since 2004 after failing to appear for his trial on charges of assaulting an ex-girlfriend and carrying a firearm while intoxicated.

The absence of Patrolman Karl P. Johnson in Springfield District Court yesterday morning forced Judge Nancy Dusek-Gomez to issue a default warrant, court and police officials said.

Johnson, who was home asleep, was arrested and brought to court, said Assistant District Attorney Eileen M. Sears. Dusek-Gomez released him on $1,000 bail and rescheduled the trial for Jan. 4.

Money quote, and nominee for Quote of the Year:

Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Flagg said Johnson's employment status is under review, and disciplinary action is possible.

"...but some are more equal than others." ~ Orwell

(link via David at The Boston Phoenix)

I'm SHOCKED!

Though, I'm having trouble deciding which of these three items is more shocking.

1. That there's likely to be a whole bunch of "new and exciting" taxes on the horizon, courtesy of the Patrick administration.

BOSTON -- Gov.-elect Deval Patrick's new budget chief said Thursday that local option taxes on meals, hotels and other services should be one of the things the state considers as it seeks to create a stable long-term financial picture.

2. That the former Chief Financial Officer of Massport is "incapable" of finding the wasteful spending, against which her future boss rallied so vociferously during his campaign for governor.

Leslie Kirwan also said she isn't sure she can find the $735 million in wasteful spending Patrick said he wanted to eliminate during this fall's gubernatorial campaign.

3. That Deval Patrick's campaign platform of bringing about property tax relief seems to be holding up like a I-90 Connector ceiling panel.

At the same time, the outgoing financial official for the Massachusetts Port Authority said she isn't sure the state can cut property taxes, as Patrick said he hoped to do when he said he opposed a rollback in the state income tax rate during this fall's gubernatorial campaign.

It's all so shocking. Who could have seen this coming?

From the Moronic Criminals File

You can read the whole story here, if you must. But, this quote pretty much tells you all you need to know.

That didn't stop Calvin E. Fluckes Jr., 21, from pulling into the parking lot next to 40 marked squad cars, police said.

Damn It - Not Again!

I just broke the needle on my Ironicometer (rhymes with thermometer). That's the fourth one this week!

From the Boston Herald:

Michael "Mucko" McDermott, the mountainous computer geek who slaughtered seven co-workers in Wakefield, now says his conviction should be tossed because the Sept. 11 terror attack tainted his mass murder trial.

[snip]

Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley's office, in protesting his release, states in court papers McDermott "murdered seven innocent and defenseless human beings for his own selfish and vengeful reasons."

POP QUIZ...

Which of the following actions can be successfully eradicated through the use of legislation and "consumer safety" regulations?

(A) A psychopathic nutjob deciding one day to embark on a murderous workplace rampage, and "slaughter" his co-workers.

(B) A law-abiding citizen purchasing a firearm and carrying it on his or her person, for the purpose of self-defense and the protection of others.

Welcome to Massachusetts.

Pop Quiz Time

For 50 points, spot the imposters.

Many New Yorkers also were all for the [abortion] ban, saying the lives of the unborn children were more important than fears of Big Brother supervising their uteruses.

Many New Yorkers also were all for the [sodomy] ban, saying that stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS was more important than fears of Big Brother supervising their rectal orifices.

Many New Yorkers also were all for the [trans fat] ban, saying health concerns were more important than fears of Big Brother supervising their stomachs.

Minus 10,000 points if you actually have to look at the answer.

I Guess It All Depends...

...on your definition of risk.

(CBS4) CAMBRIDGE - Neil Entwistle wants to get out of jail and return to his home country of England while awaiting trial for the murders of his wife and baby girl in their Hopkinton home.

Lawyers for Entwistle filed a motion in Middlesex Superior Court, arguing their client has cooperated with authorities and is not a flight risk.

Technically speaking, he wouldn't be a flight "risk". He's told the judge he wants to flee the country at the first available opportunity. This puts him firmly in the category of flight "guarantee".

Which, around here, usually means "Have a safe trip!".

Vote Early, Vote Often

Not too bad, I suppose, seeing as how there are 1,000 blogs in this category to choose from. Voting opens tomorrow.

Best of the Top 2501 - 3500 Blogs

VikingSpirit Blog
The Impolitic
The Stupid Shall Be Punished
The Colossus of Rhodey
Random thoughts- Do they have meaning?
Imago Dei
mAss Backwards
Jeff the Baptist
The Random Yak
Cobb

"I'd like to thank my mayor, my senators, my... "

UPDATE: Pay no attention to the actual number of blogs that received nominations in that prestigious category. That might kill my buzz some.

I Could Have Some Fun With This

Unfortunately, as State Senator Susan Tucker pointed out on the Scott Allen Miller Show (WRKO 680AM) this morning, this contest (PDF file) is only open to people in her district, though there's no mention of that on the entry form.

There Ought to be a Law!

Have you ever had an idea of how to improve life in Massachusetts or make our state government run more efficiently? Senator Tucker invites you to participate in the "There Ought to be a Law" competition and welcomes all of your most innovative proposals. The winner, or winners, will have their bill ideas introduced as legislation, and have the opportunity to testify at a public hearing on their bill at the State House. They will also have lunch with Senator Tucker and receive a personal tour of the Senate Chamber.

Please complete this form and return it to the Office of Senator Tucker by December 15, 2006.

1). What is the problem that needs a legislative solution?

2). What is your solution? Please attach proposed language, if any.

3). Is there any helpful background information on the topic? Please explain.

4). Are there any possible costs associated with your proposal? Please describe.

5). Who do you think would support this proposal? Why?

6). Who do you think would oppose this proposal? Why?

Please send completed entries to:
Senator Sue Tucker, State House, Room 425, Boston, MA 02133
Fax to 617-722-1058
Email to Susan.Tucker@state.ma.us

So, if any of my readers living in her district (the towns of Lawrence, Andover, Dracut, and Tewksbury) send in an entry, please forward a copy to my attention and I'll post it here.

I think it's safe to assume that any entries received proposing actual "common sense" reform of the state's onerous and ineffective firearms laws and call for the restoration of the people's right to bear arms are unlikely to see the light of day.

Remember This Scumbag?

From November 2005:

Normally, when I read a story about some asshole murdering an innocent woman and child, I'd reply with "Hang him high!"

Such is not the case with this story.

A 31-year-old pregnant woman was killed yesterday when a man apparently
drag racing on the Lowell Connector lost control of his car, which veered into the median strip at more than 90 miles per hour, became airborne, and landed on the woman's station wagon, police said.

You hang him too high, and the Louisville Slugger piñata stick won't reach.

Well, today, this useless piece of shit and his useless piece of shit friend learned of their fate.

2 Men Sentenced In Deadly Lowell Connector Crash

(CBS4) LOWELL Two Lowell men were sentenced to serve several years in prison after pleading guilty to charges in connection to last year's Lowell Connector that killed a mother and her unborn child.

Carlos Rodriguez, 19, will serve five years in prison for involuntary manslaughter and motor vehicle homicide.

That's 30 months for the brutal killing of Deborah Hornberger. Another 30 months for killing her baby. And, that's IF he serves out his full term.

I wonder if he's "eloquent".

After his incarceration, the teen [kindly disregard the inconvenient fact that "after his incarceration", he'll be 24 years old - ed.] will serve three years of probation for one count of drag racing. Rodriquez will also have his license taken away for 15 years.

Who are they kidding? This scumbag will be driving a car within 15 days of his getting sprung from the can.

And, unfortunately, for all the people who will be forced to share the road with him once again, he'll even be able to get a new driver's license at that time with a different name on it under Deval Patrick's ingenious "Driver's Licenses for Individuals Whose Real Identity We Have No Way of Knowing" plan.

Angel Nieves, 25, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of motor vehicle homicide. He will also serve five years of probation for one count of drag racing.

A whopping 15 months for each life violently taken.

What a fucking disgrace.

Ready the Torpedoes!

Let's hope this guy becomes the poster child for short-lived political careers everywhere.

Income tax bill hits N.H.

EXETER -- Local Democratic state Rep.-elect James Kennedy filed a bill for a 3 percent general income tax last Thursday in the Statehouse.

"I know I'm not going to be the most popular kid on the block, but I feel I'm doing the right thing," said Kennedy. "I'll probably get hung out to dry for proposing this, even with my own party."

Well then, let me state, for the record, that I support (quite adamantly, I might add) your right to commit political suicide. And, to think, I once thought I was gonna run out of blogfodder when I move up there later this month.

The drafted bill, which has no other sponsors, calls for a 3 percent income tax with a $13,000 exemption for single people or married people filing single. It calls for a $21,000 exemption for a married couple filing jointly and a $31,000 exemption for a married couple with children, or a single parent.

Yeah...let's just get rid of the driving force that has provided New Hampshire with such vibrant economic growth as of late. Earth to Mr. Kennedy - the state's lower tax burden and cost of living are the main reason why folks are fleeing Massachusetts in droves, for a better quality of life in the Granite State.

This growth will cease immediately the day New Hampshire becomes North Massachusetts. Can you say "temporary" income tax hike? Once the tax base becomes stagnant (best case scenario), it's all downhill from there.

What's next on your plate? State-regulated auto insurance?

"I drafted a bill to get it out there and get the ball rolling," he said.

That ball will roll your tax-and-spend ass out of the legislature if I have any say in the matter.

Kennedy said he spoke during his campaign with people about supporting an income tax.

And, this guy got elected on that platform? Man, I've got my work cut out for me once I'm officially moved in.

He equated service programs in the state to that of hungry children.

Invoking the phrase "hungry children" to explain why a tax increase is "necessary". If that's not one gigantic warning flag, I don't know what is.

"We're not being fed," he said. "I thought to myself, 'Something has to be done about this.' I know sales tax is very unpopular."

You want a more apt analogy?

Replace "starving child" with "hungry, mangy wild animal clawing at the back door".

Give it something to eat JUST ONCE, and it will keep coming back for more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

And more.

The best course of action is to simply close the door and go about your business. Eventually, the feral beast will slink back over the southern border into Massachusetts, where Governor Patrick will have a veritable Feast of Steven laid out for it to enjoy.

Then again, there's always "The Three S's".

He said the big question is whether this proposed income tax would reduce property taxes.

"I can't make those promises," he said.

Translation: It wouldn't.

"If I can put a stop-gap on the increase of property tax, that would please me."

Not anywhere near as much as your being booted from office at the first available opportunity will please me.

He said he's proposing the income tax primarily as a way to fund education.

Here's the thing that most of us rationally-thinking folks recognize. The state and the federal government could increase spending on education 500% every year for the next 30 years, and the liberal Democrats and their sugar daddies in the teachers' unions would still be making non-sensical analogies about "starving children".

If there's one thing can best demonstrate the meaning of the word "incessant", it's the cries of underfunded education from the left. It would be impossible to propose a dollar value that would placate that crowd, for no such monetary amount exists.

The tax could bring money to other programs in need of funds such as New Hampshire Fish and Game and Meals on Wheels.

It could also cause a lot of Massachusetts residents, and people living elsewhere, considering a move to New Hampshire, to abandon their relocation plans and stay right where they are, on account of your having destroyed the New Hampshire Advantage in favor of your big-government tax-and-spend, socialist agenda.

Fuck.

That.

While some people are commending him for his courage to introduce a bill creating a tax in a state known as "tax-free New Hampshire," he said he realizes by doing so he may not get re-elected.

Yeah, t'would be a real pity.

He said he has no projections for how the proposed tax would help fund education or if the tax would reduce property taxes.

Translation: Just another knee-jerk liberal pulling shit like this out of his ass that makes him feeeeeel good. Facts and figures be damned! Nanny needs more money!

He has contacted other local politicians and has not received a lot of support.

Gee, I'm all broken up inside.

"I'm definitely a lone ranger on this one," he said.

Now, what say you saddle up Silver and go ride off into the sunset?

This may be my first and last term in Concord, but if this all works out, then at least I'll go to my grave knowing I helped education in this state," Kennedy said.

How exactly would you be "helping education" by stifling the economic growth of the state through the elimination one of the main reasons people and business have been relocating to New Hampshire over the last several years?

All I can say is, don't bother ordering new drapes for your office up in Concord. You won't be there long.

These are the same idiots who think a global tax, collected and dispersed by the United Nations, is going to end world hunger and turn every third-world shithole country on the planet into some kind of tropical tourist destination.

Seriously, what are these people on, and did they bring enough for the whole class?

Just Another Day

...in Mayor Menino's gun-free fantasy land.

Boston cops are on the hunt for the ruthless trio of thugs who viciously beat a group of Boston University star athletes with baseball bats, wrenches and hammers outside a party early Sunday.

So much for "Walk together in groups". Thanks for that little tidbit of crime-fighting wisdom, your excellency.

The thugs cracked a baseball bat on Schaeffer’s head, knocking the senior unconscious. The brutal beatdown left Schaeffer with a broken orbital bone, or eye socket, and head fractures, Parker said. Schaeffer, who may need surgery, was released from Brigham and Women’s Hospital yesterday.

"They could have been killed," Parker said of the victims.

Clearly we need to enact some common-sense handtool/sporting goods control laws. Unless someone is an athlete, plumber, and carpenter - and duly registered as such with the state, for a modest registration fee, renewable every 12 months - then I see no reason, whatsoever, to allow ordinary citizens to possess these potentially lethal implements.

It's OK, Folks, He's a Doctor

What's wrong with this guy's picture?

"We'd like to see more birth control ads, and less ads for erectile dysfunction drugs because it makes sex seem like a recreational activity."

- Dr. Victor Strasburger
University of New Mexico in Albuquerque
American Academy of Pediatrics

I'm shocked, I tell you, that an organization that's still pimping this tired, worn out piece of tripe...

In fact, guns kept in the home are 43 times more likely to be used to kill someone known to the family than to be used to kill in self-defense.

...would release such a non-sensical statement as the one above.

(link via Bitter)

Getting Ready For Winter

"And don't be afraid to give 'er."

Number Crunching

After talking with our insurance guy, we found that between our car and home insurance premiums, we'll be saving close to $3,000 a year by moving out of state. Add that to the money I'm not paying in state income tax, and it more than makes up for the difference in property taxes we'll be paying on the new house.

I guess freedom isn't free after all. Turns out it's a net gain.

Until, I go shopping, anyway.

Life is good.

A Gun-Grabber's Best Friend

State Senator Jarrett Barrios must have been enjoying his tea and crumpets this morning, poring over this Boston Herald story at breakfast time.

A Shrewsbury chef who dubbed himself the "teenybopper killa" and cited Columbine killer Eric Harris as an inspiration was nabbed with a stash of weapons after making online threats to snuff out "preppy" teens, authorities said.

Cops say 23-year-old Darren Thompson threatened to go on a killing spree and stockpiled weapons, including an AK-47-like semiautomatic rifle, 22 rounds of ammo and a bat with protruding nails he dubbed the "ugly stick."

One gun, a bat, and 22 rounds of ammo? Boy, this guy totally sucks at stockpiling.

In an Oct. 13 online posting, Thompson said he came up with the weapon'’s name "because it can (expletive) someone up and make them '‘ugly.'’ "”

As opposed to this GQ cover shot...


Nice mustache, Spanky.

Police served a search warrant Thursday night and arrested Thompson at the Shrewsbury home where he lives with his parents.

Yep.

He pleaded innocent in Westboro District Court yesterday to weapons charges, including unlawful possession of an SKS assault rifle. He was ordered held without bail and is due back in court Monday.

Yes, of course, the venerable SKS "assault rifle".


Let's review...

Pistol grip? No.
Detachable magazine? No.
High-capacity magazine? No.
Folding or telescopic stock? No.
Flash hider? No.
Bayonet? AH-HA! GOTCHA!

Who here thinks Senator Barrios won't be looking to get this gun included in any "new and improved" "assault weapons" ban he undoubtedly has his minions working on already, eager to get it in front of Governor Patrick next year for his signature?

And once that domino falls, how far along the road will the demise of the Ruger Mini-14, or the Marlin Camp 9 Carbine be? Or any centerfire rifle, for that matter.

Let's see what other unnecessary and meaningless gun laws this idiot in Shrewsbury will inspire our friends in the Massachusetts General Court to foist upon the law-abiding people of Massachusetts.

Clearly, we need to make it harder for fruitballs like this to get their gun permits.

He had no firearms license.

What??? How can that be?

I'm stunned.

He also told cops he bought the rifle for $200 from a friend at work...

Illegal sale, illegal purchase, two felony counts, yet Barrios and his ilk continue to pimp the notion that the solution here lies in prohibiting private transfers of firearms between licensed individuals. That's likely to be item #1 on his 2007 gun control agenda.

Never mind that multiple laws were broken in the course of this scumbag's acquisition of the weapon in question. Legislators don't get paid to enforce laws.

Now, do the math folks, nearly every gun used in a crime or bought and sold on the black market began it's "life" as a legally-purchased firearm. If anyone thinks the end goal of people like Senator Barrios is anything other that a state-wide ban on the private ownership of firearms, you are fooling yourselves.

Let's recap...

First, the law-abiding gun owners in this country were told by our elected officials that they needed to impose background checks at the point of purchase of firearms. This would supposedly provide the "balance" we needed between prohibiting criminals from obtaining guns and respecting the rights of the law-abiding populace.

Oops...turns out criminals could still get their hands on pretty much any kind of gun they wanted.

So, we here in the Bay State were presented with the concept of firearms licensing to ensure that only law-abiding people were able to purchase and possess firearms in the Commonwealth.

Turns out the criminals among us weren't to keen to play by that set of rules, either.

Then we got an upswing in gang violence in the 90's in the City of Boston, which did wonders to disprove the effectiveness of these fabulous gun laws, which were all enacted on the "promise" that they would help lower the violent crime rate, mainly in our inner-cities where the use and trafficking of narcotics had been most responsible for feeding the fires of gang violence.

But our "leaders" remained a bunch of arrogant, totalitarian pricks with their heads lodged up their backsides less than convinced. So, we were told in 1998 that we needed to tighten further the restrictions on obtaining a license to own a firearm. You know, in the interest of striking that "balance" between prohibiting criminals from obtaining guns and respecting the rights of the law-abiding populace.

Detecting a pattern yet?

One of the first felt results of the Gun Control Act of 1998 was a considerable drop in the number of licensed gun owners in the Commonwealth. Any guesses what happened to the rate of assault-related injuries by firearm? Hint: It went up. Quel surprise!

Then we had our courageous Attorneys General Harshbarger and Reilly impose a series of "consumer safety" regulations, designed with but one goal in mind - to discourage gun makers from selling their products to properly-licensed individuals in Massachusetts.

You know, just one more "common sense" compromise between the people who understand and respect the Bill of Rights and our politicians who want to extract every ounce of personal responsibility and empowerment from the electorate that they possibly can.

Needless to say, these regulations seemed to bear no weight with the hundreds (OK, I'm lowballing it) of armed teenagers walking the streets of Dorchester, Roxbury, New Bedford, Lynn, etc., who continued arming themselves with piece-of-shit Jennings/Bryco/Lorcin .25-caliber pocket pistols and the like.

We clearly needed more "balance".

So, Jarrett Barrios and his friends saw to it that Massachusetts gun owners could no longer purchase guns that look like assault rifles, but function no differently than many common hunting rifles, you know, the kind that John Kerry has supposedly promised us are "OK" to own.

So, this so-called "assault weapons" ban was made law in Massachusetts, despite the fact that the federal legislation on which it is based, has come and gone with no measurable effect on the nation's violent crime rate.

Now, one would think, based on the rhetoric of the gun control lobby and their allies in the state legislature, that we'd have wiped violent crime off the map by now. Every piece of gun control signed into law has been foisted upon us as a knee-jerk, reactionary measure, designed to convince the voters that our leaders are doing something to keep the streets safe.

Well, after the powder residue and lead dust had settled at the end of 2005, city leaders in Boston found themselves with a 10-year-high homicide rate.

"Bridge to Control Room...MORE BALANCE!"

So, we got, among other things, Mayor Menino's dog and pony show of a gun buyback program that was launched with a flurry of photo ops and press releases, telling us how it would bring about a reduction in the rate of gun-related violence among our inner-city youths.

Any guesses as to how well that's worked?

All the while, we've had politicians from across the state proposing such brilliant ideas as...

- Mandatory GPS tracking devices installed in all new handguns sold in Massachusetts.
- Mandatory "microstamping" technology on all new handguns sold in Massachusetts.
- A statewide ban on BB guns and realistic looking toy guns.
- A 30-day waiting periods for the purchase of handguns (as if making someone wait 106 days for a gun permit isn't providing that individual with an ample "cool-down" period).
- One-gun-a-month laws - except for gang members.
- Mandatory liability insurance ($250,000 coverage) for all licensed gun owners - again, crack dealers and the lowlife scumbags responsible for the rise in gun-related violence in our cities need not apply.

With every failed measure of gun control they implement, we see a violent crime rate that continues to fluctuate independently of any such legislation rammed down our throats by those who "know what's best for us".

Yet, we're told to this day that still more restrictions and tighter regulations are needed to "close the loopholes", and obtain that long sought-after "balance".

It's nothing more than an unchecked cycle of feel-good, do nothing liberalism totalitarianism with only one "logical" conclusion.

"Turn 'em in!"

Gee, I'll miss this place.

Those Crazy Kids

From the Boston Herald:

Jernell McCray stood on the spot where her nephew, Jahmol Norfleet, had been assassinated less than 36 hours earlier. Her eyes were dry and her voice free of any echo of revenge.

OK, this wasn't intended to be the main point of this post, but...

Assassinated (verb):

1: murder; especially of socially prominent persons; "Anwar Sadat was assassinated because many people did not like his peace politics with Israel"

Like this guy was some kind of folk hero worthy of our reverence and respect. Oh wait, let me guess...he was just "turning his life around" at the time of his death.

Gimme a break.

Can we please stop glorifying these lowlife, gangbanging scumbags. Mr. Norfleet was not "assassinated". He was killed as a direct result of his chosen lifestyle. Yep, there's that pesky concept of "choice" that the left so conveniently ignores when it suits either their current their needs or their agenda to do so.

Hey, kids, wanna lower your chances of getting shot to death on a street corner in Dorchester? Don't become a criminal. Don't associate with criminals. Don't associate with people who associate with criminals. Repeat.

Of course, not spending your nights hanging out on the streets of Roxbury and Dorchester, afterhaving dedicated much of your life toward becoming the most ruthless criminal you could be, will tilt the odds in your favor, as well.

But, once again, I digress..

"This is not I-raq," McCray insisted, as she stood on Holworthy Street yesterday, beside a burgeoning shrine of candles and teddy bears that marked the spot where her 20-year-old nephew was shot in the head, two floors below his grandmother’s window and beyond the reach of her screams.

[snip]

Yes, Jernell McCray was far from Baghdad, but she could speak of bloodshed in a language familiar to the victims of war.

"My nephew Jahmol will be buried on Wednesday, one day after his 21st birthday," she said. "My brother, he died before he got a chance to be a man."

Sorry, Jernell. But, from where I'm sitting, your nephew was nothing more than a common street thug, someone who likely had numerous chances to "become a man", but chose otherwise.

For one law enforcement source, who helped to choreograph and sustain the delicate balance of a 14-week truce between the warring tribes of Bromley-Heath and the cluster of streets known as H-Block, Jahmol Norfleet and Pee Wee Cobb, though technically still kids, had grown very old in very few years.

"...20-year-old nephew..."

"...technically still kids..."

The defense rests.

"Oh, but, he was a peacemaker! He helped broker the recent truce between two of the more violent street gangs in the city."

Yeah, cry me a fucking river, already.

Quote of the Day: Bullshit "Gang Truce" Edition:

But some police officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, questioned a strategy that rewarded longtime troublemakers with box seats to Patriots games and other perks.

What's to question?

That's what us rationally-thinking people have been calling "Business as Usual" in the People's Progressive Republic Of Meninostan for some time now.

Box seats and other valuable prizes for the most dangerous and egregious violators of the Commonwealth's common-sense gun laws? What's the problem?

But, you want to issue firearms licenses to the most law-abiding segment of the population? What are you, NUTS? Don't you know there will be BLOOD IN THE STREETS!!! These people are the real criminals posing the bigger threat to society. Jarrett Barrios said so.