Yesterday’s hearing on proposed changes to New Hampshire’s RSA 570-A, the wiretapping statute, did not take long to become a symposium on Robin Hooding. With the first mention of the practice coming from the bureaucratic spokesperson Ann Rice, representing the Attorney General’s office, two Robin Hooders present (myself and Ian Freeman) also spoke on the bill. The president of the American Federation of Teachers’ New Hampshire chapter, Laura Hainey, denounced Robin Hooders while speaking at the hearing, and even went to so as to fear monger that the Robin Hooders would multiply if negligible codifications to the law were effected.
Essentially, the house bill 1550 is a well intentioned piece of legislation that ultimately changes nothing about the current law. It does attempt to clarify it from its current convoluted and confusing state. For example, the word ‘consent’ appears in the law, yet reading the letter of the law, nothing more than relaying the knowledge that one is being recorded is necessary to make fully legal an audio recording in a setting where one is lawfully permitted to be outside of explicitly public settings. Despite this, even the representative from the attorney general’s office, Ann Rice, continuously referred to the current law as requiring consent from all parties to produce audio recordings. (more…)
Last Friday, January 17, 2014, the state of New Hampshire published a press release regarding the dangers of marijuana (cannabis). In this press release they claim that 9.6% of youth aged 12-17 had reported regular use of cannabis. Joe Harding, the director of the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services (BDAS) is quoted using the words “disturbing” and “alarming” and goes on to say, “This underscores the need for us to collaborate with not only our partners in the field, but also businesses, law enforcement, the medical field, and schools to implement proven strategies to prevent youth use of marijuana.”
I would like to point out that, according to the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services publication, New Hampshire State Epidemiological Profile of Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health they provide the number of 12-17 year olds who reported having participated in binge drinking within the past month at 11%, more than had tried cannabis in the same time frame. I would like to point out that this 11% is for those that claimed to have participated in binge drinking. Binge drinking is not only use, but abuse, of alcohol.
Taking a closer look at these two substances, I would like to compare their dangers as well. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the mortality rate linked to alcohol consumption was 15,990 related to alcoholic liver disease and another 25,692 related to alcohol induced deaths — excluding alcohol related accidents and homicides in 2010. There were no deaths at all listed as being caused by cannabis. Not a single one.
The BDAS reports that between 2001 and 2006, between 35% and over 45% of motor vehicle crashes were related to alcohol consumption. While, according to Epidemiologic Reviews, published by Oxford University Publications, “Some studies indicate that marijuana use alone has minimal effect on driving performance, while others report an increased crash risk when combined with other drugs”. (more…)
After introducing their official New Hampshire vodka over the holiday season, the state’s liquor commission has just released a video advertisement for the beverage that represents the executive of our nation’s government. With proceeds from the sales of the hard drug going to repair flags severely damaged by wars, the state has invested generous resources into promoting the vodka, with no less than governor Maggie Hassan herself presenting the drink at press conferences and now, starring in this short commercial for the product. The official New Hampshire state vodka is available at all New Hampshire Wine & Liquor Outlets and has additionally received the endorsement of former governor John Lynch. Rumors have circulated that the beverage was also what filled councilor’s glasses at the central committee inauguration held on New Year’s day in the democratic people’s republic of Keene. Get yours today for only 29.99!
News came out yesterday following a press conference that the state of New Hampshire was sponsoring a special edition vodka in a decorate new bottle featuring the late Old Man of the Mountain. At 29.99usd, the maple-syrup bottlesque hard liquor was made available to state liquor dispensaries in Concord, but likely will not be arriving into the Cheshire county area until Friday. Profits attained from the drug sales will be directed towards repairing dilapidated flags of some historical value. Walking through the local liquor store in search of the bottle to document, I was amazed at how casually the state promotes and distributes the world’s most destructive drug. How long could it possibly be before a New Hampshire governor introduces an official state strain of cannabis to the public in celebration of the holiday season? The Nashua Telegraph captured some video from the parodist press conference. No mentions of liquor or drug-related issues facing New Hampshire are mentioned in many of the corporate news stories republishing the state’s alcohol marketing through the frame of selling “commemorative bottles”.
In an undated video uploaded today to the Ridley Report, Peter ‘Sturdy’ Thomas, a member of the three-person board of selectman in Dublin, tucks his head, shuffles a flight of stairs and grumbles a question away with, “I’m not answering any questions from you.”
While it would be exposing, but not completely unprecedented to have observed any other politician behave in such a way, Peter’s behavior seems to demonstrate a desire to conceal, especially given his own activities behind a camera as part of DPRK‘s case against Robin Hood of Keene. While he was sometimes friendly when dealing with myself, in videos where he meets other Robin Hooders he displayed a relatively hostile tone and behaved as though he was entitled to deliver orders to others around him. During his time filming he was even shoved by a passing female pedestrian who said nothing to him while Peter was filming a Robin Hooder and an enforcer on a North Main Street sidewalk. He called out to the person and the retired detective presumably flashed a badge, or some sort of authority symbol. On one occasion he took to asking interrogatory questions about specifically who pays for what different tools used in the process of Robin Hooding. In other encounters with Ian Freeman, he would refuse to disclose that he was working for the city when directly asked, and would repeat a drone-like opening greeting in response to any questions.
A slouching ‘Sturdy’ hangs his head before fleeing the videojournalist
On one occasion in which Peter and myself conversed in the city hall parking garage, he was quick to tell me that he was proud of all of his conduct over the course of his career in police work. Generally trustworthy as firm words may be, I found his eagerness to avoid the discussion of unnecessary conflict revealing of a potential lack of self-reflection.
Seeing Ridley’s video, actions speak volumes over Peter’s words.
For video captured by Peter ‘Sturdy’ Thomas and used by unknown City of Keene bureaucrats in a public relations campaign against Robin Hooders, check out AKPF #1 episode 08 Dolus. The entire records request received from DPRK officials of Peter Thomas’ over six hours of Robin Hooding footage is available on a playlist at Fr33manTVraw. (more…)
