i don't like the idea of censorship

but i DO like the idea of people who are responsible. who treat women as equals. who treat people of all colors as equal. yes, people who have a sense of humor but also have a soul. when one is responsible for publishing a college newspaper, they really should think hard about publishing articles (even 'satirical' - their word NOT mine) stating rape isn't all that bad. especially for unattractive women (you know what happened earlier this year with THAT) AND about publishing articles about pissing on a young grrrl locked in a closet. (the grrrl in the 'cartoon' was latino. i am MORE concerned with the gender of the character than the ethnicity. of course that too is a factor). well think twice unless you go to kkk university. then i would understand (you know what i mean)

i want to know what these MEN are thinking. yes the person who wrote rape is fun had a dick (and IS a dick) and the person who is responsible for publishing THAT and THIS NEW 'cartoon' has a dick and IS a dick as well.

the cartoonist is unidentified (and NOT a student at ccsu) however, the EDITOR IS mark rowan and the RAPE IS FUN author is john petroski. i think we should ALL remember those names.
Cartoon Prompts Protests Against College Paper in Conn.
HARTFORD, Conn. The student-run newspaper at Central Connecticut State University is under fire for publishing a cartoon this week that critics call racist and sexist. The three-frame comic, titled "Polydongs," features two characters who mention locking a "14-year-old Latino girl" in a closet and urinating on her. It was published in Wednesday's edition of The Recorder, a weekly newspaper distributed free on campus. "We are outraged about this cartoon, which only dehumanizes women and especially Latino women," said Francisco Donis, a psychology professor and president of the university's Latin American Association. The Student Media Board met Friday to discuss the cartoon, and members of the Latin American Association and Latin American Student Organization planned to gather in a separate meeting to discuss their response. Some plan to seek the removal of student editor Mark Rowan and to take other steps to make the campus more welcoming to Hispanics and other minority groups. "A lot of Latinos don't feel very welcome here at Central," Donis said. "In the last few years, the environment here at Central has deteriorated." ..........

CCSU Student Paper Causes Stir With Comic
'Polydongs' Depicts Kidnapped Latina Locked In Closet

NEW BRITAIN, CT -- Central Connecticut State University students and faculty said Thursday they are livid over a controversial comic strip featured in the school newspaper, The Recorder.
The comic strip, dubbed "Polydongs," depicts explicit images surrounding the humiliation and degradation of a 14-year-old Latina girl. The paper printed a disclaimer saying it "does not support the kidnapping of (and subsequent urinating on) children of any age or ethnicity."
Said CCSU professor Katharine Hermes of the strip: "It's disturbing that it would appear as a cartoon, suggesting that there's something funny about this, although I couldn't find anything funny in it."


The comic is not the The Recorder's first brush with public outrage. Last February, an opinion piece was published detailing how less attractive and overweight women "may benefit" from being raped.
Many called for the resignation of the student paper's executive editor, Mark Rowan, though he is still at the helm./................

CCSU Cartoon Arouses Fury
By MATT BURGARD Courant Staff Writer
NEW BRITAIN - The campus newspaper at Central Connecticut State University, which came under fire earlier this year for printing a satirical article extolling the virtues of rape, is the target of angry protests again after it printed a comic strip this week that made reference to locking a teenage Hispanic girl in a closet and urinating on her.Francisco Donis, a professor at the university and president of its Latin American Association, said the group plans to submit a letter today calling for the ouster of Mark Rowan, the editor of The Recorder."I would like to see him removed from his position because he clearly does not understand how the things he prints hurt people," Donis said..............
...........Earlier this year, Miller convened a special task force after the Recorder printed a controversial satire in which student editor John Petroski likened rape to a "magical experience" that has been a benefit to society for centuries.The article - which defended rape as a way for "ugly women" to enjoy sex - sparked protests by dozens of students, including women's and gay rights groups.The task force, which included Rowan and other members of the Recorder staff, concluded that the paper had a right to print offensive material, but should strive to be sensitive to minority groups who have different perspectives than the paper's mostly white staff.................

THERE IS NOTHING FUNNY ABOUT BEING RAPED OR ABOUT A 14 YEAR OLD BEING LOCKED UP AND PISSED ON. NOTHING

mark your calendars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please cross-post.
2nd Annual Maple Farm Sanctuary Picnic Fundraiser
October 21, 2007 12p-5p 101 North Avenue Mendon, MA $10 admission fee includes:
Vegan food prepared by Dawn Herbele and Ken Yukimura of Fusion Cafe
Live music from vegan artists Joshua English, 27 and others
Special presentations by MFS founder Cheri Ezell and former political prisoner Peter Young
Silent auction
Guided sanctuary tours
and more...Maple Farm Sanctuary is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We are a farm animal sanctuary providing lifelong homes for abused, abandoned and unwanted farmed animals while promoting veganism and respect for all life through public information. Maple Farm Sanctuary has taken in a fraction of the billions of farmed animals that are bought, sold, tormented and slaughtered by the meat, dairy and fur industries. They live the remainder of their lives in peace, free to roam and meander the land.
www.maplefarmsanctuary.org www.myspace.com/maplefarmsanctuary

i worked very hard on this!

slide show

and i finally gave it to my friend nikki (as a wedding shower present). it didn't come out EXACTLY as the one on the cover of vogue knitting magazine's 25th anniversary issue. i used natural plant dyed cotton. it really was very easy to do, just time consuming. the part that took me the LONGEST was sewing the damn beads on AND then sewing each flower on individually. dang i HATED that (i do NOT sew)

oh i believe nicky epstein designed the scarf

free speech (especially for avery doninger)

this wrong MUST be righted

via cool justice report

Ten Poets & Writers For Avery Doninger At Free Speech Festival With Five Live Bands; Wally Lamb Tops Bill

FLYER ATTACHED; plz FORWARD at will
The Bistro East, Litchfield Inn1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007
Novelist Wally Lamb will be among 10 poets and writers reading from their works in a celebration honoring free speech freedom fighter Avery Doninger Sunday, Oct. 14, 2007 at the Litchfield Inn's Bistro East Ballroom. Also, other special guests might show up at the last moment.The event begins at 1 p.m. and includes live music by four high school bands. Hors d'oeuvres, cheese and fruit will be served and there will be a cash bar.Doninger, a senior at Lewis S. Mills High School in Burlington, has civil rights actions pending in the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City and U.S. District Court in New Haven. She and her mother, Lauren Doninger, sued Principal Karissa Niehoff and Superintendent Paula Schwartz after they removed Avery from the ballot for Class of 2008 secretary.Avery Doninger was among a group of four students who lobbied the community for support of an annual battle of the bands sponsored by the Student Council. Schwartz became very upset after taxpayers called her and she cancelled the event known as Jamfest. Doninger subsequently referred to administrators in a live journal blog as central office douchebags, and Schwartz's son found the posting a couple weeks later. While Avery Doninger was banned from school office, another student who called Schwartz a dirty whore was given an award and lauded for citizenship.School officials suppressed the write-in vote in which Doninger was elected by a plurality. Schwartz refused to accept Doninger's apology for her choice of words. During an assembly, Niehoff banned free-speech and Team Avery t-shirts and seized at least one shirt.The Doningers are seeking -- among other remedies -- an apology for civil rights violations, recognition of the write-in victory and sharing of the secretary position with the administration-backed candidate.U.S. District Judge Mark Kravitz denied a motion for a preliminary injunction and his ruling is being appealed to the Second Circuit...............

(more if you click the link above)

justice for billy

watch tv tonight and tomorrow morning

tonight during "without a trace" on cbs (hartford channel 3 regular and usually channel 2 on your cable box) there will be a very brief segment on billy smolinski, jr.
tomorrow morning on the early show (also cbs) at 7:18 am, the fbi will be discussing billy's case.



justice for billy

what ARE

you people thinking?

Perez wins Hartford primary

because not enough of our men and women are dying

da liebs wants to send more to their certain deaths (and worse)

Lieberman blames Iran for Iraq attacks, asks if invasion should be authorized

Nick Juliano
Update: Lieberman asks if Iraq war should be expanded 'in Iranian territory'
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, who is among the Senate's fiercest hawks, blamed Iran for the deaths of "hundreds of American troops," and claimed the US has evidence that Iran is training insurgents outside Tehran before sending them to Iraq. He asked whether the US should expand its invasion into Iran.
"Is it time to give you authority, in pursuit of your mission in Iraq, to pursue those Iranian Quds Force operations in Iranian territory, in order to protect Americas troops in Iraq," Lieberman (I-CT) asked at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.......

YOU elected him, YOU reign him in

picture: www.fema.gov/kids/images/k2k/cfi01.jpg

a new website

connecticut for animals

if you are unsure

the person who is following you or trying to pull you over is a police officer, drive (SLOWLY) to the nearest police station (or hospital). then you can let the person approach your vehicle. of course if they are in a fully MARKED police car then yeah, PULL OVER. if they are not, use your head, use good judgement. always be safe.

Man impersonating Milford police assaults woman ,
Milford (WTNH) _ Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a woman while pretending be a Milford police officer.
Police say the impersonator followed the victim in a gray Crown Victoria, with tinted windows and police lights, before pulling her over on North Street in Milford.
When the victim got out of her vehicle he used physical force and touched her inappropriately, then took off southbound down North street. The victim followed the man to Boston Post Road, but lost sight of him there.
The suspect is described as being a white male, standing about 6' tall and weighing 160 lbs. He has short cropped brown hair, brown eyes and no facial hair. ..................