in connecticut let's breathe a little easier!

Holding EPA's Feet To The Fire
May 12, 2006

Once again, Connecticut is joining other jurisdictions in taking up the banner of environmental responsibility, filling a vacuum created by the federal government's failed leadership.Connecticut recently joined nine states and three environmental groups, as well as Washington and New York City, in suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over the agency's steadfast refusal to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions and other pollutants, the primary cause of global warming. The central question in the lawsuit - one the plaintiffs hope the court will answer with a "yes" - is whether carbon dioxide meets the definition of a pollutant under the Clean Air Act..........

...........Yet as the world burns the Bush administration fiddles, wasting precious time by arguing that the science on global warming isn't conclusive and that the solution lies in voluntary initiatives, research and development rather than regulation - or, in this case, that the EPA can't regulate carbon dioxide because it's not a pollutant..............

this sounds wicked cool!

i'm all for ANYTHING that will help me at the dentist's office (i am PHOBIC about going)

Video device helps patient overcome fear
By Jesse D. Smolin, Record-Journal May 11, 2006
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. --As soon as Darian Dube walked into the dentists office, Bashar Betros was ready for her.
After she slid into the dentists chair, Betros, the primary dentist at Family Dental Practice of Southington, slipped what looked like a black visor and goggles onto her head before the tears started rolling.
As he predicted, as soon as Darian, 9, saw the dentist's chair she became upset. Before Betros put one instrument into her mouth, tears streamed down the child's face.
The goggles Betros put on her were connected to a VCR, which allows patients to watch movies in virtual reality. The four three-dimensional movies are intended to relax patients, including one on hot air balloon rides, traveling to Guatemala, an action movie about skiing, riding a motorcycle and scuba diving near Santa Barbara, Calif. Patients also may bring their own movies.
Betros has offered the movies to his patients since opening his practice five years ago. He bought the goggles after stumbling upon them in a dental supply catalog. The movie allows him to perform 10- to 15-minute procedures he would not otherwise be able to do.
"There are a lot of people who are scared and it helps them," he said. "It helps us, but it really helps them."...............

what's missing

i'll tell you what's missing

NO ONE FROM CONNECTICUT SIGNED THIS

Seventy two in Congress join battle against wiretaps

Filed by John Byrne
Seventy two members of Congress filed papers late Wednesday seeking to end President George W. Bush's warrantless NSA eavesdropping program, RAW STORY has learned.
The filing came just before a report Thursday in USA Today which revealed that the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program had collected call records on tens of millions of Americans through agreements with AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.
It also comes a day after lawyers looking into the NSA program abruptly closed their probe after the Bush Administration refused to grant them clearances.
The 71 Democrats and one independent filed an amicus brief in two federal courts reviewing challenges to the warrantless wiretapping program in Detroit and New York, joining the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Both suits demand the program be stopped.............

just a reminder

NEVER EVER give personal information out over the phone. EVER

Jury Duty Scam Warning

News Channel 8 May 10 2006, 1:30 PM EDTNEW HAVEN --
The U.S. Attorney has issued a warning about a jury duty scam affecting people across the state. Someone is making calls pretending to work for the court system, telling people they failed to show up for jury duty.When the person on the other end denies getting a letter, the caller attempts to verify personal information, such as Social Security number and date of birth........

scammers are getting better and better at it. making it more believable. i've seen some GREAT emailed ones that you would SWEAR were real. if there is EVER ANY QUESTION, just forward that email (NEVER CLICK ON THE LINK(S) to the company that allegedly sent it to you and they will verify if it's legitimate or not. loads of ebay and paypal type emails look so real and the links look real too BUT THEY ARE NOT. just be careful out there!~

a bible in one had and a pellet gun in the other???

the tragic shooting of a 23 year old the other day MAY NOT be murder........we shall see

Eyewitness claims religion a motive in New Haven shooting

(New Haven-WTNH, May 9, 2006 6:00 PM) _ A disagreement over religious beliefs may have sparked the deadly shooting of a student from Southern Connecticut State University.
Now, a woman has come forward saying the shooters' actions were in self defense.
by News Channel 8's Erin Cox
This witness, who didn't want to be identified, says religious differences were at the root of the deadly shooting in the plaza parking lot just a mile from the Southern Connecticut University campus.
The witness says 23-year-old Mark Stetson, a junior from New Hampshire, was holding up a Bible - arguing with an older man.
New haven police have not recovered a bible - but don't rule out what this witness says happened and school officials confirm last week stetson had to be removed from campus for creating a disturbance during a discusson of Christianity and Islam......

my left nutmeg gets a shout out in the courant!!!

my left nutmeg a favorite blog o' mine!

`Dump Joe,' Cry Liberal Bloggers Lieberman Foes Connect On Net

By ADRIAN BRUNE SPECIAL TO THE COURANT May 8 2006
As with prophets and leaders before him, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's fall from grace, in the eyes of state Democratic Party activist Keith Crane, began with a kiss. Crane had stood by the senator, if only grudgingly, through his vice-presidential and presidential campaigns, his speeches supporting the Iraq War and even his appearances on Fox News Channel. But the peck on Lieberman's cheek from President George W. Bush after the 2005 State of the Union Address left him feeling betrayed.With the help of his brother, Crane (also known online as ctkeith) launched www.dumpjoe.com, putting the image of "The Kiss" on Page 1 of the website he hopes will help bring about Lieberman's political demise. With it, the Branford resident, who proudly wears a button bearing the photograph and passes out buttons everywhere he goes, joined what might have been a passing storm but has become a political Nor'easter threatening to tear down the house of Joe..

............Myleftnutmeg.com is not strictly an anti-Lieberman target, its slogan being: "Where Connecticut Dems Scratch That Progressive Itch." But it's packed with postings complaining about Lieberman. "My site reflects the zeitgeist as opposed to leading it," said My Left Nutmeg's founder, Kelly, who goes by first-name only. "To me, Joe Lieberman's political career is a tragedy. He started out as a hero of democratic liberalism. Now he's fallen from grace. That's a personal feeling shared by a lot of people."Unlike the other sites, My Left Nutmeg (which displays a doctored road sign reading "Connecticut Welcomes You: Birthplace of George W. Bush. We apologize.") is almost entirely for blogging. Anyone who has a beef with Lieberman, including his acceptance of money from the Hilary Clinton campaign, can sign up and make it known.................

i'm not surprised a bush MAY have been involved

(if in fact this incident happened. if it did it's DISGUSTING and EVIL. then again, i believe what goes around comes around.)

Yale's Tale Of Skull Gets New Backing

By KIM MARTINEAU
Courant Staff WriterMay 9 2006
NEW HAVEN -- A journalist has uncovered evidence that members of Yale's secretive Skull and Bones society may have robbed Geronimo's grave during World War I and brought the Apache warrior's skull and other remains back to New Haven.The plundering of Geronimo's grave in Fort Sill, Okla., has long been rumored, but now a 1918 letter, found deep in Yale University's archives, suggests there may be some validity to the story. Both Bush presidents belonged to the elite Skull and Bones society as did their father and grandfather, Prescott Bush, who by one account participated in the alleged raid on Geronimo's grave. Marc Wortman, a writer in New Haven, discovered the letter last fall while researching a book about pioneering World War I aviators from Yale. He immediately shared his find with the Yale Alumni Magazine where he had been an editor. The new details are published in the magazine's May/June issue.In the letter, Skull and Bones member Winter Mead wrote that Geronimo's skull had been unearthed and spirited away to their brownstone clubhouse on High Street in New Haven nicknamed "The Tomb." Mead's report was addressed to his fellow "Bonesman" F. Trubee Davison, who helped select new followers during the war. Charles Haffner, a new initiate, or "knight," was among a small group of military officers who allegedly joined the Fort Sill raid.........

(picture: www.straightdope.com/ art/2005/051111.gif)

let's wish coach brandon good luck, health, comfort and safety!

for his THIRD tour in iraq! please note, if you read the story you'll see he was previously wounded in iraq. he lost part of a kidney YET, he's got to go back..........

Players Say Goodbye To Coach Headed For Iraq
May 7, 2006 By Natasha Lee, Staff Writer

STAMFORD -- When Julian Bosch found out one of his favorite football coaches, Ryan Brandon, was bound for Iraq, the Stamford High School sophomore knew he couldn't leave without a proper send-off."I thought he should be recognized for his bravery and courage. Our buddy should be appreciated," said Julian, 15. "He's a phenomenal coach, but really a better friend."

More than 20 varsity football players gathered at an barbecue yesterday afternoon at Boyle Stadium to wish Brandon a safe journey as he prepares for a 10-month tour of duty with the Marine Corps as a staff sergeant.Brandon, 29, will head to Iraq on May 14 -- Mother's Day -- for his third tour."It's always a little nerve-wracking. When you're a little younger, you feel like you're invincible. Now that you get a little bit older, you realize how things can happen," he said. "But the country called on me to do a job, so I'm going to go do it.".........

should i start my own landscaping bid-nez?

my pops is 79 and still kicks ass. well up until a little while ago he did. in a week or so, he's going in for hip replacement surgery. after that it's off to rehab for a bit (we don't know how long yet). he'll be incapacitated for a while though. he can barely stand up. it hurts me to see him like this. he has always been a very active person. he walks daily (he knows EVERYONE in the hood and then some). this operation is a good thing. i am looking forward to him NOT being in constant pain. he never complains though. i remember when i was young, he went to work (he was a teamster at that time) with two broken ribs. SOOOOOOOOOOO someone has to mow his lawn! well, i already TOLD my brother in law, big bubba, HE was going to come over every weekend and mow that lawn. oh i forgot to say my pops is obsessive about his yard. he doesn't have the greenest grass or prettiest flowers BUT he is always the first one out to mow or snow blow or sand and salt or whatever. i'm not exaggerating; he IS the first one out there. friday, i stopped by his house and left him a note NOT to mow the lawn the next morning. i'd be over between 9 and 10 on saturday morning and i'd mow the lawn (well the front. we'd let the back go for another week). i arrived at 8:45 and of course as expected he was already outside doing something or other. i was barely out of the car and the FIRST thing he said to me was, 'you could have worn better shoes'. i had a pair of flip flops on. 'one can't mow the lawn in flip flops?' i thought to myself but let it go. i dragged him back in and made him a tea and myself a coffee. i needed a moment or two to collect my thoughts before the big morning of yard work. oh, there were lawn chairs he kept on his screened in porch for the winter he wanted to bring outside. i told him I WOULD DO IT. of course they were already outside when i arrived saturday. and one wonders where i got my stubbornness (and if you can imagine my mother was the stubborn one!). now i'm ready to start, we go outside and i take one of those chairs from the back yard and bring it to the front so he can supervise me mowing his lawn. he started the mower for me and showed me something about pulling this bar back that made it keep running. he showed me how to prime it and he showed me this lever to push down that made the wheels turn automatically (after i engaged those wow, what a difference. of course i didn't do it right away though, dope that i am). so i mow the front lawn going in concentric squares. i didn't do the spots around his bushes good enough of course, so he had to get up and do them himself. i had to keep glancing over at him (while he WAS in the chair) and every time i did, i just burst out laughing. you sort of had to be there, to see ME mowing a lawn with an actual lawn mower. i got specific explicit instructions on how far to mow on either side. to the edge of the neighbor's house on the left and to the line of the big tree in back for the house on the right. the mower stalled a few times and some type of height adjustment had to be made and then it was smooth sailing. i stopped the mower and looked over to the chair. he was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. he was back in the garage bringing out his leaf blower. he blew every speck of grass off of the sidewalks and driveway. then he blew it off of tapparentlyer. apparantly that job was too complicated for me to handle or understand. hell as it turns out it got WICKED WINDY later in the day and the damn grass shards or whatever the hell they are called WOULD have blown away any damn way. just as i was about to go back in the house, he looked at my feet and said, 'see!!!'. i looked down and not only were my pink fuzzy flip flops all green (don't be sad, they were last years and on their last legs. i'll make new fuzzy ones this year) but MY FEET AND TOENAILS WERE ALL STAINED GREEN. damn the geezer was right about the shoes! we have one more weekend before he goes in for surgery. i'm calling big bubba up and telling him it's HIS turn next! i'm done, i've had it, finis!!!

(pictures: my dad's lawn that I DID SUCH A BEAUTIFUL JOB MOWING. his cat, frog and turtle and his azalea bush)

a second marine with connecticut ties has lost his life

in iraq this past week. my thoughts and prayers are with capt brian s. letendre's family and friends.

and from a couple of posts back, dealing with cpl bixler's death: the father of cpl bixler has a simple request; remember our deployed men and women and SEND A CARE PACKAGE. do it! it will make you feel SO good (not even thinking about how it will make THEM feel). i send four soldiers and airmen care packages (and this reminds me, i'm due to send the next ones). i know they share what is in those packages with their fellow mates. you don't have to spend tons of money. ANYTHING is appreciated. candy, or books or magazines. socks and tee shirts. dvds, music, puzzles, little games, batteries, hot chocolate or powdered drink mixes. you can no longer just send a package to general delivery you MUST have a soldiers (or sailors or airmens or marines) name and address. i got mine from a wonderful organization called soldier's angels


Second Marine with Connecticut ties killed in Iraq this week

By Shelley K. Wong, Associated Press Writer May 5, 2006

...........Capt. Brian S. Letendre, 27, of Woodbridge, Va., was stationed in Plainville with the 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division. He died Wednesday in combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, military officials said.
Letendre was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserves inspector and instructor staff, the Defense Department said................
............Letendre was killed when a suicide vehicle exploded near him, his family in Virginia said Friday. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq.
"He wasn't ordered to go back to Iraq for another combat tour, and his unit was not going to deploy there, but he selflessly and courageously volunteered to go help train the Iraqi forces," his family said in a prepared statement.
"Brian just didn't feel right being back here in the U.S. while other Marines were serving overseas, and wanted to get back to the front lines as soon as he could," the statement read.
Letendre was born in California and raised in Woodbridge, Va., where he graduated from Potomac High School in 1996............

the town of windsor has it RIGHT

and i want lieberman OUT OUT OUT as well!!!

Windsor Democrats want Lieberman out
By:Kym Soper , Journal Inquirer
WINDSOR - Dissatisfied with Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's support for the Iraq war, the Democratic Town Committee voted 16-14 Thursday to endorse cable television executive Edward "Ned" Lamont for the party's U.S. Senate nomination over the incumbent Democrat.Democratic Town Chairman Leo C. Canty said the 17 delegates being sent to the party's nominating convention on May 19 and 20 aren't bound by the vote.
About 10 are leaning to or support Lamont, of Greenwich, while four are undecided and three are leaning to or committed to Lieberman, Canty said.A "spirited and thoughtful" discussion took place before the vote, Canty said. Regardless of who they supported, all those who spoke were opposed to Lieberman's position on the Iraq War, he said.Those who supported Lieberman felt that because of his tenure in the Senate he had the ability to deliver on other issues, citing his role in keeping the Groton submarine base open.Leonard Swade, a 20-year committee member, spearheaded the Lamont movement on the committee in reaction to Lieberman's unwavering support for President Bush and his policy on Iraq."There are a number of issues, but the primary concern is Joe Lieberman's stance on the war and his support of Bush in that framework," said Canty, who is personally undecided on the Senate race..........