In NH, public servants now have exclusive rights the peon public do not have.

NASHUA – A man who once claimed to be God has become the first person to be convicted under a new state law lowering the threshold for what can be considered a threat against public officials.

A disclaimer: I do not endorse ANY form of threat made against ANY citizen. However, public “officials” are no better or different or more deserving of special laws and protections, than the very PUBLIC they are serving.

Michael Rezk, 44, will face up to seven additional years in prison for threatening to kill a Rockingham County Superior Court judge last September. In a single-day jury trial this week, prosecutors only needed to show a threat was made. Because of the new law, there was no burden to prove the threat was also meant to “terrorize.”

Mr. Rezk made a stupid choice. He threatened a Judge.

It was always illegal to threaten a public official, but what was in the past generally considered a misdemeanor in most cases was also upgraded under the new law to a Class B felony. The change makes jail time more likely for those convicted of threatening the current and former governors, legislators, judges and a variety of other public officials and their families — even if the public official has no reasonable fear for his or her safety.

Average people, peasants as we are, don’t deserve the same special reactions when we’re threatened? When Joe Blow threatens Sally Citizen it’s still just a pesky little nuisance. But when it’s a Judge, or a governor, or any other “public official” the rules change.

We can thank the Democrats in the NH House for this elitist law.

“This is a new addition to the criminal code,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Jane Young. “It’s a new crime.”

Yeah. A new crime? I don’t think so. We’ve always had laws on the books about threatening others. What’s new is the class of crime and therefore, the punishment.

Threaten Joe Blow and watch what happens. (Nothing) Ask the police how many citizens go to them with complaints of threats- and ask the cops what they do about it (besides laugh at you)…

Threaten Judge Joe Blow and expect to be arrested, charged, trialed and face jail time.

We live in times where political correctness overrides clear thinking.
What’s to stop a humble public servant from feeling “threatened” every time a citizen questions their vote, their actions, their word?
What’s to stop a public servant from making of “feeling” threatened by the presence of a gun carrying pesky citizen who happens to verbally inform said servant of disagreement on issues?

What’s to stop our public servants from feeling threatened by blog posts such as this one? Or editorials in our newspapers that highlight state house stupidity?

What is the threshold here? As Bruce asks, are we heading down slippery slopes? I think so.

What’s good for the servants should be good for the public. ALL the public. Since the public PAYS the servants, we must stand up and demand equality under the law.

As I was leaving for work yesterday afternoon, things got a little wet.

I mean downpour WET! And thunder. And lightening. For hours.

After the rain ended, some fog rolled up the hills near my work.

Did I mention that I love rain??

Some early history about New England, and NH in particular.

Uugh, grossly we used to be part of Massachusetts.

New Hampshire continued a part of Massachusetts until 1679, when the king separated them. He joined them again in 1686; but they were finally separated in 1691, and New Hampshire again became a royal province, the president and council being appointed by the Crown and the assembly elected by the people. Until 1741, however, the governor was but a lieutenant under the supervision of the governor of Massachusetts.

New Hampshire grew very slowly for many years. The chief cause of this was the fact that the heirs of Mason claimed the right to the land, and their infinite disputes and litigations with the settlers concerning the land titles repelled home-seekers. At last, after a hundred years of controversy, the Mason heirs were satisfied (1749) by the purchase of their claims.

In 1719 a colony of Scotch-Irish immigrants settled in New Hampshire and founded the town of Londonderry, so named from the city in Ireland from which they came. These people were thrifty, and they soon began an industry which they had learned in Ireland — the raising of flax and manufacturing of linen goods. The goods made by means of the old spinning-wheel in these humble cabins in the forests became famous over all New England, and even in the mother country.

My ancestors resided in Londonderry and were of Irish decent. But they came to the US long after these first people; my ancestors came during the Irish Potato Famine of the 1840’s and 50’s. I have the names and locations, births and deaths- the family tree- and most came to Londonderry after living in Boston for many years…they left Massachusetts in favor of the greener pastures and freedom of NH.

Ahh…nothing like the feel of bare feet in hot beach sand.

My tired achy feet getting some therapy.

Did you know?
* 3 out of 4 Americans experience serious foot problems in their lifetime.

* The foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles.

* 1/4 of all the bones in the human body are down in your feet. When these bones are out of alignment, so is the rest of the body.

* Only a small percentage of the population is born with foot problems.

* It’s neglect and a lack of awareness of proper care - including ill fitting shoes - that bring on problems.

* Women have about four times as many foot problems as men. High heels are partly to blame.

* Walking is the best exercise for your feet. It also contributes to your general health by improving circulation, contributing to weight control, and promoting all-around well being.

* Your feet mirror your general health. Conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, nerve and circulatory disorders can show their initial symptoms in the feet - so foot ailments can be your first sign of more serious medical problems.

* Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in America. It limits everyday dressing, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or walking - for about 7 million Americans.

* About 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild to severe forms of diabetic nerve damage, which in severe forms can lead to lower limb amputations. Approximately 56,000 people a year lose their foot or leg to diabetes.

* There are 250,000 sweat glands in a pair of feet. Sweat glands in the feet excrete as much as a half-pint of moisture a day.

* Walking barefoot can cause plantar warts. The virus enters through a cut.

* The two feet may be different sizes. Buy shoes for the larger one.

* About 5% of Americans have toenail problems in a given year.

* The average person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about 115,000 miles over a lifetime. That’s enough to go around the circumference of the earth four times.

* There are currently more websites on the Internet having to do with foot fetishes than with foot health.

Thatisall.

One of the things I love about my little town is the sidewalk diners. Well, diners that take the cooking outside…this was my lunch. Totally unhealthy..totally bad food…but totally so damn good. Had a Bud with it…great meal for such a hot and humid day.

Come to Maine. Where the scenes are beautiful and the scents even better. Gone sailing further up the coast…

Penobscot Bay, this morning:

I’m really starting to like having weekends off!

I had to work last night..so I missed the local fireworks and other celebrations. Working the holidays can be a PITA, but I’ve always managed to make up for it. We’re spending the weekend in Rye NH, at a friends’ house….which is right on the beach.

Early this morning- it’s a cloudy overcast day (so far) and the prediction doesn’t call for sun. Our friends’ house sits right up on a small cliff overlooking the ocean, on one side of his yard…

And on the other side he has a garden (a work in progress) that leads right onto a private section of beach.

Beach roses. THOUSANDS of them. The scent is overwhelming at times, yet I love it. And I don’t LIKE flowers….but these are wild and natural. Not fake and out of place.

We’re cooking a HUGE corned beef roast on a grille and later I’ll grille up potatoes and carrots too. Ever had barbecued saurekraut? I have and it’s YUMMY when done right. We call this our Irish Beach meal. We have beer and Jack, Vitamin Water and…coffee. Gonna be a great weekend!

Here’s an example of how government welfare programs exist just to exist. Remember, all this help comes at a cost to some. And here in NH the costs are going up starting now…

THE GOAL of public assistance programs ought to be helping the truly needy who have nowhere else to turn. The real goal, however, is to enroll as many people as possible, thus justifying the program’s continued existence and expansion.

Take New Hampshire’s primary fuel assistance program, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, for example. It provided aid to more than 35,000 households this past winter. It has firm financial eligibility guidelines. And yet the state’s administrator of the program told the New Hampshire Sunday News last week that families should apply even if they think they are not eligible.

“I talk to people all the time that self-screen,” Celeste Lovett said. “They should not do that.”

Why not? Lovett said people should apply because the state can help them find other assistance, either government aid or private chairty. But there are other reasons.

By federal law, Washington will cut future LIHEAP funding if the state does not use all of the current year’s grant. Every applicant the state can help will in turn help the state justify increased funding next year. Also, Washington provides bonus allotments to states that arrange for additional home heating assistance from other sources. So the state gets more federal aid if it can set up private funding for applicants who don’t get state assistance.

The program contains strong incentives for the state to sign up as many people as possible. So that’s what the state does

IOW, apply for assistance even when you know you don’t qualify- or- NEED it. By doing so, you help the state (government) inflate the numbers, get more funding (funds are OUR tax dollars) and assist more people to free up cash to pay for…cable TV, Internet access, cell phones and the like.

Meanwhile here in NH, our utility bills (for heat, lights and so on) are going up starting today. Any connection?

From many editorials today:
NYT:

In a radical break from 70 years of Supreme Court precedent, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, declared that the Second Amendment guarantees individuals the right to bear arms for nonmilitary uses, even though the amendment clearly links the right to service in a “militia.”

WaPo:

Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, concluded that the amendment guarantees a right to bear arms for private use, such as self-defense, although nowhere is that explicitly mentioned in the Constitution.

Teh Boston Globe:

To arrive at this decision, the court performed a grammatical parsing that would confound the best English teacher, deciding that the first 13 words are merely “prefatory” to the “operative clause” of the one-sentence amendment, thus conveniently tossing aside the importance of “a well regulated militia” to the right to bear arms.

SO what do the people think? CNN asked us last night and within hours it was pretty clear:

Perhaps the editors didn’t read the amendment fully? Or maybe they don’t understand the words? As with all the anti gun fools, any mention of the 14 words in the last sentence mean nothing, because, peoples’ rights mean nothing. Self defense is not a part of the picture here. When people have the means to defend themselves, crime would become less prevalent. And this would end the need for a big chunk of local, state and federal law enforcement.

Either way, it was at age three, my Dad taught me these words. He didn’t teach me about guns, although he owned many. My X took care of that- when he was active USMC. These words cannot be forgotten, wisked under the carpet, or misinterpreted.
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Oh joy. My state’s going to be invaded by the Messiah and the Hillbill.

BARACK OBAMA AND and Hillary Clinton will be together on Friday at their first Democratic unity event of the 2008 general election campaign in - appropriately enough - Unity, New Hampshire.

The announcement by the Obama campaign yesterday had the New Hampshire political community buzzing.

Speculation had been building about a possible New Hampshire joint appearance since last week, when Obama and Clinton disclosed they would appear together in a “battleground” state. But the decision to have the candidates return to New Hampshire, the site of high political drama during the first-in-the-nation primary campaign, was not finalized until the past few days, according to Obama spokesman Reid Cherlin.

Unity is a small town over towards Clarement. I’ve been there a few thousand times, in passing. Blink the eyes and the town is gone. I know more than a handful of good folks from there too- and it’s mostly a libertarian town. I hope they have fun when the Messiah and his Hillbill come to bless their united front. What a perfect political play this is.

After a long hard week at work, there is only one fun way to relax on a warm Saturday in June.

Read the rest of this entry »

Summers are good for outside dining, at the local diner where the tables are put out on the sidewalks during the warm months.

Read the rest of this entry »

I want to go ahead and say that I used to think that Ron Paul was somewhat of a kook. The majority of his supporters seemed to be the 9/11 truther types and and anti-war hippies. And indeed that still might be the case, or perhaps that was the way he was portrayed by the main-stream Republican Party. But I recently read his latest book

and my opinion of the man has done a complete 180.
Read the rest of this entry »

The scary headline of the day:

Many states appear to be in recession
The finances of many states have deteriorated so badly that they appear to be in a recession, regardless of whether that’s true for the nation as a whole, a survey of all 50 state fiscal directors concludes.

The situation looks even worse for the fiscal year that begins July 1 in most states.

“Whether or not the national economy is in recession - a subject of ongoing debate - is almost beside the point for some states,” said the report to be released Friday by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Oh my.

By mid-April, 16 states and Puerto Rico were reporting shortfalls in their current budgets as the revenue those budgets were built on - typically, taxes - fell short of estimates. That’s double the number of states reporting a deficit six months ago.

The NCSL said the news is even worse for the upcoming fiscal year, with 23 states and Puerto Rico already reporting budget shortfalls totaling $26 billion. More than two-thirds of states said they are concerned about next year’s budgets.

Yikes. It’s not good folks.

Massachusetts is one of the states shown in the graphic above that has a problem. Yet they allow these foolish and wasteful expenses to be paid for out of the tax payers’ pocket.

State lawmakers are responding to warnings of a fiscal meltdown by larding the budget with $1.3 billion in new spending - much of it pork - that would double next year’s deficit and shower money on golf courses, merry-go-rounds and local parades.

A Herald review of House budget amendments shows that individual lawmakers have proposed hundreds of millions in new expenses, even as their leaders and the state treasurer have cautioned that revenues could drop sharply in the months ahead.

Among the spending requests:

• $1.5 million by Newton Rep. Kay Khan to repair an irrigation system at a Newton golf course;

• $250,000 by Dorchester Rep. Martin Walsh for the Hub’s First Night celebration;

• $100,000 by Holyoke Rep. Michael Kane for his town’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade;

• $50,000 by Kane for a merry-go-round at a state park in Holyoke.

“There’s been all this talk of a $1.3 billion deficit, but I guess we found out where it’s really going,” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones, who has railed against excessive spending. “It’s frustrating, but it’s not surprising.”

They defend these expenses as needed items and reject the call for cutting back on the budget, like the peons must do in order to buy their food and gas:

Democratic legislators defend their proposals, saying that many of the amendments would pay for legitimate needs such as elder care and substance abuse treatment.

They also argue that the spending items that often bring criticism - the proposals for gazebos and local summer festivals - are a reflection of the myriad requests they get from constituents.

“I strenuously disagree with the notion that this is irresponsible,” said state Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein (D-Revere). “We have an obligation to the people of our districts to advocate for things that are important to them.”

Reinstein’s $50 million in requests include tens of millions for elder care and home heating assistance. She also proposes $150,000 for repairs to a local park and $25,000 for summer programs on Revere Beach.

State Rep. Barbara L’Italien (D-Andover) proposes $125 million in new spending, the second most in the Legislature. She said much of the money would pay for special education services - both to expand key programs and help communities cope with ever-rising costs.

We all have wish lists. When times are tight though, and the money isn’t or shouldn’t be rolling in at the speed of roller coasters, we have to make some sacrifices. Trim out unneeded expenses. Cut back on wasteful spending. Budget better.

But who am I to speak of such things? I don’t live in MA (THANK GAWD) and this is one reason why.

• Ogre wants to join a new religion.
• The party of the BITTER: Democrats. It’s nothing new…they’ve always been this way. It’s just coming out now in its true sexist color.
• Only in Boston would they come up with something so original, so creative…this will save the city and lower the crime rate.
• OUCH:
  

  Previous religious leaders and philosophers approached humanity with the idea of freeing the individual from fear. Mohammed did not try to free humanity, but to make humanity a slave to Allah, the god of fear. So he “revealed” the ultimate alpha—Allah. Under Allah, all humans come to their fulfillment by being Allah’s slave. But since Mohammed was the only “prophet” of Allah, to obey Allah was to obey Mohammed. Islam is submission to Allah/Mohammed.

• Go cry a few rivers. And expect this to be the reasoning behind even more pleas for help of the dumb and stupid.
• About that virtual fence.
• More overreaction, I am sure.
  Telltale words:

  So how dangerous are these bottles? And what should consumers do about the risk?

  “The truthful answer is that nobody knows” their full impact on health yet, said David Ozonoff, a professor of environmental health at the Boston University School of Public Health. “And because we don’t know, it’s prudent to avoid something that is avoidable.”

• Always On Watch has an update about the two girls who were killed by their Muslime father…killed out of some warped sense of mercy.
• Kevin, MD writes an OP/ED in USA TODAY about defensive medicine. Are you part of the problem? Do you demand test after test just to be sure?

The back yard this very early morning— I love the fog.

Is this really a memoir? I dunno if it really does justice to cut a person’s life down to just six words, but I think it it is fun to try and see if you can cut out most, if not all of the fluff and verbiage, and make something worthwhile.

The funniest one I saw was over the Stoat Intelligencer by Weasel where she considered “This one time at band camp…”

For me I thought bout my life, what I have done in it so far, and what people and things mean the world to me.

I came up with “My God. My Country. My Family.”

I am not sure of who to tag, because I think that everybody that I know in the blogosphere has already been hit by this virus. But don’t worry Raven, I’ll be sure to keep it alive by spreading it by email…

“Surprise, surprise, surprise!” says Gomer Pyle.

Thousands of Massachusetts public high school graduates arrive at college unprepared for even the most basic math and English classes, forcing them to take remedial courses that discourage many from staying in school, according to a statewide study released yesterday.

The problem is particularly acute in urban districts and vocational schools, according to the first-of-its kind study. At three high schools in Boston and two in Worcester, at least 70 percent of students were forced to take at least one remedial class because they scored poorly on a college placement test.

It can be said that this is true of most public school graduates, but I do find there is a difference between what MA and NH produces in high school. It’s a sign of poor teaching and parenting issues. Dousing school districts with more money isn’t the answer here. Teacher unions, tenure and low expectations are the problem. Accountability should be mandatory. But it’s not. Until these simple things are fixed, expect to see no change. School districts should use this info and go after those who are not doing their job. I haven’t read the data but I can bet there are similar links to all these students….within the schools themselves. Find the link, break it and improvements will come.

Down in The People’s Republic of Massachusetts we’re seeing more evidence of how universal health care is NOT WORKING. This is a serious issue and the nation should pay close attention. This will repeat itself on a national level if this sort of plan is chosen.

Cambridge Health Alliance, a key part of the Boston area’s healthcare network, is facing a potentially “catastrophic” loss this year and is looking to eliminate up to 300 jobs, or about 9 percent of its workforce, in an effort to stabilize finances.
more stories like this

The alliance, which includes Cambridge Hospital, Somerville Hospital, and Whidden Hospital in Everett, says it is being hit hard by the state’s new healthcare reform law, which has left it responsible for providing free care for those without insurance while reducing the hospitals’ compensation for such services.

WHERE ELSE DO HEALTH CARE WORKERS GET LAID OFF?? Fercryingoutfuckingloud???

Before healthcare reform took effect last year, Keefe said, Cambridge Health Alliance was reimbursed by the state for the full cost of providing services to the uninsured. Under the new system, “we only get 60 to 70 percent,” he said. The reduction is particularly significant for the alliance because its hospitals serve a high percentage of uninsured patients. Despite the state’s efforts to enroll all low-income residents in free or subsidized insurance programs, many still do not have coverage.

Yep…and these hospitals will shut down, adding more burden to OTHER hospitals that are further away (translated: Patients will have to travel distances to get their health care)…

Keefe said the hospital was especially bruised in its second fiscal quarter, which ended Dec. 31, when the new payment system for uninsured patients took effect. Government payments for free care to the uninsured fell by nearly $14 million compared with the previous quarter, he said.

At the same time, the number of patients admitted to the alliance’s hospitals dropped by about 3 percent, while patients kept overnight for observation - a category for which insurance companies do not pay as well - grew by 48 percent. Additionally, the number of walk-in patients, which do not generate as much revenue as inpatients, also grew substantially in the six months that ended Dec. 31, Keefe said.

WHY didn’t the idiOts who planned this Universal system think of all these things?? I am quite sure the possibilities of this article were mentioned as potential problems…but as always those who make promises of a Utopian comprehensive health care system refuse to see the roadblocks…they deny money will ever be an issue. They claim the savings from covering ALL will take care of the revenue shortages. BULL SHIT.

It’s not working, the MA Mandated Health Care. Every step of the way has been met with a lack of funds…and the peasants of the state will end up being taxed more and more..to the point where it will one day be cheaper for them to just buy their own damn insurance that it is to get it forced upon them by the Kingdom. Stupid people. They get what they deserve, shabby care in far off hospitals and clinics- and hopefully there will be enough doctors and nurses left to provide the care.