Saturday, February 24, 2007

update on the blow dart assault

i was scouring the news - i had a reason. i saw they posted bail and got out a few hours after SHOOTING THREE PEOPLE WITH BLOW DARTS. THREE PEOPLE! (plus one was charged with narcotics possession)

yes, as you guessed, their bail WAS FAR LESS THAN
KEN KRAYESKE'S $75,000 bail

2 Held In Drive-By Blowgun Shootings One Victim Said He Suspected A Paintball Attack, `But Then I Looked Down And Saw The Needle.'

................Plourde and Youle posted $25,000 bail and will be arraigned in Superior Court in Bristol on March 12............................

looks like dick morris of faux news

is being outed by rawstory via wtnh as an alleged tax scofflaw. uh oh..........

State looking for millions in back taxes
by News Channel 8's Alan Cohn

_ The state is looking for money from delinquent tax payers who owe millions of dollars in back taxes.
There are actually two lists, one that lists the top 100-corporate tax delinquents and one that lists the top 100-individuals who own back taxes.......

...........Then there is high-profile individuals like political consultant and Fox News contributor Dick Morris. Morris owes over $280,000 and has been on the state's list of tax delinquents for years. ............

these men were accused of shooting three people with blow darts

they are ADULTS. blowgun? what the hell were they thinking?

Blowgun Suspects Arrested

By KEN BYRON The Hartford Courant February 23 2007, 3:33 PM EST
Two men who allegedly shot someone with a blowgun and are suspected of shooting two others were arrested on Thursday evening, police in Plainville and Southington said today.No one was seriously hurt in the attacks but one man went to the hospital to get a tetanus shot, said Plainville police Lt. Brian Mullins.All three incidents happened on busy stretches of road in the space of about half an hour.The first incident happened at the Connecticut Commons shopping complex on New Britain Avenue in Plainville, where a man walking out of a store was shot in the leg. A few minutes later, a woman pumping gas at a service station a short distance from the shopping center was hit in the back..............

"Mom, this is Riley, this is awesome"

riley, i don't think you could have made a better wish than to spend it with your new ranger friends

sounds like you had a wicked good time!

Severely ill child gets wish to spend time with Army Rangers

By Melissa Nelson, Associated Press Writer February 23, 2007
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --Weakened by his lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis, 14-year-old Riley Woina dreams of being strong like the war heroes he watches in movies.
The U.S. Army's 6th Ranger Training Battalion on Eglin Air Force Base recently helped him realize this unusual dream.
Susan Woina joked that her son could have taken his Plymouth, Conn., family to Walt Disney World or gone on a shopping spree through the Make-A-Wish Foundation instead of spending a week crawling in the mud with soldiers in the Florida Panhandle.
"You always want what you cannot have and he'll never be able to join the Army because of his cystic fibrosis, so of course he wants that more than anyone else would. He would join the Army today if he could," she said.
The family has no connection to the military, except through the many war movies Riley loves to watch. Inspired by his favorite movies, "Black Hawk Down" and the HBO World War II series "Band of Brothers," he researched Ranger training and learned about the 6th Ranger Training Battalion.
Riley said he couldn't think of anything better -- not even visiting a chocolate factory -- than seeing Camp James E. Rudder where Rangers face their final and most difficult training challenges.
"I knew I probably wouldn't be able to do anything like this again. They do everything down here, the swamp training, everything," he said, while eating with his new Ranger buddies in the chow hall.
And the 80-pound 14-year-old, weakened by his degenerative illness, said he doesn't feel any sympathy for the physical punishment Rangers experience for 18 days at Camp Rudder.............


Friday, February 23, 2007

hey liebs you shouldn't care (well, you know what i mean) what other party members want

you SHOULD care about what your CONSTITUANTS want. you don't. you don't now you never did AND YOU NEVER WILL

well my conscience is clear. i didn't pull your lever this time (nor will i EVER EVER EVER)

Lieberman Says War Vote Could Prompt Party Switch
By: Carrie Budoff
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut told the Politico on Thursday that he has no immediate plans to switch parties but suggested that Democratic opposition to funding the war in Iraq might change his mind.
Lieberman, a self-styled independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has been among the strongest supporters of the war and President Bush’s plan to send an additional 21,500 combat troops into Iraq to help quell the violence there.........

..........Asked whether that hasn't already happened with Iraq, Lieberman said: "We will see how that plays out in the coming months," specifically how the party approaches the issue of continued funding for the war..............

the meriden humane society needs our help

they are a NO KILL shelter.

Animal shelter in need

(Meriden-WTNH) _ The Meriden Humane Society has been known to help animals in desperate need, but now they are in need of help themselves.
The two-year old facility is one of the largest no-kill operations in the state, and they are now looking for $87,000 in donations over the next three months or they will be forced to shut down.
They say they underestimated the need in the community. Last year alone there were more than 200 cats abandoned on their doorstep.......

............The shelter is appealing to the public for help. Starting Friday the Meriden Humane Society will stay open for 48 hours for an adopt-a-thon marathon. ..............

Sgt. Richard L. Ford died Feb. 20 in Baghdad


he was from east hartford. he was on this THIRD tour of duty. to sgt ford's family and friends, my thoughts and prayers are with you. i am so very sorry for your loss

East Hartford soldier dies in Iraq
Annie Rourke
(WTNH) _ A forty year old soldier from East Hartford has died from combat injuries he received in Baghdad, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.

Sgt. Richard L. Ford died Feb. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq, from injuries he suffered from small arms fire.

He's a recipient of the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and Army Commendation Medal.

"I would like everyone to know that I am extremely proud of my dad's service to our country," Sgt. Ford's son, Michael-Ryan Patrick of Bridgeport, said in a statement. "I love him deeply and will miss him terribly..........

Thursday, February 22, 2007

my friend jean sent me this little video

Couple roleplays the political way
no nudity BUT still not really safe for work. it IS a hoot though

whole foods is going to buy wild oats

of course i do NOT go to wild oats at bishops' corner (west hartford) because of the whole cheese 'n stuff fiasco (cheese and stuff was a cool 'natural' foods store in hartford. it had been a neighborhood mainstay for MANY years. all of a sudden wild oats came along and bought it. they SWORE up and down they WOULD NOT move that store. the FIRST thing they did was move the store from hartford to west hartford. that left MANY hartford residents with no grocery store. hartford does NOT have many grocery stores by the way. why? i don't know. they just don't. anyway, i boycotted the store). i do shop at whole foods in west hartford center. i try to go at off hours so i don't run into the 'west hartford type crowd'. if they change the wild oats in bishops' corner to a whole foods, i'll shop there as well. i've yet to get to a trader joe's. there is one in the area as well. i hear good things about that too.

Whole Foods Agrees to Buy Wild Oats; Profit Declines By Josh Fineman Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Whole Foods Market Inc., the largest U.S. natural-foods grocer, said it agreed to buy rival Wild Oats Markets Inc. for $565 million after reporting its first profit decline in five quarters. Whole Foods will pay $18.50 in cash for each share of Boulder, Colorado-based Wild Oats, 18 percent higher than its closing price today. First-quarter net income fell 7.8 percent to $53.8 million, or 38 cents a share, Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods said today. Earnings missed analysts' estimates. Buying Wild Oats will help counter slowing growth at Whole Foods, which faced competition from Safeway Inc., Trader Joe's and other grocery stores selling organic and prepared food. First-quarter sales at Whole Foods stores open at least a year rose 7 percent, down from 13 percent a year earlier. ............

Whole Foods Buying Rival

Paying $565 Million To Acquire Wild Oats


By DAVID KOENIG, Associated Press
.......Both chains have markets in Connecticut, most notably in West Hartford, where they are in direct competition. Company officials said they would evaluate which stores might close after the purchase is completed in April.

The West Hartford Wild Oats store has a special notoriety, scorned by many local shoppers for the company's role in closing a beloved local natural foods store in Hartford's West End.

On January 29, 2000, Cheese & Stuff, which had been a fixture in the West End since the mid-1970s, was closed after being bought by Wild Oats, despite promises to the contrary.

David Barrett, president of the West End Civic Association, greeted news of Wild Oats' buyout with a sense of justice and some glee......


Tech Tags:

keep your fingers crossed

this bill passes. being a circus elephant (or ANY circus animal for that matter) is NOT a good thing. they ARE tortured as a rule. i will not attend any circus that has animals. i made that decision YEARS ago and i will stick to it

Bill would protect circus elephants

(Hartford-AP) _ There's another debate at the state Capitol on protecting circus elephants.
Democratic Representatives Stephen Fontana of North Haven and Diana Urban of North Stonington have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to use or possess a bullhook or chains while in the presence of an elephant.
Fontana says weapons of torture are being used to train and discipline elephants for the public's amusement. ..........


Wednesday, February 21, 2007

i'm really NOT going to stop until they EXONERATE KENNY

of course you remember kenny's bail was set at $75,000.........

well THIS MAN (allegedly) assaulted TWO police officers and HIS bail was set at $50,000


please tell me what's wrong with THAT picture???

it really IS inhumane

the way ducks and geese are force fed so some of us can 'enjoy' foie gras. i am all for the ban. no one is going to live a less fullfilling life if they don't get any

(i'm not even going to start on veal)

FAIR OR FOWL?
Foie gras debate evokes passionate discussions


EDWARD J. CROWDER ecrowder@ctpost.com

Chef/owner Etienne Menozzi of Saint Tropez Bistro Francais in Fairfield makes it look easy. A few moments on a hot pan, a deft flip and — voila! — perfectly seared duck foie gras. All that's left is to drizzle on a tarragon-port wine reduction sauce and add a tomato garnish.
OK. Nothing's that simple in French cuisine, and foie gras is getting, well, complicated — and not just because it takes a pro like Menozzi to keep it from melting like butter in the pan.
Although foie gras is available by request at Saint Tropez, this famous delicacy is no longer on the menu.
"The customers got mad because we used to sell it," said Menozzi, who has limited English and spoke through an interpreter. "Now the customers get mad because we don't sell it."..........


............Now the state may weigh in.
A bill before the Legislative Environment Committee would ban the sale of foie gras in Connecticut. The committee has scheduled a public hearing today at 10: 15 a.m. in Room 2E of the Legislative Office Building.
Similar bans have been enacted in the city of Chicago and the state of California, although the latter won't take effect until 2012. A New Jersey state lawmaker has proposed a similar ban, as has a New York City councilman.............


Tuesday, February 20, 2007

reign has a new bulletproof vest!

thanks to the rothstein family. what a great gift to not only reign, but the town of west hartford as well

Family Invested In Police K-9

By FULVIO CATIVO Courant Staff Writer February 20 2007 WEST HARTFORD -- Resident Phil Rothstein makes some mean fudge.His daughter Rachel, 14, suggested that if he made a lot, she could even sell it and make a quick buck.So Rothstein agreed and made 140 pounds of the chocolate treat to sell last fall. But, instead of keeping any profit from the sales, Rothstein and his family donated the money to buy a new bulletproof vest for one of the town's K-9 units.On Saturday, Rothstein - along with his wife, Jill, and their children, Rachel, Rebecca, 9, and David, 5 - presented the vest to Reign, a West Hartford Police Department German shepherd. The family raised about $450 selling fudge in their neighborhood and at the Pets Supplies Plus store in Bishops Corner...........

more volunteer crafting

(by the way, i tried paul newman's filled ginger cookies - sort of like oreos but instead of chocolate, they are made with ginger. they are very good. plus you HAVE to support mr newman. all of the proceeds from his products DO go to the hole in the wall organization)

Piecemakers Guild crazy for quilts

GENEVIEVE REILLY greilly@ctpost.com

BRIDGEPORT — Peggy Clinkscales picked up fabric scraps here and there, and stuffed them into a plastic grocery bag.
"Someone's going to make a quilt out of the scraps," Clinkscales said, as she picked her way through the orange snakes of extension cords that wound around the floor of the basement room at North Park Baptist Church last week.
The dozens of sewing machines lining the long tables were humming.
Some were the latest in sewing technology, with computerized stitching. Others were the highly prized Singer Featherweights — very portable as the name suggests — no longer made and selling for a premium on Ebay.
It was mid-afternoon and the leftover slices of pizza and brownies were off to the side.
Members of the Connecticut Piecemakers Quilt Guild, more than 50 of them, were back to concentrating on the task at hand — making comfort quilts for children at Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp.
Working in groups of three and four, the quilters pieced the materials together in either a Skewed Friendship Star or Skewed Style Log Cabin patterns.
"We're going to finish today," said Debbie Wilson of Trumbull. "We're working on the binding right now."
Her group, which included Pat Ruhanen of Stratford and Barbara Peterson of New Haven, used their scraps to piece together the binding that would wind around the quilt's edges, holding the top, batting and back together............

Monday, February 19, 2007

thank you shawn and jen and al


on sunday, the half door had it's christmas party at peppercorn's grill on main street in hartford. the wines and liquors were beyond excellent (i had some homemade lemoncello - wow!!!) . the food was beyond excellent (you ordered WAY WAY WAY too much shawn). the service was beyond excellent. a GRAND time was had by all.

i'd like to thank all, especially shawn for inviting me and making me a part of the family.

the half door is indeed a special place. a place where neighborhood peeps can mingle with politicians. lawyers can mingle with students from law school. the elderly can mingle with the young. the staff goes out of their way to make one feel at home. that is why i like it so very much. it IS so comfortable to be there (and i do NOT feel comfortable many places)



the pictures (slideshow)




i don't care if there are currently

any internet hunting sites or not. I WANT THEM BANNED

it's barbaric. yeah, the dude who had the one in texas said he 'invented' it for the disabled hunters. i wonder just how many disabled hunters actually used it....NONE i'm sure (or near none)

brutal AND savage

you GO connecticut!

Texas man's idea for internet hunting spawns laws instead

By Stephen Singer, Associated Press Writer February 18, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. --A Texas businessman who wanted to allow computer users to hunt from the comfort of their homes has instead spawned dozens of state laws banning the practice.
Texas lawmakers shut down San Antonio businessman John Lockwood's operation in 2005 and two dozen other states have since banned Internet hunting, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
Connecticut lawmakers are now considering whether to follow suit and ban state residents from using a computer mouse to point, click and kill penned animals herded before a Web-based camera.
Though Lockwood's operation has been shut down and lawmakers don't know of any others, backers of the bill say they want to prevent even the possibility of another such Internet venture.
"It's not a big problem that we know of," said state Sen. Bill Finch, D-Bridgeport and co-chairman of the General Assembly's Environment Committee. "We want to nip it in the bud. It's a pretty gruesome practice."
The bill would forbid the operation, sale or use of computer software or service that allows a hunter "when not physically present, to remotely control a firearm or weapon to hunt a live animal or bird.".............


hey king george

make sure our soliders from connecticut (AND all of the other 49 as well) GET THE PAY THEY ARE DUE

they VOLUNTEERED to extend their tours for YOUR unjust illegal immoral EVIL war

Conn. National Guard troops in war zones await late pay

New Haven-AP) _ More than one-fifth of 500 Connecticut National Guard soldiers of the 102nd Infantry serving in war zones are owed thousands of dollars in incentive pay.
The pay has been overdue for months.
The Assignment Incentive Pay of one thousand dollars a month is paid to Reserve or National Guard soldiers who volunteer to extend active duty beyond 24 months. Lieutenant Colonel John Whitford of the Connecticut National Guard confirmed that about 110 soldiers are owed amounts between two thousand dollars and 17 thousand dollars.............