Tornado Hits the North Shore

An EF2 tornado dropped into Revere MA just north of Boston this morning around 9:30 AM. The twister touched down near route 16 traveling south to north along Broadway. Reports from the scene indicate the Funnel took it's time getting through town and obeyed most traffic signals. No citations were issued by the Revere Police. City Hall took a direct hit blowing out windows and felling many fig trees around the structure. Mr. Twister exited town via the rotary at route 60 heading toward Lynn. No one has reported any injuries.

Hall of Fame Class of 2014

PLAYERS

Greg Maddux RHP
Chicago Cubs (1986-92, 2004-06), Atlanta Braves (1993-2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2006, 2008), San Diego Padres (2007-08)

Tom Glavine LHP
Atlanta Braves (1987-2002, 2008), New York Mets (2003-07)

Frank Thomas 1B/DH
Chicago White Sox (1990-2005), Oakland Athletics (2006, 2008), Toronto Blue Jays (2007-08)

MANAGERS

Bobby Cox MGR
Atlanta Braves (1978-81, 1990-2010), Toronto Blue Jays (1982-85)

Tony La Russa MGR
Chicago White Sox (1979-86), Oakland Athletics (1986-95), St. Louis Cardinals (1996-2011)

Joe Torre
New York Mets (1977-81), Atlanta Braves (1982-84), St. Louis Cardinals (1990-95), New York Yankees (1996-2007), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008-10)

It's Not Rocket Basketweaving

NRA Ad Spring 2014

FIREWALL

Friday Babe

Former Market Basket CEO Arthur T Demoulas

Has Offered to Buy Out his Cousin's Share of this New England Grocery Store Chain. Previously and Previouslier

Arthur T. Demoulas on Wednesday said he will make an offer to buy the Market Basket supermarket chain, seeking to regain control of the fractured company and end the decades-long family feud that has exploded into an extraordinary public spectacle this month.

Demoulas said in a statement that he and his side of the family will try to buy the 50.5 percent of Market Basket now controlled by opposing relatives who supported his firing last month as president of the company.

“We believe that our offer is a very full and fair one and should meet or exceed a seller’s expectations of the value of the company,” the statement said. “We care deeply about Market Basket and all of our associates and we want to work together to return the company to its successful model for serving our loyal customers. Those who received the offer need to consider the matter, so we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”

The value of Demoulas’s offer was not disclosed. But the value of the entire private company was estimated at $3 billion to $3.5 billion by Kevin Griffin, publisher of The Griffin Report of Food Marketing.

It was not immediately clear whether the offer was being seriously entertained by family shareholders who have battled with Demoulas for control of the company since the early 1990s. Those shareholders could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

Salvo 12" Shotgun Supressor

via FB Friend Dan
First Ever Commercially Available Shotgun Suppressor.

For us gun nuts, there is no extent to which we wouldn’t go in the pursuit of happiness, and dang it, as American’s, we’re more than entitled to it. Recently announced is the first ever commercially available shotgun suppressor and gun owners are chomping at the bit to get their hands on one.

SilencerCo has come forward to proudly declare their creation of the Salvo 12 – “a modular, non-concentric suppressor that can be lengthened or shortened depending on the user’s needs,” according to Guns.com.

Furthermore, the Chief Executive Officer for SilencerCo, Joshua Waldron explains, “The Salvo 12 represents a revolution in silencers, not just an evolution. There is a huge installed base of shotgun hunters and shooters that has been waiting for a product like this for a long time, and we are proud to deliver it.”

For those of us who enjoy heading down to the range to pop off a few rounds, there are little better leisure activities in the world, but with the detrimental effects the noise of the blast has – well, I think we could all use something a bit quieter given the effects of long term exposure. All this with a cool price at just $1,400 a pop, how many do you think you’ll be picking up?

Market Basket Meltdown

Usually a nice market to get your food shopping done on Sunday after Church, the chain has begun swirling the crapper. (Previously)

On the Upside, There's Plenty of Parking

Market Basket fires 8 employees amid protests
Politicians urging Market Basket boycotts in wake of CEO firing

Says customers suffered; backers of ousted leader vow to fight on Market Basket Meltdown Continues as Company Fires Employees, Shelves Go Empty and Customers Tweet it All

Customers at Market Baskets across the state are tweeting and Instagramming the slow meltdown happening inside the supermarket chain’s locations.

If you’ve been living under a rock (or you’re one of those big spenders who gets groceries at Stop n’ Shop), here’s the latest on the battle of wills at Market Basket.

On Friday, workers swarmed the company’s corporate headquarters in Tewksbury, vowing to cut off restocking at individual supermarket locations until the Board of Directors reinstates ousted CEO Arthur T. Demoulas.

Workers made good on the threat, with almost immediate effects felt in the produce and seafood sections of stores, which require the fastest restocking.The company struck back, hard, firing long-time warehouse manager Dean Joyce on Sunday as shelves continued to empty in locations across the state.

By Sunday, the supermarket battle caught the attention of Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley:

“The actions of thousands of Market Basket employees over the last days have been truly inspiring. They are putting their jobs on the line—with little or no protection from reprisals from current management—to stand up for the simple principle that workers deserve to be treated with respect and their voices deserve to be heard. I hope the current management of Market Basket will respect these voices and that these employees will able to make their case without losing their jobs or their hard earned benefits. Market Basket has been a great employer and community partner for decades and I hope those values are maintained.”

The Boston Globe reported 17 state lawmakers signed a letter supporting the workers.

James Garner has Died

RIP

Elizabeth "Jokeahauntas" Warren

Pulls it Directly out of her Backside
via Joe for America

Progressive Liberalism

“We believe that Wall Street needs stronger rules and tougher enforcement, and we’re willing to fight for it.”

Translation: Make a donation and we’ll harass your competitors instead.

“We believe in science, and that means that we have a responsibility to protect this Earth.”

Translation: We don’t understand the first thing about science, but we believe in it, like we would probably pray to it if we prayed. Like, really, that level of believing.But according to Al Gore, we can make a ton of money off these carbon exchanges, so you people shut up and pay your environmental fines.

“We believe that the Internet shouldn’t be rigged to benefit big corporations, and that means real net neutrality.”

Translation: The Internet should be controlled by the government, not the free market. Although we call it “neutrality,” we really are hoping to rig the system even more than we do now. Think of it as neutrality for the right people.

“We believe that no one should work full-time and still live in poverty, and that means raising the minimum wage.”

Translation: Eventually, everyone will work for the minimum wage and like it, capitalist pig-dog.

“We believe that fast-food workers deserve a livable wage, and that means that when they take to the picket line, we are proud to fight alongside them.”

Translation: And we will bring our port-a-grills so they can cook us all burgers while we’re marching because they’ll have nothing better to do. After all, it’s not like they’ll have jobs to go back to when we raise the minimum wage.

“We believe that students are entitled to get an education without being crushed by debt.”

Translation: Somehow, there are still people who escape the first 12 years of taxpayer-funded education with the ability to think for themselves, so we want them to get a good brainwashing in college. For those whose K-12 lobotimization has taken, we still want them to have a shiny but worthless college degree to be proud of when they go to work for minimum wage.

“We believe that after a lifetime of work, people are entitled to retire with dignity, and that means protecting Social Security, Medicare, and pensions.”

Translation: We want to raise taxes to pay for all the government checks, since we’ve already spent all the money you saps thought you were putting away for your retirement. “We believe—I can’t believe I have to say this in 2014—we believe in equal pay for equal work.” Translation: To hell with experience, training or skills. See above comments about minimum wage.

“We believe that equal means equal, and that’s true in marriage, it’s true in the workplace, it’s true in all of America.”

Translation: Guys who diddle other guys deserve tax breaks and government handouts. And your religious scruples otherwise are going to be a felony very soon. “We believe that immigration has made this country strong and vibrant, and that means reform.” Translation: Where else are we going to get all those minimum wage workers to pay taxes and support the college graduates who are on welfare?

“And we believe that corporations are not people, that women have a right to their bodies. We will overturn Hobby Lobby and we will fight for it. We will fight for it!”

Translation: If you dare to start a business, Christian capitalist pig-dog, you must give up your religious freedoms. And if you hire a woman, you are responsible for paying for her birth control and abortions, just like a pimp — except, you know, without any of the fringe benefits, because that’s sexual harassment.

The Ongoing Plight of our Illegal Alien Friends

BOSTON —Gov. Deval Patrick on Friday proposed two possible locations in Massachusetts to temporarily shelter unaccompanied children crossing the nation's southern border.

Camp Edwards military base on Cape Cod and Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee will be reviewed by officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to see if either is suitable for housing the children, most of whom are coming from Central America, Patrick said.

Cape Friggin Cod? ... Really?

Only one site would be selected, if any facility in Massachusetts is chosen.

Patrick said the federal government is looking for places that can house up to 1,000 children for four months.

He said each child would stay for an average of about 35 days and that all expenses will be picked up by the federal government while they are being processed for deportation, reunification or asylum.

The children would receive food, care and education while at the facility, Patrick said, and will not attend local schools. All children would receive a medical screening before entering the state, including all essential vaccines.

Many of these children are already sick when they arrive. Scabies, Lice, Chicken Pox, TB to name are few are epidemic. Border Control are reporting illness' while processing these illegal alien children coming across the border.

A government-contracted security force threatened to arrest doctors and nurses if they divulged any information about the contagion threat at a refugee camp housing illegal alien children at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, sources say.

In spite of the threat, several former camp workers broke their confidentiality agreements and shared exclusive details with me about the dangerous conditions at the camp. They said taxpayers deserve to know about the contagious diseases and the risks the children pose to Americans. I have agreed to not to disclose their identities because they fear retaliation and prosecution.

SNIP

The sources said workers were guarded by a security force from the BCFS, which the Department of Health and Human Services hired to run the Lackland Camp.

The sources say security forces called themselves the “Brown Shirts.”

BTW ... The State of Connecticut has already denied a federal request to house some of the illegal alien children.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Beats Me.

Family and Business in New England

Demoulas Market Basket is the oldest privately owned family business in New England. 71 Stores, 25,000 non union employees in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts generating approximately 4.6 billion in revenue. My son works at the local Market Basket here in town. It is his first job evah. He works in the Deli and does very well there.

In 1954 Founder Arthur Demoulas sold the business to his sons Telemachus and George 50-50. Son George died in 1971 and Son Telemachus took over the family business. Georges family thought they should have inherited the 50% of the business.
Georges family filed a lawsuit in the 90s starting a family feud over ownership of the business. This case was resolved by the judge giving 51% of the company to Georges family, a controlling share.

Arthur T (Telemachus' son) has been running the business as CEO. He is well liked, loved even by Market Basket employees as a competent and kind leader and executive officer. Georges family could not get all the votes they needed for a take over until 2013. 250 million dollars net income was was distributed among 9 board members and share holders from both sides of the family at that time. This summer (2014) a board meeting was held outing Arthur T as Chief Executive Officer.

Market Basket employees have begun to rally in favor of former CEO Arthur T. Remember this is a non union shop and the employees have been warned they will be fired if they fail to show up for work. Many brand name food distributors have already stopped deliveries. Store shelves will be empty very soon except for "Market Basket" branded consumables. Fish and Deli meats will not be delivered except for the lobsters. I don't know how that works. I would venture though, another family business close to the Demoulas' has the contract for local lobster deliveries at Market Basket.

My son has no intention of risking his current employment. He shows for all his shifts as do many of his coworkers. He may well lose some hours as there will be almost nothing to sell outside of the Market Basket branded products.

Friday Babe