please stop by star's blog

the enigmatic paradox.

The Enigmatic Paradox has launched a "Make a Difference: Help Defeat Johnson" counter-campaign, a drive to play a song supporting her challenger, Chris Murphy, on radio throughout the district.

da liebs was just on

nbc 30. i didn't hear the beginning OR the end (notice a pattern with me???) but what i DID hear was; HE WANTS TO SEND TWO TO THREE MORE TIMES THE TROOPS TO IRAQ

IS HE INSANE? i have nothing more to add (at this time)

more on a connecticut hero; george christian

to me, HE is a real patriot. HE knows the constitution is more than a mere piece of paper

A Patriotic Act

By JUNE SANDRA NEAL September 24 2006
On Feb. 15, 2005, someone walked into a Connecticut library, sat down at a computer and used the Internet from 4 to 4:45 p.m.Five months later, two FBI agents walked into George Christian's Windsor office and handed him a letter. It demanded "any and all subscriber information, billing information and access logs of any person or entity related to" the library computer's IP address on that February day.To Christian, executive director of the Library Connection, the scene seemed a G-man version of the Odd Couple: one agent dressed nattily in a blazer and tie; the other gruff, in a knit muscle shirt.And though the atmosphere of the meeting was tense, Christian suspected the FBI's demand wasn't its Priority No. 1."It was addressed to the wrong person; it was dated May 19, 2005, and it referred to an event that had taken place six months ago."The document they handed Christian was a national security letter, a piece of the Patriot Act few people had heard of at the time.Did Christian understand, the agents asked, that he could discuss the letter with no one?"I said I did, but I would like to speak to my lawyer.""Fine, have him give me a call," one agent said, and gave Christian his business card.Even the agent apparently didn't know that the order he had handed Christian prohibited the library executive from discussing it with anyone - including his organization's board of directors, his wife or even his own attorney.Had the national security letter been issued to someone else, it might have attracted little attention or created much stir as its recipient complied with its terms. But for Christian, whose agency oversees computer and other services for a consortium of 27 libraries around the state, it was a boot on his neck.For one thing, he knew that Connecticut is one of 48 states with a statute expressly protecting the confidentiality of library users. Secondly, the letter struck at the core of Christian's definition of a library: "The nation's most democratic institution that supports a free exchange of information.".........

guess who is NOT on this luncheon's guest list?

(me and i would imagine ned too)

Bush Enters On Cat Feet

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF September 24 2006
It's hard to imagine how a scheduled visit by the president of the United States could have a lower profile.Only 30 of Connecticut's most elite VIPs got invitations, not by mail but discreet phone call. The luncheon George W. Bush will attend in Greenwich Monday is so intimate that neither the White House nor state Republican Party will disclose where it will be or who is hosting it - except that it will be in a private home.But even when a fundraiser is wrapped in secrecy, the word spreads quickly among political insiders when the president is slipping into town and it'll cost $15,000 per couple to shake hands with him.Insiders say L. Scott Frantz, a 46-year-old investment banker, will host the lunch at his oceanfront estate in the Riverside section of Greenwich, a property that affords spectacular views of Long Island Sound.Frantz has contributed more than $150,000 to the GOP over the years but prides himself on being a low-key, out-of-the-spotlight fundraiser who does not flaunt his wealth............

and it's more like on WEASEL'S FEET not cat feel

superior court judge patricia harleston made a sound ruling in this case

in my most humble opinion. what these three former uconn students did was BEYOND WRONG. women are NOT objects to be used in this manner EVER

Former Student Denied Special Probation

By DAVID OWENS The Hartford Courant September 20 2006, 3:27 PM EDTVERNON -- A former University of Connecticut student charged in a bizarre incident in which he and two others are accused of ejaculating onto a female student while she slept, on Wednesday was denied a special form of probation that would have allowed him to avoid prison.Martin V. Piscottano, 20, of 72 Root Road, Somers, sought the special probation known as accelerated rehabilitation during a hearing Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Patricia Harleston. After more than 40 minutes of argument by Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Leaming, who opposed the probation, and Piscottano's lawyer, David Marder, Harleston ruled quickly."This is not an offense for which I can grant accelerated rehabilitation," Harleston said. "It's far too serious."For the first time, the University of Connecticut student who was ejaculated on while she slept in her dorm has made a public statement. It was read in court Wednesday during a hearing on whether one of the men, Martin Piscottano of Somers, should receive accelerated rehabilitation.In objecting to the special form of probation, the woman said, "I believe he needs to experience appropriate consequences in order to recognize the brutality of his actions and possibly prevent a similar incident in the future.…"........

mark your calendars for october 23rd

ned lamont and da liebs debate again. it will be broadcast on wtnh channel 8

Lieberman-Lamont debate sent for Oct. 23

NEW LONDON, Conn. --U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman and Democratic challenger Ned Lamont have agreed to a televised debate next month in New London, according to debate co-sponsor The Day newspaper.
The Oct. 23 debate, co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters, also will include Republican candidate Alan Schlesinger. It will be held at the Garde Arts Center and broadcast live on ABC affiliate WTNH-TV.
Lamont, a political newcomer, defeated beat Lieberman in the August Democratic primary. Lieberman, a three-term incumbent, is running as an independent............

a coyote bites a woman at a connecticut rest stop

that is VERY unusual. coyotes rarely if ever attack humans. i've seen coyotes (some in avon when i used to work there) and they sure don't stick around when they see or smell humans. (there's a little video if you click on the link)

Connecticut Coyote Bites New York Woman At Rest Stop


BRANFORD, Conn. -- A New York woman is receiving rabies shots after being bitten by a coyote at a rest stop along Interstate 95.
The animal had been hanging around the McDonald's restaurant at the rest stop and was being fed by employees, authorities said.
The bite victim, Maria Gicana, a nurse from Queens, said she was driving home from Cape Cod with her boyfriend Sunday night when they stopped at the rest area. She was walking toward the restaurant when the animal attacked her from behind, biting her on the back of her knee...........

a shout out to aaron jackson

Ex-NW Catholic Star Called Hero

Jackson Wounded In Shooting Of 5 Duquesne Basketball Players On Pittsburgh Campus
By MATT EAGAN Courant Staff Writer September 18 2006

A former All-State guard at Northwest Catholic was one of five Duquesne University basketball players shot on the school's Pittsburgh campus early Sunday.Aaron Jackson of Hartford, who was shot in the hand, was treated and released from Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, but three of his teammates remained hospitalized Sunday night, at least one in critical condition. "I don't think it's hit him yet," said John Mirabello, who coached Jackson for four years at Northwest Catholic and spoke with him by phone Sunday. "I don't think it will hit for a while."Mirabello said he heard about the shootings around noon Sunday and immediately called Duquesne coach Ron Everhart, who is entering his first season at the school."All I heard was five players shot and two in critical condition, it didn't say who," Mirabello said. "[Everhart] was great. He called me back and he said, `Aaron is a hero.'"According to information Mirabello gathered from conversations with Jackson and Everhart, Jackson covered one of his teammates while shots were still being fired. He then applied pressure - possibly turning a T-shirt into a makeshift tourniquet - to a teammate's wounds before leaving to get his car...............

someone else opened their eyes and FINALLY saw the light

there is NO denying da liebs would take us in the WRONG direction. no doubt in MY mind

Major State Union Switches To Lamont
AFSCME Council 4 Drops Lieberman, Citing Movement Toward Bush Policies
September 18, 2006 By MARK PAZNIOKAS, Courant Staff Writer

One of the state's largest labor unions has dropped its endorsement of U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman and switched its support to Democratic primary winner Ned Lamont.The switch by Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gives Lamont his biggest boost from organized labor since the primary.

Sal Luciano, the executive director of Council 4, announced the endorsement Sunday, saying that the union wants to see a congressional delegation able to stand up to the Bush administration."Since the Aug. 8 primary, we paid close attention to the remarks of both men," Luciano said. "We saw Joe Lieberman moving closer and closer to Bush, while Ned Lamont held firm in his strong opposition to the direction Bush is taking us.".........

mushrooms and a flower

guess whos car is parked in a handicapped spot at fairfield university?

this was taken from lamontblog

this says it ALL

Bloomberg to campaign for Lieberman

HARTFORD, Conn. --Republican New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will host a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman at the mayor's Upper East Side town house, Lieberman's campaign announced Sunday night.
Lieberman, who lost the Democratic primary to Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, is running for re-election as an independent, a move that has alienated many Democrats.
Dan Gerstein, a spokesman for Lieberman's campaign, said the fundraiser will be held on Nov. 1 and will be co-chaired another Republican, New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, and former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch.
Bloomberg also will appear with Lieberman's wife, Hadassah, at an Oct. 25 fundraiser in Chicago and is hoping to do another appearance on Lieberman's behalf in Connecticut, Gerstein said.
"Sen. Lieberman is extremely grateful to Mayor Bloomberg for being so generous with his time," Gerstein said. "The mayor is renowned as a leader who puts people ahead of politics and gets things done for his constituents and his support and validation mean a lot to our campaign."
Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser said the mayor is looking forward to helping Lieberman.
"The mayor thinks the world of Sen. Lieberman, because he speaks his mind and does what he thinks is right," Loeser said............


of course da liebs is calling for 'unity' AND he went off on people who went off on those who opposed the war. he's just doing everything in his power to try to get more votes (well everyone running does that in all fairness). however, da liebs is punching below the belt on this one.

children

This is not a story about Matthew Costa and Justin Brady. This is a story dedicated to Justin and Matthew. I didn't know them. After reading about them, I would have liked to have known them, but now it is too late. They both died tragically in a boating accident on the Niger River in Mali. Matthew was from my home state Connecticut (and somehow his death has profoundly effected me) and Justin was from Oregon. Both young men were Peace Corps volunteers. It is evident to me both young men cared about the condition of the world and those inhabiting it. It is also evident to me if we had more Matthews and Justins we would certainly be living in a far far different and MUCH BETTER world.

So to Matthew and Justin I say thank you for your hearts and thank you for your service to the world.

What this story IS about is children. Children forced into doing such horrid things one cannot even imagine. Children forced to give up their education, their homes, their families and their lives. Children who cannot ever possibly recover from the nightmares that they have lived. CHILDREN OF WAR.

Did you know there are at least 43,000,000 children from at least 30 countries, who, because of war have been prevented from going to school? Did you know their schools have been either destroyed or commandeered and their teachers driven out OR killed? Did you know in 2003, more than half of armed conflicts had children under 15 as combatants? Did you know that in just ONE country alone, the "Democratic" Republic of the Congo, more than 5 million children between the ages of 6 and 11 are out of school and more than 6 million under the age of 17 have NEVER been to school?

War leaves 43 million children without education, study finds

Save the Children


Did you know that even when families are helped with money to assist with their children's schooling, that money sometimes doesn't get used for schooling? Oh, it's wasted on things like groceries and seeds to plant so the family can actually LIVE.

Cut Off, Gazan Economy Nears Collapse

Few here are using the United Nations grants for school. The Abu Reziqs are
carefully investing the rest of their relief money. More than $20 went straight
to the local grocer, Tamam said, as a down payment on the credit extended to the
family, which still owes more than $200. About $11 went to buy the ingredients,
including two chickens, for the couscous dish that Tamam and her daughter,
Fatma, 29, are making early this morning, kneading relief agency flour in big
aluminum bowls, pouring in relief agency oil, rubbing the flour over a screen to
get the right consistency.
The result will serve 15 people, Tamam said. “We
want to feed the people who helped us with the land,” she said, and some of
their neighbors, even worse off than they.

Did you know in Uganda (and I am imagining it as one of THE most evil places on earth) the people are willing to forgive and forget the perveyors of this evil in order to get on with their lives? Did you know children there are forced to not only pick up arms and fight against their own brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts and mothers and fathers BUT they are forced to "slice off lips and pound newborn babies to death in wooden mortars, as though they were grinding grain". Can you even fathom something like that? Did you know the leader of this mayhem, Joseph Kony has over 60 ABDUCTED child brides?

Uganda Peace Hinges on Amnesty for Brutality

"I would like you to give a message. Please do your best to tell the world what
is happening to us, the children. So that other children don't have to pass
through this violence."
The 15-year-old girl who ended an interview to
Amnesty International with this plea was forcibly abducted at night from her
home by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), an armed opposition movement fighting
the Ugandan Government. She was made to kill a boy who tried to escape. She saw
another boy being hacked to death for not raising the alarm when a friend ran
away. She was beaten when she dropped a water container and ran for cover under
gunfire. She received 35 days of military training and was sent to fight the
government army.
The use of children as soldiers has been universally
condemned as abhorrent and unacceptable. Yet over the last ten years hundreds of
thousands of children have fought and died in conflicts around the world.

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers

I could keep on linking article after article. There is no need. What there IS a need for is us putting an end to war. War here or war there. War that the United States is fighting or war in a country we have never heard of. Our children have to be protected and cherished NOT made to fear and fight. Our children should be the Matthews and Justins of the world. They did something. They cared. And as I said and as I know, thanks to Matthew and Justin the world is just a tiny bit better for their having lived in it.

pictures: terredeshommes.org, worldrevolution.org, un.org, child-soldier.org, bbc.co.uk

don't eat fresh bagged spinich

of course i had a salad yesterday at work that had fresh spinich in it.

Spinach tainted with E.coli sold in Conn.


(Washington-AP, Sept. 14, 2006 Updated 10:25 PM) _ An outbreak of E. coli in eight states has left at least one person dead and 50 others sick, federal health officials said Thursday in warning consumers nationwide not to eat bagged fresh spinach.
The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 others were made ill, said Dr. David Acheson of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The outbreak has sickened others -- eight of them seriously -- in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah.
In California, state health officials were investigating a possible case that could be linked to the outbreak and warned consumers not to eat the produce.
FDA officials do not know the source of the outbreak other than it appears to be linked to bagged fresh spinach. "We're advising people not to eat it," Acheson said. ..........

quite a gimmick these 'pastors' got goin' here

but hey, who am i to judge (you can't see me but i have a wicked smile on my lips)


Starving Jesus Hits Storrs
'Forty Days Of Nothing Tour' Inspires Christians

Gary Parkosewich
Posted: 9/12/06 J.R. Mahon has been chained to a pew for the past month without ever nibbling on a breadcrumb.The pastor of the Christian anti-pornography organization XXXChurch.com, who also brought National Porn Sunday to UConn last fall, stopped at St. Paul's Collegiate Church at Storrs on Sunday as part of the Starving Jesus Tour. The day marked the 36th of the 40-day trip touring 40 different cities nationwide.Mahon, along with fellow XXXChurch.com pastor Craig Gross, who was absent from the Storrs stopover, says they have been fasting throughout the entire ride. No food, except for a steady diet of juice and water.In the midst of this tour, Mahon has chained his ankle to a scratched-up wooden church pew, as a means to symbolize what he says is the lack of action the church takes in helping its community. The tour in Storrs also featured a short showing of Dave the Horn Guy, a recent contestant on the NBC show, "America's Got Talent."............

stop by the new britain museum of american art today september 11th

Graydon Parrish, The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001, 2001-2006, oil on canvas, 8 x 18’, Charles F. Smith Fund and the family of Scott O’Brien, a native of New Britain, who died in the attack.
and remember those lost

Art museum to host 9/11 exhibit
By: Scott Whipple , Special to Imprint Newspapers
NEW BRITAIN - New Britain native Scott O'Brien was in the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. He was there to set up a computer software trade show exhibit on the 106th floor.
The last communica-tion from him was a telephone call to his wife, Kelly and his two children. He told them he was waiting to be rescued.On Sept. 9 and Sept. 11 the New Britain Museum of American Art will mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11 with events commemorating O'Brien and the attack on the World Trade Center.The museum has acquired an 8 x 18 foot oil painting on canvas, "The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001" now on view in the museum's new Chase Family Building. The painting by Graydon Parrish of Amherst, Mass. was funded by the museum and family of Scott O'Brien. The O'Brien family has been involved in the New Britain school system for years. Scott's father was a principal for 35 years; his mother, an elementary school teacher; his sister is a special ed teacher at New Britain High School; his twin brother teaches school in Hamden.Parrish will offer his personal comments about his work on Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. The painting took four years to complete. A reception follows his talk, which is free with museum admission.On Sept. 11, the museum will offer free admission to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can view the painting and reflect on the significance of the day. Normally the museum is closed Mondays...........

the new britain museum of american art

part of the title of the courant article is

marines don't cry

if they don't on the outside, i think they do on the inside


On The Ground With Charlie Company: Arlington National Cemetery Stoic In Devotion `Marines Don't Cry'
By JESSE HAMILTON Courant Staff Writer September 10 2006 ARLINGTON, Va. -- Marines don't smile.It's strength they want to show now, as they stand in this field of white marble markers. Strength for Cpl. Jordan Pierson. Strength for his family. Utterly unruffled.So they watch without expression as their friend's casket is prepared for the grave. They stand, their mirror-polished shoes on Arlington National Cemetery grass, the brass buttons on their dress blues shining, each face a solemn mask. The way they were taught."Marines don't smile," one of the Marines from Charlie Company had said that morning at the hotel.Not that there's any cause to smile here, in one of the country's most somber places, where markers bearing the names of the latest conflicts have filled new swaths of land in the five years since 9/11. The Marines stand behind a crowd from Connecticut and greet the rifle volleys with stoic faces. They don't flinch at the 24 notes of taps, which wrench a fresh round of sobs from Pierson's friends and family.Most of the Marines in the group volunteered to drive more than 300 miles for this hourlong ceremony. They didn't have to be here. But it was an easy choice. Of course they want to see this to the end. Pierson deserves it.So, these Marine reservists from the Plainville-based unit - most of them kept back from the company's deployment to Iraq for medical reasons - stand as symbols and reminders for Pierson's people. This is what Pierson was, their quiet presence shouts. He was part of something serious and had won a place in a fraternity that makes a try at transcending death.The Marines, who don't smile.But of course, they do............


connecticut's war dead

matthew costa

someone who volunteered for PEACE. i didn't know him, but i'll bet i would have liked him



Peace Corps Volunteer From Cheshire Dies In West Africa

CHESHIRE, Conn. -- A Cheshire man volunteering with the Peace Corps in West Africa has died after he was electrocuted in a boating accident there.
His funeral is scheduled to take place Sunday in Hartford.
Matthew Costa, 24, a 1999 graduate of Cheshire High School, was killed Sept. 3 while sailing on the Niger River in the nation of Mali, his family and Peace Corps officials said this week............

which do YOU like better?

Rumsfeld Handshake Proves Popular


With Defense Secretary Rumsfeld making “appeasement” the big buzzword of the month, the George Washington University’s National Security Archive notes that its single most-downloaded file is now the once-classified batch of documents, photos and video documenting Rumsfeld’s handshake and meeting with Saddam Hussein in December 1983. President Reagan had sent Rumsfeld to Baghdad to help restore diplomatic ties with Iraq and aid Baghdad in its fight against Iran

“Rumsfeld meeting Saddam has now far outpaced the previous winner, which was Elvis meeting Nixon,” says Thomas Blanton, director of the archive, which collects and posts significant declassified documents under the Freedom of Information Act............

(The National Security Archive
Saddam Hussein greets Rumsfeld in Baghdad, 1983)

i guess they didn't listen to their math teachers

who said math indeed would come into play later

1 + 1 = 2 NOT 1

U.S. count of Baghdad deaths excludes car bombs, mortar attacks

By Mark Brunswick and Zaineb Obeid McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. officials, seeking a way to measure the results of a program aimed at decreasing violence in Baghdad, aren't counting scores of dead killed in car bombings and mortar attacks as victims of the country's sectarian violence.
In a distinction previously undisclosed, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson said Friday that the United States is including in its tabulations of sectarian violence only deaths of individuals killed in drive-by shootings or by torture and execution.
That has allowed U.S. officials to boast that the number of deaths from sectarian violence in Baghdad declined by more than 52 percent in August over July.
But it eliminates from tabulation huge numbers of people whose deaths are certainly part of the ongoing conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Not included, for example, are scores of people who died in a highly coordinated bombing that leveled an entire apartment building in eastern Baghdad, a stronghold of rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Johnson declined to provide an actual number for the U.S. tally of August deaths or for July, when the Baghdad city morgue counted a record 1,855 violent deaths.
Violent deaths for August, a morgue official told McClatchy Newspapers on Friday, totaled 1,526, a 17.7 percent decline from July and about the same as died violently in June. ...........

i wonder how much this senate report cost???

WE knew this all along. it was OBVIOUS. we the people have to speak out. OUST this administration, the king and his court. they are liars and profiteers who care NOTHING for the people of america. NOTHING.

Senate: Saddam saw al-Qaida as threat


By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 8, 7:48 PM ET
Saddam Hussein regarded al-Qaida as a threat rather than a possible ally, a Senate report says, contradicting assertions President Bush has used to build support for the war in Iraq.
Released Friday, the report discloses for the first time an October 2005 CIA assessment that before the war, Saddam's government "did not have a relationship, harbor or turn a blind eye toward" al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his associates.
Saddam told U.S. officials after his capture that he had not cooperated with Osama bin Laden even though he acknowledged that officials in his government had met with the al-Qaida leader, according to FBI summaries cited in the Senate report.
"Saddam only expressed negative sentiments about bin Laden," Tariq Aziz, the Iraqi leader's top aide, told the FBI.
The report also faults intelligence gathering in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion.
As recently as an Aug. 21 news conference, Bush said people should "imagine a world in which you had Saddam Hussein" with the capacity to make weapons of mass destruction and "who had relations with Zarqawi."
Democrats contended that the administration continues to use faulty intelligence, including assertions of a link between Saddam's government and the recently killed al-Zarqawi, to justify the war in Iraq.
They also said, in remarks attached to Friday's Senate Intelligence Committee document, that former CIA Director George Tenet had modified his position on the terrorist link at the request of administration policymakers..........

...............In June 2004, Bush defended Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that Saddam had "long-established ties" with al-Qaida. "Zarqawi is the best evidence of connection to al-Qaida affiliates and al-Qaida," the president said.
The report concludes that postwar findings do not support a 2002 intelligence report that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program, possessed biological weapons or had ever developed mobile facilities for producing biological warfare agents.
"The report is a devastating indictment of the Bush-Cheney administration's unrelenting, misleading and deceptive attempts to convince the American people that Saddam Hussein was linked with al-Qaida," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., a member of the committee. ............

douglas graveline

we're happy you are home mr gaveline!

East Hartford Marine Receives Purple Heart

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- A 21-year-old marine from East Hartford received a purple heart Thursday for his bravery.
Douglas Graveline was driving a tank in Fallujah on Dec. 20, when enemy forces bombed the vehicle.
He said he remembers nothing about the incident. He was knocked unconscious almost immediately and woke up in the hospital with serious injuries............................

and this previous post on the whole family........

a shout out to this family

japanalia eiko

has opened a store in back of the cvs on farmington avenue (actually it's on whitney street) in hartford. it's called japanalia on one

their grand opening was yesterday (i didn't attend) but i stopped by today early afternoon. WONDERFUL clothing, WONDERFUL bargains.

i got a denim swing jacket (i'm planning on sewing a knitted patch of some kind on the back. that will come MUCH later, the holidays are fast approaching and i have to concentrate on making things for others), a shirt AND the most wonderful cape-type thing. it is not something i can describe. it's made out of fleece (mine is deep green) and is just all slit up. i will take a picture of it soon. it's something i actually had in mind to make out of felt, but that would take forever (hand made felt of course) and cost a small fortune. the original price of the cape type object DID cost a small fortune BUT i got it marked down AND i got an additional discount for paying in cash (or check. just through tomorrow, saturday)

if you're in the hood, stop by and check them out. VERY unique clothing. very wicked cool woman working there as well

i can certainly attest to the traffic problems in hartford

due to the accident on i-84 yesterday (thursday) afternoon. i left work sometime between 2 and 2:30 and was driving west on farmington avenue. the traffic coming east on farmington avenue (diverted from the highway) was HORRENDOUS. there were all sorts of cops at intersections (sisson avenue was closed to traffic coming FROM farmington avenue, but open going ON to farmington avenue. nasty nasty nasty. tons of tractor trailers. what a MESS. i did stop at the half door for a beverage and a bowl of soup and watched all of the irate drivers on sisson.). the line of cars extended all the way from hartford into west hartford. i hear capitol avenue was no better off either. to those families and friends of the injured and killed, my thoughts go out to you. (there was also an accident on the berlin turnpike i believe)

Serious Accidents Snarl I-84, Route 15

The Hartford Courant September 7 2006, 7:06 PM EDT Police reported two major accidents Thursday afternoon - a fatal crash on Interstate 84 East in Hartford and a collision with a critical injury on Route 15 North in Berlin.Both highways were closed until the accidents were cleared.Investigators are still releasing very few details, but said a man was severely injured when he was hit by a tractor trailer around 2:15 p.m. on Route 15. Northbound traffic backed up quickly, and police advised motorists during the rush hour to take alternate routes.Traffic on Interstate 84 East in Hartford and surrounding streets was snarled for hours this afternoon after a multi-vehicle accident resulted in the closure of all lanes and claimed the life of one person, officials said.The accident was reported to authorities about noon on I-84 East between exits 46 and 48.Most of the traffic exited the highway onto Capitol, Farmington, Sisson avenues, and South Whitney Street, only to find that Hartford Police officers were controlling the traffic signals on those city streets, officials confirmed. Twelve Hartford traffic officers were directing traffic that backed up on the city streets............

what the HELL is up with this woman???

what the hell was she thinking? well i guess in this case, she wasn't thinking AT ALL

Mom Tangles With Cop At Manchester School
By JIM FARRELL The Hartford Courant September 6 2006, 3:23 PM EDT
MANCHESTER -- A police officer was injured when he tried to stop a mother who officers say refused to cooperate as she raced to drop her child off at school this morning.The woman stopped her vehicle briefly, but then rolled up her window on the policeman's arm and drove 80 feet as he ran alongside to avoid being dragged, according to a police report.Sol Marie Perez, 32, of 151 School St., faces charges including reckless endangerment, assault on a police officer, traveling too fast in a school zone and two counts of risk on injury to a minor.Her two children, ages 7 and 13, were in the car with her, according to police, who said Officer Bernie Hallums suffered bruises to his upper right bicep and abrasions to his right hand and wrist."It's unfortunate," said Troy Monroe, the principal at Illing Middle School, which on Wednesday put new traffic enforcement policies into effect because of severe congestion in the parking lot on Tuesday, which was the first day of classes. "The new policy prevents parents and guardians from entering the lot between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., with police instead directing drivers toward traffic cones designating a drop-off zone on East Middle Turnpike..........

my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Pfc. Nicholas A. Madaras

HARTFORD, Conn. --An Army private from Wilton was killed Sunday in Iraq when an explosive device blew up near his patrol, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
Pfc. Nicholas A. Madaras, 19, died in Baqubah when the bomb detonated near his patrol, which was dismounted, military officials said. He was the third member of the military from Connecticut to be killed in Iraq since Aug. 25.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered that U.S. and state flags remain at half staff to honor Madaras and Marine Lance Cpl. Philip A. Johnson, 19, of Enfield, who was also killed Sunday in Iraq.
Madaras was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Carson, Colo.
"This is a tremendously sad day for Connecticut," Rell said in a statement. "In fact, combined with our recent loss of Marine Cpl. Jordan Pierson, the past several days have been very sad ones for the people of our state."
Johnson was killed Sunday morning with one other Marine as his unit was traveling from Ramadi, family spokesman Ron Jackman said. Pierson, 21, of Milford, was killed Aug. 25. in Al Anbar province when he was shot during combat operations.
Pierson was to be buried Wednesday in Arlington National Cemetery.
Madaras' family declined to comment Tuesday. Funeral arrangements were pending...........

log cabin baby blanket (three stages so far)

i'm making for my boss and his wife. i'd best hurry, little noah was born this weekend.

i am mostly using kettle dyed malabrigo merino i got at sit-n-knit in west hartford center. the colors are wonderful and the yarn is fairly soft as well. the middle square is a lumpy bumpy mix of wool and silk. i do NOT recommend using this type of yarn for log cabin knitting. the stitches are very hard to pick up (so i'm not going to repeat it's use). i think i'm going to use some lovely noro i have to do some embroidery (chain stitch i think) where the yarns join. i think i'm also going to single crochet the noro around the completed blanket as a border.


update update update: FINISHED BLANKET

monday september 5th - shrooms and stumps

well it's tuesday now, but these were taken yesterday afternoon

just a caution if you use atm machines

(i actually use this one from time to time. not often, it's not my bank but the location is convenient to me. of course i'm only going to use atms in well lit areas with people around and ONLY during the day)

West Hartford Police Search For Robbers

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- West Hartford police are searching for two men they said tried to force people to withdraw money from an ATM at the Sovereign Bank.
They are looking for a white male, approximately 17-18 years old, about 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 6 inches tall who has short black spiked hair. He was wearing a red and white short-sleeved shirt and jeans. He had a bandana over his face. The other suspect was described as a 6-foot -ta ll black male in his early 20s with a muscular build. The suspect was described as having no facial hair, having a bald or shaven head, wearing a blank tank top, white belt, black jeans and a black winter hat on his head.
Police said they tried to force victims to withdraw money but no money was obtained

my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Lance Cpl. Philip Alexander Johnson

Marine from Enfield killed in Iraq
September 4, 2006
ENFIELD, Conn. --A 19-year-old Marine from Enfield was killed in Iraq over the weekend, a family friend confirmed Monday night.
Lance Cpl. Philip Alexander Johnson died Sunday morning with one other Marine as his unit was traveling from Ramadi, family spokesman Ron Jackman said.
Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad, is considered one of Iraq's most dangerous cities and is patrolled by hundreds of Marines. The Marines are confined to bases during the day and return to the streets at night.
His parents, Louis and Kathy Johnson, were notified by the military Sunday night, Jackman said. Jackman said Johnson apparently was killed in a roadside attack.
A Pentagon spokesman said more information on the details of his death would be released Tuesday. The Department of Defense policy is to make details available 24 hours after the family has been notified.
Johnson is the second Marine from Connecticut to die in Iraq in just over a week. Cpl. Jordan Pierson, 21, of Milford, was killed Aug. 25. A memorial service for Pierson was held Monday. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
A 2005 graduate of Enfield High School, Johnson was fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a Marine, said those who knew him. He joined the Westover Young Marines when he was 11 and remained with the unit through high school.
"He started real early, which gave him a big heads up on everybody," Jackman said.................

senator dodd, i don't like bolton either

yet another choice by king george and his court, who is an embarrassment to the united states of america

Dodd Fights To Get Bolton Out Of U.N.

By DAVID LIGHTMAN Washington Bureau Chief September 4 2006 WASHINGTON -- John Bolton has been the public face and voice of the United States during the recent crises in the Middle East and Iran. Beginning this week, Sen. Christopher Dodd will renew his dogged campaign to get that face out of the picture.Bolton, the United States ambassador to the United Nations for the past year, has not been confirmed formally for the job by the U. S. Senate, and members will try again when they return from their summer recess today.But Dodd, who almost always goes along with administration nominees from either party, has been a fierce critic of Bolton for years, and does not plan to let up.He intends to address the Senate Democratic Caucus to make his case, make a speech to the full Senate and argue against approval by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it meets Thursday."My objection isn't that he's a bully," said Dodd, D-Conn., when Bolton appeared before the committee recently, "but that he's been an ineffective bully and can't win the day when it really counts."Mr. Bolton clearly has an aversion, in my view, to being diplomatic or to building consensus for U. S. positions," Dodd went on, "and that is deeply troubling to me."Dodd's view has strong support among Democrats and some interest groups. "I've never seen a more weird public figure than John Bolton. He is the complete ideologue," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs...........

it's time for a visit to

behind the blue wall

a million voices for darfur

my friend paulie sent this to me and i thought i'd share:

Dear Friend,I am writing to let you know I just signed a postcard to President Bush asking him to take action to stop the genocide in Darfur.Will you join me?Visit http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/ to send your postcard today!Right now a campaign of rape, slaughter and displacement is currently being carried out in the western region of Sudan, the largest country in Africa. Government-supported troops have displaced 2.5 million people in the past two years, hundreds of thousands have died due to attacks, disease and starvation, and it is estimated that 500 men, women and children continue to die every day. You can make a difference today by sending a postcard to President Bush at http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/We must put pressure on our national leaders to take immediate action. President Bush and the United States Congress have recognized the situation in Darfur as "genocide," but it will take much more than words to end the violence and suffering in Darfur. In fact this recognition imposes a legal obligation, let alone the inherent moral obligation, upon the U.S. to take action to stop the genocide.Visit http://www.MillionVoicesForDarfur.org to send your postcard today!If our leaders made Darfur a priority, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved. Please join me in calling for immediate attention to Darfur and more robust action on behalf of the U.S. to support security efforts in the region. Visit http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/ to send an online postcard to President Bush and to learn more about what is happening in Darfur and what you can do to help.Please also join us to rally in Washington, DC on April 30th. For more information on this Save Darfur: Rally to Stop Genocide visit http://www.savedarfur.org/Rally

cowl for erin

my friend erin is going to france until christmas eve. i made her this cowl to keep her warm on those windy french nights (while sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping on some powers IF she can find it). i used a combo of wool and silk for most of it and some baby alpaca here and there. i got the yarn at sit-n-knit in west hartford center (i LOVE it there)

cpl jordan pierson

An Empty Space

Charlie Company Marine's Death Leaves His Family Reaching For Meaning
By JESSE HAMILTON Courant Staff Writer August 29 2006 MILFORD -- The photos on the coffee table are like puzzle pieces, a thick stack of 4-by-6-inch hints about the Jordan Pierson his family couldn't know.There's one that shows the street that runs past the main cemetery in Fallujah, Iraq. Next, the view from the rooftop guard post on the edge of the compound where Cpl. Pierson was becoming a battle-hardened Marine. And dozens more, freezing the dusty faces of Plainville's Charlie Company against the monochromatic backdrop of Fallujah.Somewhere within these images is the man and boy his family knew, whose body is expected to arrive today on U.S. soil, a middle step in Pierson's long journey home.In the living room of his family's house in Milford, the wiry corporal's dress uniform hangs from a door. It had awaited his return, maybe in late October, just in time to attend his unit's Marine Corps ball. He had asked that it be ready for him, just as he had been planning his University of Connecticut class load. Pierson, 21, was looking to get his life together after seven months at war.On Friday, the news that he had been shot to death on a foot patrol in Fallujah broke this home open like an ant hill, leaving his family still hurrying purposelessly from room to room on Sunday, powerless to repair the breach.There is food to eat - so much that neighbors are making space in their refrigerators. People keep bringing it, their offering for the impenetrable grief that is settling in. Aunts, friends, his mother and grandmother sit around the dining table exercising their memories, stamping their versions of Jordan's unruly youth into the family record..........

and from 1st sgt grainger; Saddened hearts

Saddened hearts
Sunday, Aug. 27 -- It’s with a saddened heart that I returned to Charlie Company last night as we have lost a great Marine to the rigors of combat in Iraq: Cpl Jordan Pierson. Cpl Pierson had been a bright spot in his platoon, in a place that can take the softest of hearts into a void of darkness. Even when the gloom of combat reached deep in a man's soul, Cpl Pierson could bring the Marine back to a sense of purpose, a sense of why we were here, and that we were making a difference. Cpl Pierson was destined not to only be a Marine, but a leader among Marines. He fostered a sense of caring for Marines while still embodying all it meant to be a Marine. .......

we have a chance to donate supplies to louisiana school nurses

let's DO it! in the greater hartford area, a drop off point is the hartford armory.

Connecticut To Collect Supplies For Louisiana School Nurses

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The state will begin collecting health care supplies this week to help school nurses and school-based health clinics in Louisiana.
The new charity drive comes a year after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast.
"Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. The images we have seen on television and newspapers remind us that the Gulf states, especially Louisiana and Mississippi, are a long way from full recovery and are still rebuilding," Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a written statement. "Connecticut again stands ready to help in any way we can."
The list of supplies being collected includes new, unopened boxes of bandages, calamine lotion, cotton balls, dental floss, flashlights and batteries, gauze and gauze rollers, facial tissue, gloves, cotton swabs, liquid soap in a pump, adhesive tape, thermometers, tongue depressors and tweezers.
Rell and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco spoke last week. Blanco told Rell her state needs to restock school nurses' offices for the start of the new school year. Rell said her staff has also contacted the Mississippi governor's office.
The following Connecticut National Guard armories have been designated as drop-off sites for the supplies: State Armory at 360 Broad St. in Hartford; New Haven Armory at 290 Goffe St.; New London Armory at 249 Bayonet St.; Norwich Armory at 38 Stott Ave.; Stratford Armory at 63 Armory Road; and the Waterbury Armory at 64 Field St.
The supplies will be collected from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 31 through Sept. 8. The armories will be closed, however, during Labor Day weekend.

an invite extended to da liebs (to chomp down on a weenie perhaps)

i seriously doubt he'll show, but it was rather nice of of the greenwich democrats to invite da liebs to their picnic. i wouldn't have

DTC meal may get real messy Town party invites Lieberman to picnic

By Neil Vigdor Staff Writer August 27, 2006 Joe Lieberman will get an invitation to next month's Democratic picnic in rival Ned Lamont's hometown of Greenwich, but it could be no picnic if he shows up."I hope he comes. I think it'll give an opportunity for many of us to vent our anger," said Peter Berg, a Democratic Town Commitee member and Lamont supporter.Lieberman, who lost the Aug. 8 Senate primary to Lamont, has been ostracized by many in his own party for continuing the race as a petitioning candidate. His critics say his decision to mount an independent candidacy shows utter contempt for the party and its primary process.Some of them even debated whether the 18-year incumbent should be invited to party events such as the picnic, which will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Greenwich Civic Center in Old Greenwich."Even though many of us are unhappy with Senator Lieberman, he is still a Democratic officeholder," said Jim Himes, the DTC chairman............

my thoughts and prayers go to the family of Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson

Marine from Milford killed in Iraq
August 26, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. --A marine from Connecticut was killed in combat Friday in Iraq, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Saturday.
Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson, 21, of Milford, died during combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division in Plainville.
No additional information was immediately available.
Pierson was the second marine from the 25th Marine Regiment to be killed in three weeks. Lance Cpl. Kurt Dechen, 24, of Springfield, Vt., was on a foot patrol in Fallujah, Iraq, on Aug. 3 when his unit came under fire and he was shot.
Thirty-two servicemen and women and civilians with Connecticut ties have died since March 2002 in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pierson and another serviceman were hit with shrapnel earlier this year after a grenade exploded near them, The Hartford Courant reported in May.
Roberto Diaz, of Manchester, said he trained with Pierson in California and last saw him nine months ago.
"He was an excellent marine," he said. "He did his job to the fullest."

and from the courant

Marine From State Fatally Shot In Iraq

By HILDA MUÑOZ And TINA A. BROWNCourant Staff WritersAugust 27 2006A U.S. Marine corporal from Milford died from hostile gunfire Friday while on foot patrol in Fallujah, the U.S. Defense Department said Saturday.Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson, 21, was shot once through the shoulder and died at 12:12 p.m. Iraqi time, according to Lt. Col. Gerald Larghe, commander of the U.S. Marine Center in Plainville, where Pierson's company - Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 25th Marines - is based. He became the third Marine with ties to the company to be killed in action since the unit was deployed in March.Pierson joined the U.S. Marine Corps in December 2003. He was wounded in the arms and legs by shrapnel from an insurgent grenade in May. He was treated at Camp Fallujah and awarded the Purple Heart.A full-time student at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Pierson postponed his studies to go to Iraq, military officials said. The unit is scheduled to return to Connecticut in October.Milford Mayor James L. Richetelli Jr. visited Pierson's family Saturday. "I expressed the condolences from the city of Milford," he said. "Once the time comes, this city will remember him in a big way. We are known as a small city with a big heart." .............

down with tyranny

this was left in the comments section of my posting (referred from the enigmatic paradox) entitled 'have you had enough'. i wanted to post the whole response. if you see it in your heart to make a contribution to the blue cause, the link is below.


Thanks very much for posting the lyrics and offering the download. Please accept my gratitude. The whole story of how Rickie Lee Jones and the 2 guys from The Squirrel Nut Zippers (Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher) came to record the song is here at Down With Tyranny. We're doing our best to get it on the radio so people start to get familiar with it and we've offered it for free download at MySpace.com/haveyouhadenough/ (and in 2 weeks it will be available for free on all the big digital services). The goal, though is a little more involved. We've made 30 second radio spots out of the song. For targeted districts, with particularly terrible incumbents and particularly excellent challengers (like Jerry McNerney taking on Dick Pombo in CA-11 and Vic Wulsin taking on Mean Jean Schmidt on OH-02) we've replaced the line "it's time to throw the rascals out" with "it's time to throw Pombo out" and "it's time to throw Mean Jean out."The districts we're targeting can all be called "dollar a holla" media markets. A very little bit of money can go a relatively long way. Our hope is to get our ads up on the radio during October. We're trying to raise $250,000, not just for these two districts but for as many of the Blue America candidates as we can help. The list is here: http://www.actblue.com/page/blueamerica/ And that is also a place where, if you think it's worthwhile, you can chip in some money too. Even $10, if enough people chip in, will be incredibly helpful.It's been a real grassroots project from Day One and now supporters of candidates are doing remixes and making video clips and spreading it virally. This week a supporter of Coleen Rowley sent me a little video he made, which is up on YouTube. It's cute: http://homepage.mac.com/mmcintee/hadenough/iMovieTheater115.html/I'm sure you know Bush and his rubber stamp Congress aren't going away of their own accord. We can expect terror alerts and God knows what else from them to sway a voting public that has become increasingly disgusted with them. It makes people feel good to take part in ousting them and freeing themselves. Thanks for any help you can give and please don't hesitate to send me suggestions. Howie Klein downwithtyranny@aol.com

why would a 21 year old sailor

steal information off of a military laptop and try to sell it to a foreign government? there IS no sound reason is the answer. something doesn't sit right about this story

Oregon sailor to face court-martial on espionage

By Michael Felberbaum, Associated Press Writer August 26, 2006
RICHMOND, Va. --A sailor accused of taking a Navy laptop loaded with classified information and peddling its contents to a foreign government will face a court-martial, the Navy said Friday.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann, of Salem, Ore., will face six charges -- including three counts of espionage -- that were approved by Adm. John B. Nathman, commander of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk.
The espionage charges carry a maximum punishment of death, but the Navy will not seek a capital sentence, Navy spokesman Capt. James Taylor said. Weinmann, a fire control technician previously assigned to the USS Albuquerque based at New London, Conn., faces up to life in prison if convicted.
A trial date has not been set.
The Navy has said Weinmann, who is being held at the brig at Norfolk Naval Air Station, gave classified information related to national defense to an undisclosed foreign government before he destroyed the computer.
During a preliminary hearing in July, the Navy disclosed that Weinmann was picked up at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on March 26 after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents found the 21-year-old with $4,000 cash, three CD-ROMs, an external computer storage device and memory cards for storing digital images............

a couple of postings ago i gave you the link to the enigmatic paradox

now star has posted a link to a GREAT song for a GREAT cause. the song is have you had enough (link to the posting which links to the song). one of my all time favorites is singing; ricki lee jones along with tom maxwell and ken mosher from the squirrel nut zippers.

.........................
Have You Had Enough?

Have you had enough of hypocrisy?

Have you had enough of the spending spree?

Have you had enough?

Does it make you want to scream and shout?

Have you had enough of the rubber stamps?

Have you had enough of the wire taps?

If you’ve had enough, then it’s time to throw the rascals out!

We’ve let them take the test too long

They’ve gotten all the answers wrong

No plan, no shame, no oversight

Now’s the time to put it right!

Have you had enough, cause they’re all corrupt?

Have you had enough of being divvied up?

If you’ve had enough, then it’s time to throw the rascals out!

Well, do what’s right and spread the word

It’s time to make our voices heard

You cast your vote it don’t cost a dime

Sittin’ it out will be a crime

I’ve had enough, and it’s time to throw the rascals out................

please check out the posting AND the cause

stop by and say hello to

enigmatic paradox

imagine rx2008

saw this on skippy's site and i knew i had to post it as well

the cine-one-too-effing-many in east hartford is closing

i make a point of AVOIDING those giant theaters. i HATE them. i HATE most of the movies they show.

i'm sorry it's closing though. i am always upset when i hear of something that is going to close. i worry about the loss of jobs.

i prefer to go to cinestudio at trinity or the theater by brainard field (it was called cinema city, but i'm not sure of the name now). i'm more of an independent or foreign movie snob (don't get me wrong, i be lovin' me some animal house). i'm also an avid member of netflix. i LOVE that service. the last time i was in a video rental store, it was to return some dvds i didn't even know i had and the late fees cost me ALMOST as much as it would have cost me to replace the dvds. i tore up my card to that store then and there. (by the way, that had NEVER happened to me before. i am usually VERY reliable. don't know what happened. i just forgot i had those videos)

East Hartford Cinema To Close

BY DAN UHLINGER Courant Staff Writer August 24 2006, 2:26 PM EDT EAST HARTFORD -- Suffering from fewer moviegoers, Showcase Cinema, a town fixture and eyecatcher along I-84 for more than 30 years, will close Sept. 4 after its last showing.Company officials were preparing a press release about the theater after employees said they were told Tuesday about the closing."It wasn't a huge surprise but everyone was pretty sure it was going to stay around for a while," said Chris Devaux, an employee who has worked at the 14-screen theater since 1997.Robert Moch, theater manager, said he could not comment and was told to refer all inquiries to Dedham, Mass.-based National Amusements Inc., the owner of Showcase Cinemas."The word is out there," said Devaux. "Employees have been telling customers as they buy tickets, but I guess the company wants to make a big announcement."Mayor Melody A. Currey said company officials have not notified the town about the closing or returned phone calls to her."I think obviously it was decision they made a while ago and they're moving on," she said. "I'm disappointed they chose not to upgrade the site. The last time was 1995. It's a great location with great visibility."........

who was the last president you knew who LOST A PLANET???

i cannot take credit for that, but bruce and colin CAN!!!

pas de deux approximativement NOTHING

wicked wicked wicked funny dear mr stewart

a shout out to this family - they are our own

they are our neighbors, our friends, our sons and our daughters. they DESERVE to stay safe and not be put in harm's way. i thank the whole family

Big family, big issues
By Ben Rubin , Journal Inquirer

EAST HARTFORD - At first glance, the home at 49 Wells Ave. seems like an unassuming place on an ordinary street. But inside, it is in constant motion.It's where Karen Defond brought up 12 children - eight of whom were adopted and one a daughter of a friend who died.Three of her seven boys - Peter Defond, 23; Timothy Graveline, 20; and Douglas Graveline, 21 - grew up to join the Marines, with one fighting in Iraq, one stationed in Japan, and one back home, injured.

After serving in Iraq for three months, Douglas returned to East Hartford in January after an improvised explosive device blew up the tank he was driving. The incident happened Dec. 20, 2005, in Fallujah.Douglas was nearly killed in the attack, Karen said, and by the time he came back to the U.S., he had a jagged scar across his right arm, a broken jaw, missing teeth, and short-term memory loss."If he didn't get hurt, he said he'd be right back there to help his fellow man and the people who wanted help," Karensaid. "When he started to walk again, he said he wanted to go back."Now recuperating at home, he seemed to heal quickly. Never one to talk to people outside a small core of friends and family, he refused to discuss the incident."I was happy, because he was alive still," Karen said. "He's considered a veteran now, a 21-year-old veteran. You wouldn't think that, would you?"Peter is serving a third tour in Iraq - one he volunteered to do -battling in towns and cities his family sometimes can't remember the names of.As a frontline soldier, Karen bluntly described what Peter does: "He shoots a lot."..........

when i heard this on my car radio yesterday, i was aghast

this dude has STONES fo sho. can you believe this?

Giordano Wants Pay For Unused Sick, Vacation Days

WATERBURY, Conn. -- Waterbury officials said former Mayor Philip Giordano, a prison inmate, isn't entitled to thousands of dollars for unused vacation or sick time.
Giordano, who's serving 37 years on federal child sex charges, claims he's owed tens of thousands of dollars for the vacation and sick days he never took before his arrest.
Sheila O'Malley, Mayor Michael Jarjura's chief of staff, said under the charter they're not obligated to give him sick time and won't even entertain his request.............

tell king george to stay out of EVERYTHING ELSE as well as CONNECTICUT

Bush says he'll stay out of Connecticut Senate race

August 21, 2006
WASHINGTON --President Bush said Monday he'll stay out of the Connecticut Senate race, widely seen as a referendum on the war in Iraq.
Anti-war businessman Ned Lamont beat U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in an Aug. 8 Democratic primary, largely by criticizing Lieberman's support of the war and accusing him of being too close to Bush and Republicans.
Lieberman is now running as an independent, and national Republicans have declined to back Alan Schlesinger, the Republican candidate in the race. He drew support from 4 percent of likely voters in a Quinnipiac University poll released last week, compared with 53 percent for Lieberman and 41 percent for Lamont.
"I'm going to stay out of Connecticut," Bush said at a news conference Monday.
When a reporter reminded him that he was born in Connecticut, Bush grinned and said, "Shhhhhh."
During the primary campaign, Lamont supporters wore buttons with a picture of Bush appearing to kiss Lieberman's cheek after his 2005 State of the Union address. Top Bush adviser Karl Rove has said he called Lieberman on primary night and wished him well, although he denied offering the senator help in the election's final hours.
Bush said during his news conference Monday that he was troubled that so many U.S. House and Senate candidates were calling for withdrawal U.S. forces from Iraq. Lamont is among those calling for a speedy withdrawal.............

da liebs in rolling stone

who knew he was such a hep happenin' dude? NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT any way, it's a good article. give it a read.

THE LOW POST: Dead Man Coming
Don't hold your breath waiting for Joe Lieberman to go away. MATT TAIBBI

Late at night in Hartford's Goodwin Hotel last Tuesday -- I'm not even sure what time it was -- Joe Lieberman made his way to the podium for his much-anticipated "concession" speech.
I'd been joking with another reporter that en route to his capitulation Joe would leave fingernail tracks in the carpet leading all the way back to his private room upstairs, but surprisingly he did not have to be dragged onstage at all, and his little elfin nails looked unbloodied and intact as he spoke. I was looking over a crowd of reporters and Joe staffers, off to the right and to the rear of the hall, as he announced his determination to press on:
"If the people of Connecticut are good enough to send me back to Washington . . . " he began, "I promise them I will keep fighting for the same progressive new ideas and for stronger national security . . . "
At the words progressive new ideas I couldn't help myself and let out a little laugh, recalling Lieberman's determination to yank funding from public schools that counseled suicidal teens that it was OK to be gay. Was that the kind of progressive idea he was talking about? I really did try to muffle it, but it was too late -- a middle-aged woman with big dangly earrings in a Lieberman T-shirt whipped around and glared at me.
"Yes?" I said.
"Have some respect!" she snapped.
"What?" I shouted.............. ......."You know what?" she said. "You reporters are all alike. You won't admit it, but you're all anti-Semites . . . "
I scratched my head. Anti-Semites? The song rattled on creepily:
If you rough it up
If you like it you can slide it up, slide it up
I shuddered at this, trying to keep my wits, but Horn-Rimmed Glasses was still whaling away at me. "You people really do have no respect," she went on. "Joe is such a wonderful man . . . "
"Listen," I exploded, interrupting her. "Do you know what this song is about?"
She froze.
"It's about a guy who gets an erection that doesn't go away," I said. "Can you explain to me why this song is playing now? What the hell is wrong with you people?"
Horn-Rimmed frowned and listened. At that exact moment Mick Jagger was wrapping the song up:
You, you make a dead man come . . .
You, you make a dead man come . . .................

don't forget it's tax free week (on shoes and clothing) in connecticut

Brief Tax Break Begins Back-To-School Shoppers Take Advantage
By JODIE MOZDZER Courant Staff Writer August 21 2006
WEST HARTFORD -- While each of their teenage daughters carried a load of clothes to the Gap dressing room Sunday, Donna Michlinand Jackie Meacham prepared for their own heavy lifting."We're here to hold the bags," Meacham said. "And we do the credit card thing."With the girls trying on $100 cashmere sweaters and more at the Westfarms mall store, Michlin and Meacham said they were happy they chose this week - sales tax-free week in Connecticut - to do the bulk of their back-to-school shopping.Sunday was the first day of Connecticut's seventh annual tax-exempt week for clothes and shoes. No tax will be charged on single items priced up to $299.99 through Saturday. Every other week of the year, items under $50 are exempt from the 6 percent sales tax.Connecticut is one of 13 states to have some sort of tax-free shopping incentive. Other states, such Massachusetts, hold a tax holiday for just a weekend.Despite the added allure of an extra 6 percent savings, many stores at Westfarms did not have signs advertising the deal.............

molly (i love her!!!) from texas has the scoop on lamont from connecticut

and why osama bin is so very happy ned won. the terrorists were on the edges of their seats the night of the election i'll have you know!

Molly Ivins: Osama Hearts Lamont

By Molly Ivins
If you listen to Dick Cheney, Bin Laden & Co. were staying up late to hear the Lamont-Lieberman election returns from Darien, Conn.
AUSTIN, Texas—The most cunning refinement yet in the administration’s plot to scare the liver, lights and onions out of us with Tales of Terror Plots is the Department of Homeland Security’s brilliant move to declare Indiana the national center of terrorism, with 8,591 potential targets. Many citizens have questioned the Indiana move—some claiming it is a waste of money trying to stop attacks on the Wabash Cannonball. The Statue of Liberty and the Washington Monument might merit a little more attention. This is precisely why it is better to have Michael Chertoff and Karl Rove making these Homeland Security decisions, rather than Osama bin Laden.
The defeat of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary alerted Veep Dick Cheney to the menace. Ned Lamont, the guy who beat Lieberman, said he was surprised that Cheney claimed his victory would embolden Osama bin, as we call him Texas.
“My God, here we have a terrorist threat against hearth and home, and the very first thing that comes out of their mind is how we can turn this to partisan advantage,” complained Lamont. Lieberman warned that Lamont’s call for a phased withdrawal of troops from Iraq would be “taken as a tremendous victory” by the terrorists. Cheney said it would encourage “the Al Qaeda types” who want to “break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task.” .........

i saw let da liebs keep jawin'

the more he says, the angrier he makes his constituants. i am NOT a terrorist, or a supporter of terrorists. i am NOT a kook. i am NOT opening my front door to al queda by voting my heart AND my mind. i'm not willing to sacrifice any more lives of our men and women to a war based on lies and goddess knows what else. da liebs MUST go (as well as the king and his court, but we have to wait a bit more for king george to leave his throne) and we MUST elect ned lamont

Senate Democrats grow angry at Joe Lieberman for campaign tactics

Some Senate Democrats are becoming angry with Senator Joe Lieberman's statements on the campaign trail, today's issue of The Hill is reporting.
Democrats are upset with statements Lieberman made about the Iraq war, implying that the stand of many Democrats to bring the troops home from Iraq by a certain date puts national security at risk. Some senior aides have intimated that Lieberman may lose seniority within the caucus over the imbroglio.
A majority of Senate Democrats, 26 to date, have said they will support Ned Lamont in the November election. Lamont beat Lieberman in the Democratic primary last week.
Excerpts from The Hill article follow............

the worm crawls

a GOOD ending to this story. how ridiculous to try to stop a youngster from selling worms. damn what a bunch o' idjits

Cromwell's Can Of Worms Ends Happily For Teenager

By JODIE MOZDZER Courant Staff Writer August 16 2006 CROMWELL -- The worm turned for 13-year-old Joey Cadieux Tuesday night at a special meeting of the planning and zoning commission.In a unanimous vote, the commission rescinded what some members said was an "unauthorized" July letter sent to Joey that told him to close down his night crawlers business - an action that triggered international outrage against the order and support for the young entrepreneur.The backlash also prompted finger pointing among town officials who blamed each other for the black eye given the town's reputation."I'm excited," Joey said after the meeting. He headed home to put up the 18-by-18-inch sign, "NITE CRAWLERS," that drew town officials' attention to his worm business on Washington Road in the first place.At the commission's June 20 meeting, a general discussion of home businesses and signs led to a discussion of the worm sign and how such signs violated zoning regulations. In the end, commission members asked that the zoning enforcement officer, Fred Curtin, look into it. He did and then issued the order without following up with the commission, according to commission Chairman Peter Hanson.Since the public uproar over the order, other signs have been popping up on Washington Road in support of Joey and his worms, reading, "Hug a worm," "Worms for Rent" and "Live Worm or Die."...............

my friend dottie and i were chatting a bit yesterday

and she said to me she didn't think ned lamont had a chance to be elected in november (not that she doesn't like ned mind you). i of course disagreed with her. i really DO think ned will win. the more da liebs makes commercials and is endorsed by the king and his court jesters and the RADICAL unsympathetic close minded right, the more comfortable i feel

Collins endorses Lieberman in his re-election bid

PORTLAND, Maine --U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's bid for re-election as an independent received a solid endorsement from the chairwoman of the Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said she fully supports Lieberman, ranking Democrat on the committee, who's running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to political newcomer Ned Lamont.
"I very much hope that Sen. Lieberman will be re-elected in the fall. His is an important voice of moderation and experience in the Senate," she said..........

(important voice of MODERATION? what a load of shite. anyone who endorses this unjust war in iraq is NOT moderate. they are in my opinion responsible for the deaths of 2,500 plus of our men and women)

springfield, not so very far away you know

A visitor enjoys himself at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden. (MARC-YVES REGIS I)

who knew all of these things were in springfield? i knew about the dr seuss memorial but not about the other things. of course i also knew about the basketball hall of fame (go larry bird)

Culture Cluster Springfield's Quadrangle Of Museums Is A Rich Mix

By ANNE FARROW Courant Staff Writer August 15 2006

I saw a Picasso, visited with the Grinch, drank a delicious cappuccino in an Italian cafe, and took a trip back to the world of Currier & Ives, all in one place. For my "daycation," I drove 26 miles on I-91 North to Springfield, then spent the day exploring the city's rich complex of museums, four of which border the long green quadrangle that is home to the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden.The cover of the visitors' center map says, "Come in and See the World," and it is an apt phrase for the culture cluster known as the Springfield Museums, which includes the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum.I go to museums the way some women shop, so the idea of "all museums, all day" was perfect for me. I began with the science museum's Hall of Dinosaurs, which is dominated by a 20-foot-tall model of tyrannosaurus rex. It may be the effect of those "Jurassic Park" movies, but dinosaurs seem more familiar than scary. This is a museum with a strong emphasis on the education of children, so even the video that plays in the hall is rather comforting. I learned that "many of the herbivores didn't chew their food," and that the dinosaurs "have left us great dental records."I love dioramas, and this museum has a lot of them - from moose of New England, to bison of the Great Plains, all of whom looked small after seeing that tyrannosaur. The highlight of the museum for me was the planetarium show, because I hadn't seen a planetarium show since my dad took me to the Museum of Science in Boston in the 1950s.............

this speaks volumes

and it's downright unusual. and i agree with snow (on this issue at least), the connecticut race IS unique. but for king george not to come out an openly support his republican senatorial candidate is odd odd odd.

White House vague about Bush support for GOP Senate candidate

By Andrew Miga, Associated Press Writer August 14, 2006
WASHINGTON --President Bush isn't exactly eager to lend his support to the Republican nominee in Connecticut's tumultuous Senate race.
The White House was circumspect on Monday when asked whether Bush would support Republican Alan Schlesinger in the three-way fall contest that includes Democratic nominee Ned Lamont and three-term incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman.
"The president supports the democratic process in the state of Connecticut and wishes them a successful election in November," White House spokesman Tony Snow said.
Bush routinely backs Republican candidates in races all across the country.
Lieberman has won praise from the Bush team for his unwavering support of the Iraq war and is seen by some Democrats as too close to the president. He began an independent bid to keep his seat after losing the Democratic primary last week to anti-war challenger and political newcomer Lamont.
Snow was asked whether Bush was balking at supporting Schlesinger because he liked Lieberman -- or wanted to stay out of the contest because Schlesinger was trailing badly in the polls.
"There may be a whole host of reasons the president -- I'm just not going to play," Snow replied.
He suggested the Connecticut race was unique.......................

an update on the story (two stories) below

(well the part that deals with me that is)

the person at work whom i had a discussion with last thursday, said HELLO to me this morning very loudly. i didn't answer him. i was still quite upset (and to tell you the truth a bit hurt). he came over to my desk and asked me what was up. i told him, i was very upset and it was hard for me to deal with some of the things he said to me. i said i wasn't so much upset about what he said about things in general, i was upset he didn't want to deal with me anymore because of MY beliefs (which i normally keep to myself at work. remember HE brought it up. although he did overhear me talking with someone else about my political beliefs). a few other things were said and then he apologized to me and i of course apologized to him (although i didn't do anything that i felt needed an apology. i just wanted to say it to clear the air). i then said i am going to consider the prior discussion forgotten (and i will). end of (this) story

ned lamont

on the nay sayers. and i agree with ned. it IS offensive

AP Interview: Lamont says he's surprised by harshness of attacks from Lieberman, Cheney

By Andrew Miga, Associated Press Writer August 13, 2006
WASHINGTON --Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont, the anti-war candidate who toppled Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Connecticut primary, says he was surprised by Lieberman and Vice President Dick Cheney's claims that his victory could embolden terrorists.
"My God, here we have a terrorist threat against hearth and home and the very first thing that comes out of their mind is how can we turn this to partisan advantage. I find that offensive," Lamont said in an interview Sunday with The Associated Press.
After British officials disclosed they had thwarted a terrorist airline bombing plot on Thursday, Lieberman warned that Lamont's call for a phased-withdrawal of troops from Iraq would be "taken as a tremendous victory" by terrorists.
Cheney on Wednesday had suggested that Lamont's victory might encourage "the al-Qaida types" who want to "break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task."
Lamont said Lieberman's swipe at his candidacy "sounded an awful lot" like Cheney.
"It surprised me," he said. "It seemed almost orchestrated. It's sort of demeaning to the people of Connecticut ... I thought the senator and the vice president were both wrong to use that attack (strategy) on the voters of Connecticut."
The Lieberman camp Sunday brushed aside Lamont's comments.
"All Lieberman did was point out an important difference between his approach to national security and Ned Lamont's, which is what campaigns are all about," said Lieberman spokesman Dan Gerstein..........

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: free speech in america

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: free speech in america