Friday, June 09, 2006

ah a bit of GOOD news

Lamont Shown Gaining Ground
By MARK PAZNIOKAS Courant Staff WriterJ une 9 2006 NEW HAVEN --
A new poll shows a dramatic tightening in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, indicating that Democrats increasingly see newcomer Ned Lamont as a credible challenger to Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman.The Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday found Lieberman's lead shrinking nearly by half in the past month, with voter anger toward the three-term senator trumping unfamiliarity with Lamont, a Greenwich businessman.Lieberman leads Lamont among all Democrats, 57 percent to 32 percent, compared with 65 percent to 19 percent on May 2. Among Democrats judged likely to vote, Lamont has closed to within 15 percentage points, 55 percent to 40 percent.One-fifth of those who oppose Lieberman cite his support for the war in Iraq as the primary reason. Connecticut voters overwhelmingly disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war, 73 percent to 23 percent."I'm in this race because I think George Bush's priorities are absolutely wrong, and if Joe Lieberman doesn't want to challenge him, I will," Lamont told supporters at a crowded, celebratory rally at the Omni Hotel in New Haven.With most voters still largely unfamiliar with Lamont, 78 percent of his supporters described their position as more anti-Lieberman than pro-Lamont, a finding not challenged at the rally."If there was not a Lieberman problem, would they be looking at Ned Lamont? No way," said Vivien Blackford, whose dislike of President Bush turned her into a passionate supporter of Howard Dean for president in 2004.Blackford's fundraising for Dean led her to join Democracy for America, the group that Dean founded to promote progressive Democrats. She is now actively backing Lamont, despite initially hoping for a "red-meat union guy," not a millionaire, to challenge Lieberman.Tom Swan, Lamont's campaign manager, said he was neither surprised nor distressed that the poll found more anger toward Lieberman than affection for Lamont. It is a common dynamic, he said....

ned lamont

sometimes i think our court system is INSANE

first it was the 5'1" CONVICTED child assaulter whom the judge thought was too short to go to prison and now THIS?????? WTF??????? read this and see if you don't agree with me. WTF is this man doing out AT ALL let alone being given ONLY five years for his LATEST assault. what's WRONG with THIS picture?


"Predator" sentenced to 5 years in prison
June 8, 2006
NEW LONDON, Conn. --A repeat sex offender that even a Superior Court judge suggested be locked away forever has been sentenced to five years in prison for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.
Edward F. Boyle, 45, was sentenced Wednesday for two counts of second-degree sexual assault.
"You scare me, Mr. Boyle," Judge Susan B. Handy said before sentencing Boyle. "You frighten me and I don't think you have a true concept of the illness you suffer from."
The sentence was accepted by the court because the lawyer for the Groton teenager who was assaulted said her client was too fragile to testify.
Boyle was released from prison in 1999 after serving 18 years on manslaughter and sexual assault charges. In 1980, he strangled a 20-year-old Coventry bowling alley worker while he tried to rape her, according to court records.
He admitted the crime while he was serving a six-year sentence for raping a 52-year-old woman in Manchester.
Boyle will be required to register as a sex offender, receive psychiatric evaluation and treatment, and be subject to random testing and searches.
As a condition of his 15 years probation, Boyle will also be required to get approval for romantic and sexual relationships.

venture smith called connecticut his home

(of course he was stolen away from his REAL home at the age of seven)

Scientists, historians hope clues put face on legend of slave
By Eileen Mcnamara, The Day June 8, 2006
EAST HADDAM, Conn. --Kidnapped from his African homeland at age 7 and sold into slavery in America, Venture Smith would grow into a man of mythically large proportions. He won his freedom and became a successful 18th-century businessman so revered by this river town that its denizens to this day tend his grave.
While state and local historians know Smith's story well, they want to make it as well-known to the rest of the world as the story of Amistad and its hero, Cinque. To do that, they have undertaken an ambitious, international research project that will call on the expertise of scientists, archaeologists, historians and human rights activists.
"This is the story of the human spirit prevailing over evil," said David Richardson, a British historian taking part in the project. "It is a legacy of hope and optimism."
In July, scientists and historians will open Smith's grave in the First United Congregational Church's cemetery and remove his remains in an effort to bring Smith, metaphorically, back to life.
In doing so, they hope to provide a human face to represent the millions of anonymous Africans forced to come here as slaves in the country's early years. They also hope Smith's story will advance the country's dialogue on American race relations and broaden Connecticut's understanding of its role in the slave trade.......


........His name came from various sources. Venture was the name his first owner gave him, because his purchase represented a business venture. He took the last name of the family that gave him his freedom............


(picture: docsouth.unc.edu)

Thursday, June 08, 2006

went to






sit-n-knit yesterday and got more stash! the center was a MESS yesterday but the visit to the yarn store made it all worth while. very nice people in the store. it's a pleasure doing business there (unlike many OTHER stores in the center). the rain was unbelievable. i'm wondering if i should start building an ark

the blue & pink yarns are 100% alpaca from peru. the green and green/purple combo are luxury bumpy yarn by charlene (99% merino and 1% nylon - it's SO cool) and it's by farmhouse yarns. the orange/pink yarn is; claudia hand painted yarns 100% merino. the little red and green balls are baby alpaca (SO SOFT). i'm going to use them to make the strawberry fruit hat for baby s (well she's a year and a half now) . the brown/orange and grey/black/brown wicked cool yarns are malabrigo hand dyed - kettle dyed merino.

i have NO idea (except for the strawberry hat) what i'm going to use the yarns for. i also bought a book (you can see it under the malabrigo) with unbelievable modular vest/sweater/jacket patterns.



Wednesday, June 07, 2006

i'm being attacked by the 'family institute of connecticut' and i do use the word family LOOSELY here

first off i'm NOT PRO abortion, i am PRO choice. second off, i am NOT going to insist anyone have an abortion IF THEY DON'T WANT ONE. i'm NOT going to insist anyone take or use birth control if they don't want to. i AM going to insist THEY leave me and my body the hell alone and let ME make my OWN decisions. i don't think of myself as narrow, close-minded, frightened (by what i sure don't know) and uncaring like others who shall remain nameless


May 26
PRO-ABORTIONISTS' NEWEST REVENGE TACTIC: CENSORSHIP [Peter Wolfgang]
First we defeated a pro-abortion attack on the religious freedom of Catholic hospitals. Then we defeated the pro-abortionists' attempt to financially penalize those hospitals. Now those same pro-abortionists are trying to censor pro-life license plates: ....

....The "Trainspotting" quote posted on a local pro-abortion blog gives you a sense of the mentality of some of our opponents.
The fact is, the state's pro-abortion establishment is hopping mad over their defeats in the 2006 legislative session and they are determined to seek their revenge wherever they can, even before their inevitable next assault on religious freedom in the 2007 session...........

my home away from home





the half door tuesday june 6th 4:00 pm (chris and erin)

nero speckin' out the hood

tuesday june 6th 4:00 pm


Monday, June 05, 2006

my beads, FINALLY

remember these strips ^^^^^^^? well the beads are finally done (drying on drinking straws)! i made them out of torn strips of raw silk, fabric paint, fabric ink, wire, beads, silk roving, wool roving, a bunch of different yarns and LOTS of mod podge. i am going to make yarn necklaces and use one or two of these beads on each one as focal points. when i get that far, i'll post pictures