yet let me walk in with DOZENS of boxes of matches. i don't get it. the whole place is made of concrete. wtf would burn?
tons of police and security AND you have to walk through metal detectors AND have your handbags rifled through.
what am i talking about? the boxing match at the connecticut convention center in hartford.
addy was supposed to box first, but her match ended up being fourth. good thing because her match only lasted 35 seconds! yes, that's right 35 seconds. those women hit MORE than the men did in ALL three prior matches.
i'm so very happy for you addy! congratulations!
(and oh yeah, i got to see a fighter who got popped in the gut, just STOP in the ring, bend his head down, spit his mouthpiece out, then go to the ropes and puke over the side. good thing i didn't spring for the $500.00 seats!
Majority Decision
By SHAWN COURCHESNE, Courant Staff Writer
..........Irizarry: Quick StudyBoxing trainer Paul Cichon said one of the best traits that Addy Irizarry has is that she's a great listener in the training room.Irizarry proved that point loudly.In her pro debut April 6 at the Mohegan Sun Casino, Irizarry was overmatched and somewhat overwhelmed in losing a four-round unanimous decision to Ela Nunez."We talked a lot about that," Cichon said. "We talked about her first fight not knowing what to expect. I told her, 'Now you know what to do so go out there and do it first and fast and hard.'"Irizarry hit on every one of Cichon's points perfectly on the way to a 35-second technical knockout of Tiffany Lucas in a scheduled four-round lightweight undercard fight.Irizarry (1-1, one KO) came out at the bell and landed a huge straight left to Lucas' head, sending her flailing back to the ropes."As soon as I landed that shot I knew I was in good," Irizarry said..................
Monday, June 11, 2007
Saturday, June 09, 2007
no one is surprised...
there are allegations of porn (perhaps child), inhumane treatment of his dogs AND white power symbols in this evil being's possession (and the two women with him are equally to blame - no doubt about it)
Video Trove Of Porn Sexual Material Reportedly Found On Tapes Seized From Man Charged With Holding Girl
By DAVE ALTIMARI, STEVEN GOODE And DANIEL P. JONES, Courant Staff Writers
Police have found homemade pornography on videos seized from a man charged with unlawfully keeping a teenage girl from her family for a year, a law enforcement source close to the investigation said.The source said investigators are trying to determine the identities of a number of girls in the videos, which are of poor quality and were apparently posted on the Internet at various times. Adam Gault, a West Hartford dog trainer, is charged in the disappearance of 15-year-old Danielle Cramer of Bloomfield........
..........Danielle has told authorities that Gault was using her for Internet sex shows and modeling. It was not clear whether Gault, 41, participated in the shows..........
...........Bloomfield police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said that investigators didn't initially connect the office space on West Dudley Town Road to the case against Gault because they went there as a result of a dispute between Gault and his landlord, Frank Sponzo Sr., in 2006.Sponzo did not return calls, but his son, Frank Sponzo Jr., said Thursday that Gault was evicted for violating his lease by boarding dogs on the property.Sponzo said that he never saw evidence of sexual activity at the office but did see what he took to be white supremacist flags and materials and evidence that the dogs there were being treated inhumanely. It wasn't clear if police were ever told about the alleged animal neglect.........
if found to be guilty, they should NEVER walk free again. EVER
Video Trove Of Porn Sexual Material Reportedly Found On Tapes Seized From Man Charged With Holding Girl
By DAVE ALTIMARI, STEVEN GOODE And DANIEL P. JONES, Courant Staff Writers
Police have found homemade pornography on videos seized from a man charged with unlawfully keeping a teenage girl from her family for a year, a law enforcement source close to the investigation said.The source said investigators are trying to determine the identities of a number of girls in the videos, which are of poor quality and were apparently posted on the Internet at various times. Adam Gault, a West Hartford dog trainer, is charged in the disappearance of 15-year-old Danielle Cramer of Bloomfield........
..........Danielle has told authorities that Gault was using her for Internet sex shows and modeling. It was not clear whether Gault, 41, participated in the shows..........
...........Bloomfield police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said that investigators didn't initially connect the office space on West Dudley Town Road to the case against Gault because they went there as a result of a dispute between Gault and his landlord, Frank Sponzo Sr., in 2006.Sponzo did not return calls, but his son, Frank Sponzo Jr., said Thursday that Gault was evicted for violating his lease by boarding dogs on the property.Sponzo said that he never saw evidence of sexual activity at the office but did see what he took to be white supremacist flags and materials and evidence that the dogs there were being treated inhumanely. It wasn't clear if police were ever told about the alleged animal neglect.........
Friday, June 08, 2007
vile pieces of stinking scum
(of course that is IF the allegations are true......i think we know in our hearts if they are true or not)
this is just worse than we originally though.
if true (and you know i have to say IF because no one has been convicted yet) these people are THE WORST type of predators. there is no reform for them. there is no cure for them. hell, i don't even think there is penance for them.
more than one girl may have been abused over the years. what was mr gault's draw?
may the truth come out and may the young girl get some sort of normal life back
New Revelations In Discovery Of Missing Girl
BY DAVE ALTIMARI, STEVEN GOODE, TINA A. BROWN, DANIEL P. JONES, HILDA MUNOZ and EZRA SILK, The Hartford Courant
Nearly two weeks before Danielle Cramer disappeared in June 2006, the man now charged with unlawfully keeping her from her family went to the Bloomfield police department to file a sexual abuse complaint against her brother's friend and to persuade state officials to remove her from the home.The attempt by Adam Gault to get police help in removing Cramer from her home is one of a number of startling details law enforcement sources have supplied to The Courant about a case that has gained national attention.....
..........Among Thursday's other revelations:• Gault rented commercial space in Bloomfield that police believe may have been a "flophouse" where he took Cramer and possibly other girls to have sex with and to videotape them. Police obtained from the building's landlord photos of Gault's space, where he kept a tripod, video equipment and mattresses. A second search warrant that police served on Wednesday was aimed at finding videotapes, photos or computer files in his Newington Road home.............
..........• Police found in Cramer's diary -- obtained from her mother -- details indicating a sexual relationship had started with Gault in November of 2005. Cramer had been working for Gault at his dog care business where he introduced her to drugs and alcohol before starting to have sex with her, police said........
....This was a child from troubled circumstances who found what she believed to be a friend," Blatter said. "You have a 14-year-old girl under the influence of a 40-year-old man. I'm not sure if her belief of the situation is accurate."Coppinger said a boy living in the house was the biological son of both Gault and Murphy. Coppinger said Cray was Gault's "girlfriend.""It's a very tangled web and it's going to take a lot of time and effort and investigation to come to an end with this," she said..........
this is just worse than we originally though.
if true (and you know i have to say IF because no one has been convicted yet) these people are THE WORST type of predators. there is no reform for them. there is no cure for them. hell, i don't even think there is penance for them.
more than one girl may have been abused over the years. what was mr gault's draw?
may the truth come out and may the young girl get some sort of normal life back
New Revelations In Discovery Of Missing Girl
BY DAVE ALTIMARI, STEVEN GOODE, TINA A. BROWN, DANIEL P. JONES, HILDA MUNOZ and EZRA SILK, The Hartford Courant
Nearly two weeks before Danielle Cramer disappeared in June 2006, the man now charged with unlawfully keeping her from her family went to the Bloomfield police department to file a sexual abuse complaint against her brother's friend and to persuade state officials to remove her from the home.The attempt by Adam Gault to get police help in removing Cramer from her home is one of a number of startling details law enforcement sources have supplied to The Courant about a case that has gained national attention.....
..........Among Thursday's other revelations:• Gault rented commercial space in Bloomfield that police believe may have been a "flophouse" where he took Cramer and possibly other girls to have sex with and to videotape them. Police obtained from the building's landlord photos of Gault's space, where he kept a tripod, video equipment and mattresses. A second search warrant that police served on Wednesday was aimed at finding videotapes, photos or computer files in his Newington Road home.............
..........• Police found in Cramer's diary -- obtained from her mother -- details indicating a sexual relationship had started with Gault in November of 2005. Cramer had been working for Gault at his dog care business where he introduced her to drugs and alcohol before starting to have sex with her, police said........
....This was a child from troubled circumstances who found what she believed to be a friend," Blatter said. "You have a 14-year-old girl under the influence of a 40-year-old man. I'm not sure if her belief of the situation is accurate."Coppinger said a boy living in the house was the biological son of both Gault and Murphy. Coppinger said Cray was Gault's "girlfriend.""It's a very tangled web and it's going to take a lot of time and effort and investigation to come to an end with this," she said..........
wetbones!
a wicked cool idea for your hound from hell while on the road
A Pouch For The Pooch
By JIM SHEA, Courant Staff Writer
Dogs need water, particularly when it's hot out. But sometimes when you're hiking or traveling in the car, a source is not readily available.A company in the Kensington section of Berlin called Wetbone, founded by local residents Sue Tyska and Anthony Tropea, has come up with a convenient way to satisfy your dog's hydration needs in such situations. They have developed a product that serves as both a water pouch and a bowl.../
...........The suggested retail price for a Wetbone pouch is $1.99. For more information, including retail outlets offering Wetbones, call toll free 866-575-1352 or e-mail info@wetbonecompany.com. ...............
A Pouch For The Pooch
By JIM SHEA, Courant Staff Writer
Dogs need water, particularly when it's hot out. But sometimes when you're hiking or traveling in the car, a source is not readily available.A company in the Kensington section of Berlin called Wetbone, founded by local residents Sue Tyska and Anthony Tropea, has come up with a convenient way to satisfy your dog's hydration needs in such situations. They have developed a product that serves as both a water pouch and a bowl.../
...........The suggested retail price for a Wetbone pouch is $1.99. For more information, including retail outlets offering Wetbones, call toll free 866-575-1352 or e-mail info@wetbonecompany.com. ...............
Thursday, June 07, 2007
update: Girl Assumed New Identity
i hope these sick f**ks get their due. all of 'em. i don't care HOW much of a 'troubled' background a 14/15 year old has. you do NOT hide them out (if that is the case) from their families and authorities. however, i have a stinking suspicion gault, murphy and cray did NOT have ONE kind thought out for the young girl. i am SURE they only thought of their own 'amusements' (so to speak) i hope they FRY (figuratively. i am NOT a proponent of capital punishment). once again - great job by the police in both bloomfield and west hartford.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A girl who vanished a year ago and was found hidden in a room in a man's home assumed a new identity that made her part of his family, authorities said Thursday, as they investigated whether he had inappropriate relationships with her and other girls.
The man, Adam Gault, 41, was arrested and charged Wednesday in her disappearance after police served a search warrant and found the missing 15-year-old girl locked in a hidden closet-like room in his house.
Gault, a dog trainer, was arrested with two women who lived in the house, 40-year-old Ann Murphy and Kimberly Cray, 26. The three were arraigned Thursday, charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint, conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor and interfering with police.
Gault's bond was set at $1 million. Murphy, who police described as Gault's common-law wife, was held on $750,000 bond. Cray's bond was set at $500,000. It was unclear if Gault had a lawyer.
Investigators believe the girl sometimes traveled out of state and assumed a new identity while living with Gault, of nearby West Hartford, Bloomfield Police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said.
''She was compelled to use a new name, to assume a new identity,'' Blatter told The Associated Press. ''She did assume a name that would suggest she was part of that family.''
The Associated Press is not identifying her because police are investigating if she was sexually abused. Authorities did not say how she altered her name.
Authorities said the girl, who vanished last June, had a history of running away from home........
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A girl who vanished a year ago and was found hidden in a room in a man's home assumed a new identity that made her part of his family, authorities said Thursday, as they investigated whether he had inappropriate relationships with her and other girls.
The man, Adam Gault, 41, was arrested and charged Wednesday in her disappearance after police served a search warrant and found the missing 15-year-old girl locked in a hidden closet-like room in his house.
Gault, a dog trainer, was arrested with two women who lived in the house, 40-year-old Ann Murphy and Kimberly Cray, 26. The three were arraigned Thursday, charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint, conspiracy to commit risk of injury to a minor and interfering with police.
Gault's bond was set at $1 million. Murphy, who police described as Gault's common-law wife, was held on $750,000 bond. Cray's bond was set at $500,000. It was unclear if Gault had a lawyer.
Investigators believe the girl sometimes traveled out of state and assumed a new identity while living with Gault, of nearby West Hartford, Bloomfield Police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said.
''She was compelled to use a new name, to assume a new identity,'' Blatter told The Associated Press. ''She did assume a name that would suggest she was part of that family.''
The Associated Press is not identifying her because police are investigating if she was sexually abused. Authorities did not say how she altered her name.
Authorities said the girl, who vanished last June, had a history of running away from home........
told ya
Illegal Immigrants Arrested Two Days After ID Proposal Passes
MIGRA MIGRA MIGRA
(in case anyone is wondering how i feel about 'illegal' immigrants i'll tell you. i have NO issues with them. sure, i wish everyone who comes to the united states could do so legally but that just isn't the case. i don't feel they're taking 'OUR' jobs or 'OUR' benefits either. most work their asses off. they came here for a BETTER life and i think they deserve a chance just like everyone else does.)
MIGRA MIGRA MIGRA
(in case anyone is wondering how i feel about 'illegal' immigrants i'll tell you. i have NO issues with them. sure, i wish everyone who comes to the united states could do so legally but that just isn't the case. i don't feel they're taking 'OUR' jobs or 'OUR' benefits either. most work their asses off. they came here for a BETTER life and i think they deserve a chance just like everyone else does.)
the absurd!
the absolutely ABSURD
i was reading the news (studio briefing) on imdb this morning (although it's from yesterday) and found this:
U.S.-Based Arabic Channel Faces Probe The Virginia-based al-Hurra satellite television network that is financed by Congress and beams to the Arab world may be subject to an independent review following reports that it has routinely aired broadcasts that include denunciations of Israel or Jews. The station, which reportedly receives $62 million in funding annually (plus an additional $40 million for a station that targets Iraq), was reportedly set up as an alternative to the principal Arab news channel al-Jazeera, which has frequently been attacked by U.S. politicians as sympathetic to Arab militants. But the Associated Press reported Tuesday that al-Hurra has aired programs that have included a lengthy speech by Hezbolla leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian prime minister -- and Hamas leader -- Ismail Haniya -- and referred to the founding of Israel in 1948 as "the catastrophe."
FIRST off, even if it's NOT true the station is denouncing jews (i don't know one way or another) what the F**K are we doing giving 62 million in funding (plus another 40,000,000) to ONE arabic tv station? ok ok ok, even if we don't spend the 62 million PLUS an additonal 40 million on better arming our troops in the middle east (which we SHOULD be doing) HOW ABOUT GIVING THAT 62 MILLION TO PBS? i'm writing to john larson on this one. this is beyond acceptable. well, NONE of this shite is acceptable. NONE OF IT
p.s. i did just write to john larson (emailed)
i was reading the news (studio briefing) on imdb this morning (although it's from yesterday) and found this:
U.S.-Based Arabic Channel Faces Probe The Virginia-based al-Hurra satellite television network that is financed by Congress and beams to the Arab world may be subject to an independent review following reports that it has routinely aired broadcasts that include denunciations of Israel or Jews. The station, which reportedly receives $62 million in funding annually (plus an additional $40 million for a station that targets Iraq), was reportedly set up as an alternative to the principal Arab news channel al-Jazeera, which has frequently been attacked by U.S. politicians as sympathetic to Arab militants. But the Associated Press reported Tuesday that al-Hurra has aired programs that have included a lengthy speech by Hezbolla leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and Palestinian prime minister -- and Hamas leader -- Ismail Haniya -- and referred to the founding of Israel in 1948 as "the catastrophe."
FIRST off, even if it's NOT true the station is denouncing jews (i don't know one way or another) what the F**K are we doing giving 62 million in funding (plus another 40,000,000) to ONE arabic tv station? ok ok ok, even if we don't spend the 62 million PLUS an additonal 40 million on better arming our troops in the middle east (which we SHOULD be doing) HOW ABOUT GIVING THAT 62 MILLION TO PBS? i'm writing to john larson on this one. this is beyond acceptable. well, NONE of this shite is acceptable. NONE OF IT
p.s. i did just write to john larson (emailed)
UPDATE: a friend of a friend of mine
(update 6/8: i ran into addy (and l) yesterday afternoon. she looked and felt GREAT (as did l)! man, she IS small though. i know her opponent will be in the same weight class but dang, she's small. i know she'll do JUST fine saturday night though)
is boxing on saturday night. even though i am strongly attracted to the sport, i also find it repulsive. yet, i've decided to go watch her fight. i want to support her. i've only met her a couple of times and i didn't really even know she boxed until dottie told me last night. so, what the hell, i think a few of us are going to go and cheer her on
i was the first born of three grrrls. my moms, my sisters and i and then there was pops. my mom has passed but popi turned 80 in april and he's still kicking ass! he JUST had his second hip replacement (he had the other hip done a year ago) and is still recovering but doing quite well.
i learned a great deal from my father. a strong work ethic is one thing. another thing is my love for the red sox. yup - i got it from him. one more thing i learned (poor pops living in a family of amazons) is you NEVER EVER EVER EVER flush tampax down the toilet. nope
that brings me to his overwhelming love of boxing. i never asked him, but i think it may be his favorite sport. i also learned to love it (yet as i said, i'm repelled too). i have a picture of willie pep up on my living room wall
Give Him Your Best Dawson Fighting His Way To Top
By TOM PULEO, Courant Staff Writer
.............Irizarry Gets Noticed
One of the more intriguing names on the card is Addy Irizarry (0-1) of West Hartford, who will fight Tiffany Lucas (0-1) of Wilson, N.C., in a four-round junior welterweight bout.Irizarry, 36, has hung around at area boxing gyms for a decade. But a chance meeting with Hartford's Pito Cardona put her on the path to her first professional fight April 6 at Mohegan Sun. Though she lost, Irizarry showed enough promise and drawing power to land on the Convention Center card.Irizarry is one of the few female professional boxers in New England. She has been impressive enough in workouts to line up manager Bret Hallenbeck and promoter Jimmy Burchfield.Irizarry, a state prison guard who grew up in Brooklyn, hopes to make a second career out of boxing."I've got like a bad attitude," she said. "I switch like a light."....................
so it's SATURDAY JUNE 9TH at the connecticut convention center in downtown (riverfront) hartford
tickets are $35.00 to $500.00 (NO i'm NOT spending $500!!!)
is boxing on saturday night. even though i am strongly attracted to the sport, i also find it repulsive. yet, i've decided to go watch her fight. i want to support her. i've only met her a couple of times and i didn't really even know she boxed until dottie told me last night. so, what the hell, i think a few of us are going to go and cheer her on
i was the first born of three grrrls. my moms, my sisters and i and then there was pops. my mom has passed but popi turned 80 in april and he's still kicking ass! he JUST had his second hip replacement (he had the other hip done a year ago) and is still recovering but doing quite well.
i learned a great deal from my father. a strong work ethic is one thing. another thing is my love for the red sox. yup - i got it from him. one more thing i learned (poor pops living in a family of amazons) is you NEVER EVER EVER EVER flush tampax down the toilet. nope
that brings me to his overwhelming love of boxing. i never asked him, but i think it may be his favorite sport. i also learned to love it (yet as i said, i'm repelled too). i have a picture of willie pep up on my living room wall
Give Him Your Best Dawson Fighting His Way To Top
By TOM PULEO, Courant Staff Writer
.............Irizarry Gets Noticed
One of the more intriguing names on the card is Addy Irizarry (0-1) of West Hartford, who will fight Tiffany Lucas (0-1) of Wilson, N.C., in a four-round junior welterweight bout.Irizarry, 36, has hung around at area boxing gyms for a decade. But a chance meeting with Hartford's Pito Cardona put her on the path to her first professional fight April 6 at Mohegan Sun. Though she lost, Irizarry showed enough promise and drawing power to land on the Convention Center card.Irizarry is one of the few female professional boxers in New England. She has been impressive enough in workouts to line up manager Bret Hallenbeck and promoter Jimmy Burchfield.Irizarry, a state prison guard who grew up in Brooklyn, hopes to make a second career out of boxing."I've got like a bad attitude," she said. "I switch like a light."....................
so it's SATURDAY JUNE 9TH at the connecticut convention center in downtown (riverfront) hartford
tickets are $35.00 to $500.00 (NO i'm NOT spending $500!!!)
an odd case indeed
BUT a 15 year old has been found ALIVE after more than a year missing. i'm not sure we'll ever know the whole true story but at least she's safe now.
a shout out to the west hartford police and bloomfield police on this one
Missing Teen Found
BY KATIE MELONE, STEVE GOODE and DANIEL P. JONES, The Hartford Courant
BLOOMFIELD -- A 15-year-old Bloomfield girl missing almost a year --and feared murdered -- was found alive Wednesday locked in a tiny room inside the West Hartford home of her father's acquaintance.Authorities made the shocking discovery after pushing aside a dresser, which revealed a door to a locked room under a staircase. Inside sat a pale Danielle Cramer, missing since June 14, 2006.
"Lieutenant, you better get over here," said the officer who opened the door to the hidden room.Detectives were at the Newington Road home of Adam Gault, 41 and his common-law wife, Ann Murphy, 40, to search for DNA and other evidence.They hoped that the findings would eventually lead them to Cramer, Bloomfield police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said Wednesday during a press conference.........................
a shout out to the west hartford police and bloomfield police on this one
Missing Teen Found
BY KATIE MELONE, STEVE GOODE and DANIEL P. JONES, The Hartford Courant
BLOOMFIELD -- A 15-year-old Bloomfield girl missing almost a year --and feared murdered -- was found alive Wednesday locked in a tiny room inside the West Hartford home of her father's acquaintance.Authorities made the shocking discovery after pushing aside a dresser, which revealed a door to a locked room under a staircase. Inside sat a pale Danielle Cramer, missing since June 14, 2006.
"Lieutenant, you better get over here," said the officer who opened the door to the hidden room.Detectives were at the Newington Road home of Adam Gault, 41 and his common-law wife, Ann Murphy, 40, to search for DNA and other evidence.They hoped that the findings would eventually lead them to Cramer, Bloomfield police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter said Wednesday during a press conference.........................
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
voices in conflict
is in fairfield tonight and friday.
for the full schedule of where and when please click the link above
(previous posting
i don't want to mention his name
i don't want to mention his 'church' either.
i believe in free speech. i don't like laws that limit it either. HOWEVER, i would make an exception in each and every case involving 'these people'. i have to watch what i say because a lot of them are lawyers (which is hard to believe, but apparently true). they don't belong out in the world anywhere.
let our soldiers rest in peace. once again to the family and friends of 1st lt keith heidtman, my heart goes out to you. my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Conn. fast-tracks protest law in advance of soldier's service
By Susan Haigh, Associated Press Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. --State legislators and Gov. M. Jodi Rell worked together Tuesday to fast-track legislation that limits protests at funerals before members of a radical Kansas church appear at a Norwich soldier's funeral Friday.
The Senate and House approved a measure Tuesday night and immediately sent it to Rell, who was expected to sign the bill as soon as possible, said spokesman Rich Harris.
The legislature already passed such a bill earlier in the session, but the law wouldn't have taken effect until Oct. 1. This new law takes effect immediately.
The Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas has announced plans to picket Friday's funeral of Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24. Heidtman was co-piloting a military helicopter that was shot down in Iraq on May 28.
The same group protested at an East Lyme military funeral last December. The group held signs that read "Thank God for IEDs (improvised explosive devices), and "God is America's Terror." They claim that the deaths of soldiers are punishment from God for the country's tolerance of homosexuals.
"We take this immediate action so that no more families of our fallen heroes suffer the additional trauma of a protest at the funeral of their loved one," Rell said in a written statement.
Rep. Melissa Olson, D-Norwich, called Heidtman "a son of Norwich" who graduated with honors from Norwich Free Academy and later from the University of Connecticut in 2005.
"We owe his family the dignity, the respect as well as a debt of gratitude," Olson said.............
i believe in free speech. i don't like laws that limit it either. HOWEVER, i would make an exception in each and every case involving 'these people'. i have to watch what i say because a lot of them are lawyers (which is hard to believe, but apparently true). they don't belong out in the world anywhere.
let our soldiers rest in peace. once again to the family and friends of 1st lt keith heidtman, my heart goes out to you. my thoughts and prayers are with you.
Conn. fast-tracks protest law in advance of soldier's service
By Susan Haigh, Associated Press Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. --State legislators and Gov. M. Jodi Rell worked together Tuesday to fast-track legislation that limits protests at funerals before members of a radical Kansas church appear at a Norwich soldier's funeral Friday.
The Senate and House approved a measure Tuesday night and immediately sent it to Rell, who was expected to sign the bill as soon as possible, said spokesman Rich Harris.
The legislature already passed such a bill earlier in the session, but the law wouldn't have taken effect until Oct. 1. This new law takes effect immediately.
The Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas has announced plans to picket Friday's funeral of Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24. Heidtman was co-piloting a military helicopter that was shot down in Iraq on May 28.
The same group protested at an East Lyme military funeral last December. The group held signs that read "Thank God for IEDs (improvised explosive devices), and "God is America's Terror." They claim that the deaths of soldiers are punishment from God for the country's tolerance of homosexuals.
"We take this immediate action so that no more families of our fallen heroes suffer the additional trauma of a protest at the funeral of their loved one," Rell said in a written statement.
Rep. Melissa Olson, D-Norwich, called Heidtman "a son of Norwich" who graduated with honors from Norwich Free Academy and later from the University of Connecticut in 2005.
"We owe his family the dignity, the respect as well as a debt of gratitude," Olson said.............
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
who needs the sopranos?
we have mark colella! who, if you read the article is quite a piece of work (or a piece of steamin' you know what)
i wasn't going to post anything about deluca but this really isn't about him, it's about colella.
one always has to watch what one says, so i better stop now
Guilty Plea From DeLuca Senator Gets Suspended Sentence; In-Law Was Target Of Planned Threat
By EDMUND H. MAHONY And MARK PAZNIOKAS, Courant Staff Writers
WATERBURY -- Chastened state Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca pleaded guilty to threatening Monday and was given a suspended sentenced after apologizing for asking an alleged mob associate to intervene in what DeLuca has called an abusive relationship between his granddaughter and her husband.Unexpectedly, the husband himself, Mark Colella, appeared minutes later and convened a bizarre press conference on the sidewalk outside. The 40-year-old Colella announced that he is "100 percent Sicilian" and not afraid of anyone, including Danbury garbage executive James Galante, who allegedly offered to have Colella slapped around to stop any abuse.
"Do I look like I'm afraid of anyone?" the 5-foot-5 Colella asked, sounding as tough as is perhaps possible when surrounded by news microphones. "It would have been a mistake if anyone ever came to my house. As far as anyone going to see me - Mr. Galante or anyone else - just make sure they bring a lot of bullets."........
don't YOU just want to bitch slap him?
i have a gut feeling though, we may not have to worry about that.........
i wasn't going to post anything about deluca but this really isn't about him, it's about colella.
one always has to watch what one says, so i better stop now
Guilty Plea From DeLuca Senator Gets Suspended Sentence; In-Law Was Target Of Planned Threat
By EDMUND H. MAHONY And MARK PAZNIOKAS, Courant Staff Writers
WATERBURY -- Chastened state Senate Minority Leader Louis DeLuca pleaded guilty to threatening Monday and was given a suspended sentenced after apologizing for asking an alleged mob associate to intervene in what DeLuca has called an abusive relationship between his granddaughter and her husband.Unexpectedly, the husband himself, Mark Colella, appeared minutes later and convened a bizarre press conference on the sidewalk outside. The 40-year-old Colella announced that he is "100 percent Sicilian" and not afraid of anyone, including Danbury garbage executive James Galante, who allegedly offered to have Colella slapped around to stop any abuse.
"Do I look like I'm afraid of anyone?" the 5-foot-5 Colella asked, sounding as tough as is perhaps possible when surrounded by news microphones. "It would have been a mistake if anyone ever came to my house. As far as anyone going to see me - Mr. Galante or anyone else - just make sure they bring a lot of bullets."........
don't YOU just want to bitch slap him?
i have a gut feeling though, we may not have to worry about that.........
i WAS going to participate in this
then i got to thinking. do the russian government or russian 'authorities' own stoli? no, they don't. why would boycotting stoli help gays in russia then?
it would be like foreign nations boycotting spam because they don't like the us presence in iraq. IT WOULDN'T MATTER
(horrible analogy i know stoli to spam)
i just can't see any connection between stoli and the treatment of gay people in russia.
i want to post this story anyway. i want the injustices to stop. not just in russia but everywhere.
Gays Launch Stoli Boycott over Russian Homophobic Violence
(New York, NY and San Francisco, CA) - Gay equality advocates in two American cities upset over the denial of full respect for the human rights of LGBT people in Russia, and the bloody confrontation on May 27 in Moscow as gays attempted to peacefully march, today announced they are launching a boycott of Stolichnaya vodka.
Vigils will be held at two Russian consulates, where gays will pour Stolichnaya vodka in the gutter.
The date for launching the Stoli boycott and vigils is Tuesday, June 5............
Vodka Wars Spill into U.S.
it would be like foreign nations boycotting spam because they don't like the us presence in iraq. IT WOULDN'T MATTER
(horrible analogy i know stoli to spam)
i just can't see any connection between stoli and the treatment of gay people in russia.
i want to post this story anyway. i want the injustices to stop. not just in russia but everywhere.
Gays Launch Stoli Boycott over Russian Homophobic Violence
(New York, NY and San Francisco, CA) - Gay equality advocates in two American cities upset over the denial of full respect for the human rights of LGBT people in Russia, and the bloody confrontation on May 27 in Moscow as gays attempted to peacefully march, today announced they are launching a boycott of Stolichnaya vodka.
Vigils will be held at two Russian consulates, where gays will pour Stolichnaya vodka in the gutter.
The date for launching the Stoli boycott and vigils is Tuesday, June 5............
Vodka Wars Spill into U.S.
i was listening to the news on the radio
on my way home from work yesterday. i THOUGHT i heard, new haven wants to issue id cards to illegal aliens. i use the word THOUGHT because surely this could NOT possibly be true
if someone is an ILLEGAL resident of the united states that means they are under the radar. they don't want to be counted among us
how the HELL is the city of new haven going to MAKE illegal aliens register and sign up for id cards?
the angle is (allegedly) a good one. if one has an id card one can qualify for certain benefits and open bank accounts and on an on. well i'm thinking it's the old bait and switch. get an id card, GET HERDED UP AND GET KICKED OUT (migra migra migra)
if i was here illegally i sure as shite would NOT be standing in line to get my picture taken but hey, that's just moi
ID cards for illegal immigrants approved by New Haven Board of Aldermen
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
(New Haven-WTNH) _ New Haven's aldermen voted 25-1 in favor of a city issued identification card for illegal immigrants.
Your picture, your name and vital statistics. The new ID card is quite simple, but so very significant. New Haven is the first place in the nation where an illegal immigrant can get a legal identification card. The card will provide access to all public services, but more importantly will allow people to open bank accounts.
It is an idea that is not without detractors. Barbara Keidel's parents immigrated to this country legally.
"I feel that the people that break our laws, that come over here illegally, are taking from us and exploiting us as citizens," said Barbara.
But the voices of the opponents were drowned out by the passion and purpose of other protestors on the steps of City Hall. It was a show of strength for those who live in the shadows of our society. They say they are here because they want to work, because they have no choice and they deserve to be recognized. It is estimated that between 10 to 15-thousand undocumented workers live in New Haven. ..........
if someone is an ILLEGAL resident of the united states that means they are under the radar. they don't want to be counted among us
how the HELL is the city of new haven going to MAKE illegal aliens register and sign up for id cards?
the angle is (allegedly) a good one. if one has an id card one can qualify for certain benefits and open bank accounts and on an on. well i'm thinking it's the old bait and switch. get an id card, GET HERDED UP AND GET KICKED OUT (migra migra migra)
if i was here illegally i sure as shite would NOT be standing in line to get my picture taken but hey, that's just moi
ID cards for illegal immigrants approved by New Haven Board of Aldermen
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
(New Haven-WTNH) _ New Haven's aldermen voted 25-1 in favor of a city issued identification card for illegal immigrants.
Your picture, your name and vital statistics. The new ID card is quite simple, but so very significant. New Haven is the first place in the nation where an illegal immigrant can get a legal identification card. The card will provide access to all public services, but more importantly will allow people to open bank accounts.
It is an idea that is not without detractors. Barbara Keidel's parents immigrated to this country legally.
"I feel that the people that break our laws, that come over here illegally, are taking from us and exploiting us as citizens," said Barbara.
But the voices of the opponents were drowned out by the passion and purpose of other protestors on the steps of City Hall. It was a show of strength for those who live in the shadows of our society. They say they are here because they want to work, because they have no choice and they deserve to be recognized. It is estimated that between 10 to 15-thousand undocumented workers live in New Haven. ..........
Friday, June 01, 2007
da liebs sho nuff do get around i must say!
da liebs dans new haven (from from tparty at my left nutmeg
who was inspired by.......
watertiger at atrios / eschaton
da liebs dans philly!
who was inspired by.......watertiger at atrios / eschaton
da liebs dans philly!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
PEACOCK!
(and as a little aside, yet ANOTHER bear spotting in my hood, west hartford, yesterday)
i sure do hope mr peacock stays safe and sound.
Errant peacock nests in Seymour
MATTHEW HIGBEE mhigbee@ctpost.com
SEYMOUR — He might have been abandoned. Perhaps he went looking for love and got lost along the way. Or maybe, after a career in a traveling exotic animal show, he simply wanted to retire.
Whatever the reason, a male peacock has decided to take up residence at the Meadow Brook Estates, an active adult community on Great Hill Road.
While no one knows where the peacock came from, he has made himself at home behind a cul-de-sac overlooking the Naugatuck River Valley.
"He picked the best spot with the best view," said Kathy Ekstrom, project executive for Meadow Brook Estates.
Deer, turkeys, coyotes and the occasional bald eagle have all been spotted in the 77 acres of open space next to the new homes. The most exotic animal sighting by far, the peacock showed up about a week ago and has since ingratiated itself to a group of neighbors who give it food and water.
A stray peacock walks away from the camera after being disturbed nesting behind a home on Eastwood Drive in Oxford.The peacock has taken up residence in the neighborhod where neighbors have been feeding it. (Phil Noel/Connecticut Post)
i sure do hope mr peacock stays safe and sound.
Errant peacock nests in Seymour
MATTHEW HIGBEE mhigbee@ctpost.com
SEYMOUR — He might have been abandoned. Perhaps he went looking for love and got lost along the way. Or maybe, after a career in a traveling exotic animal show, he simply wanted to retire.
Whatever the reason, a male peacock has decided to take up residence at the Meadow Brook Estates, an active adult community on Great Hill Road.
While no one knows where the peacock came from, he has made himself at home behind a cul-de-sac overlooking the Naugatuck River Valley.
"He picked the best spot with the best view," said Kathy Ekstrom, project executive for Meadow Brook Estates.
Deer, turkeys, coyotes and the occasional bald eagle have all been spotted in the 77 acres of open space next to the new homes. The most exotic animal sighting by far, the peacock showed up about a week ago and has since ingratiated itself to a group of neighbors who give it food and water.
A stray peacock walks away from the camera after being disturbed nesting behind a home on Eastwood Drive in Oxford.The peacock has taken up residence in the neighborhod where neighbors have been feeding it. (Phil Noel/Connecticut Post)
da liebs says things are going well
and of course he should know. he has his finger on the PULSE my dears
(don't we have enough pain and bad news WITHOUT him spouting this garbage, this pack of LIES?)
What a coincidence. Two years after Cheney said the insurgency was in its last throes, Joe Lieberman made essentially the same prediction.CNN reports that Lieberman is on an unannounced "surprise" visit to Baghdad. Paula Hancocks followed Lieberman around. She talked to Lieberman and reported, "He said he was happy with the progress. He was devastated by the fact that May was turning in to the deadliest month since November 2004. But he said he did believe that this surge eventually would pay off and it would start to break the insurgency."Meanwhile, in the real world, the evidence is to the contrary:
U.S. officials have warned that the strategy of putting more American troops on the streets and in small combat outposts, part of a security plan launched in February, would lead to higher U.S. casualties. But Tuesday's carnage suggested that the effort had not created a safer security environment..........
U.S. officials have warned that the strategy of putting more American troops on the streets and in small combat outposts, part of a security plan launched in February, would lead to higher U.S. casualties. But Tuesday's carnage suggested that the effort had not created a safer security environment..........
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
i built my father a little rock garden
for father's day. it's not done yet. i'd like to put a few more plants in. and of course i have to weed a bit - although i do like the greenery in there.
i used hearty succulants and alpine plants. we'll see how it grows
dragon's blood (sedum)
in one of the dishs other sedum and sempervivums
laurentia
armeria
bellis
carex
lindernia
raoulia
whew! not to worry, they found ana
the story has an even better ending. ana is going to live in a place where she'll feel more at home
Anaconda Found Alive In Basement Of Owner's Apartment Building
TORRINGTON, Conn. -- A 10-foot-long yellow anaconda that escaped from its owner's apartment more than a week ago didn't get too far.The snake, named Ana, was found alive in the basement of the apartment building on Birge Street Saturday by a state Department of Environmental Protection conservation officer. It had been missing since May 15................
Anaconda Found Alive In Basement Of Owner's Apartment Building
TORRINGTON, Conn. -- A 10-foot-long yellow anaconda that escaped from its owner's apartment more than a week ago didn't get too far.The snake, named Ana, was found alive in the basement of the apartment building on Birge Street Saturday by a state Department of Environmental Protection conservation officer. It had been missing since May 15................
to the friends and family of first lieutenant keith heidtman
my most heartfelt sympathy goes out to you. my thoughts and prayers are with you. i am so very sorry for your loss
by News Channel 8's Sara Welch
Norwich-WTNH) _ A Norwich soldier was killed in action in Iraq on Memorial Day, about six months after he was deployed.
Twenty-four year old First Lieutenant Keith Heidtman died in a helicopter crash, and as America remembered its fallen heroes, a Norwich family would learn of their own personal loss.
"It's a tough time and a shock to all of us. We've worried about him everyday since he's been there," said Keith's uncle Chris Heidtman.
At Norwich Free Academy, where Heidtman excelled in academics and athletics, former mentor Hugh Campbell remembered an outstanding young man.
"It's like losing one of your own," said Campbell. "Keith exemplified everything that is good about young people."..........
Twenty-four year old First Lieutenant Keith Heidtman died in a helicopter crash, and as America remembered its fallen heroes, a Norwich family would learn of their own personal loss.
"It's a tough time and a shock to all of us. We've worried about him everyday since he's been there," said Keith's uncle Chris Heidtman.
At Norwich Free Academy, where Heidtman excelled in academics and athletics, former mentor Hugh Campbell remembered an outstanding young man.
"It's like losing one of your own," said Campbell. "Keith exemplified everything that is good about young people."..........
NORWICH, Conn. -- A helicopter crash in Iraq on Memorial Day claimed the life of a Norwich soldier, the governor's office said Tuesday.
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24, was the 37th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed. Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state and U.S. flags lowered to half staff in Heidtman's honor.
"Lt. Heidtman made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and he did so to protect the freedom that we so often take for granted," Rell said in a statement. "To have given his life on Memorial Day is especially poignant."...........
Army 1st Lt. Keith Heidtman, 24, was the 37th military member with Connecticut ties to die since the war began in 2002. Two Connecticut civilians have also been killed. Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state and U.S. flags lowered to half staff in Heidtman's honor.
"Lt. Heidtman made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us, and he did so to protect the freedom that we so often take for granted," Rell said in a statement. "To have given his life on Memorial Day is especially poignant."...........
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
don't dream it's over
There is freedom within, there is freedom without
Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup
There's a battle ahead, many battles are lost
But you'll never see the end of the road
While you're traveling with me
Hey now, hey now
Hey now, hey now
Don't dream it's over
Hey now, hey now
When the world comes in
They come, they come
To build a wall between us
We know they won't win.....
(neil finn)
guess what? crowded house is coming to the calvin theater! wicked cool (the above is one of my all time favorite songs - yes - in the ENTIRE universe)
(oh, ok, it's NO havin' my baby)
Crowded House with special guest Liam Finn
Live at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, MA Saturday, August 4th • 8:00 PM Doors open at 7:00 pm
To the delight of fans worldwide, Austalia's Crowded House have announced a reunion tour & new album. The current line-up features Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart, & new member Matt Sherrod, who subs for the late Paul Hester on drums. Leader Neil Finn's carefully crafted songs, meticulous eye for lyrical detail, & gift for melody are the basis of hit songs "Don't Dream It's Over," "Better Be Home," "Weather With You," and "Something So Strong." The band's fifth album "Time On Earth", is their first since 1993's "Together Alone." ........
Live at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, MA Saturday, August 4th • 8:00 PM Doors open at 7:00 pm
To the delight of fans worldwide, Austalia's Crowded House have announced a reunion tour & new album. The current line-up features Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, Mark Hart, & new member Matt Sherrod, who subs for the late Paul Hester on drums. Leader Neil Finn's carefully crafted songs, meticulous eye for lyrical detail, & gift for melody are the basis of hit songs "Don't Dream It's Over," "Better Be Home," "Weather With You," and "Something So Strong." The band's fifth album "Time On Earth", is their first since 1993's "Together Alone." ........
Monday, May 28, 2007
just a tiny little tale: my new best friend is a stripper
well ok, she's NOT my BEST friend but she is an acquaintance. i met her a few times before. we have a mutual friend acquaintance in common. i met her through him.
so yesterday, i was minding my own bid-nez as i am KNOWN for doing. i stopped by my favorite pub for brunch. i was chatting with the bartender (i always sit at the bar) who happens to be a dear friend of mine. she is having a rather rough time of late and i just wanted to listen and support her. after a while the stripper (whom i shall call ms s) comes in. i know she is a stipper because the last time i saw her i asked what she did for a living and she told me.
we nodded hello to each other. she sat a few seats down the bar and there were people in between us. after a bit, i went out to have a butt and as i passed her she asked if our mutual acquaintance had been in. i told her no, not that day. i thought he may have been at work. (he works some weekends). when i came back in i saw her on the phone. turns out it was the bartenders phone. ms s was using it because she went to some brazilian party (there is more of a story here but to tell you the truth, i never did get the whole gist of it) and somehow her phone got lost or misplaced or stolen. the bartender's phone was losing it's juice so i offered ms s the use of my phone. i had just charged it earlier that morning. since i rarely use it, i knew i had a lot of minutes left. plus it was the weekend and you get extra minutes anyway, PLUS i have carryover minutes which i'll never use. all she was doing was trying to track down HER phone. nothing untoward. ms s decided to come sit next to me. i always put my 'stuff' (i travel with a LOT of stuff. one never knows, does one???) on the chair next to me so no assholes have a chance of getting in my personal zone (it doesn't always work though. i attract 'em like flies to shite. if they can't sit NEXT to me they stand next to me, they stand in back of me, they lean over me, they breathe MY air). anyway, in a friendly gesture (which was sincere i might add), i removed my 'stuff' from the chair and i made it available to ms s. she plopped her moneymaker right on down. she was using the phone and every time she put it down, it would ring. she'd ask me if it was ok if she answered (i liked that she was polite enough to ask. manners mean a GREAT deal to me) each time. she made and received TONS of calls. i can't wait until some of those people start calling ME, perhaps thinking it was HER phone number. we'll see. could make for some classic moments in a rose is a rose's history.
ms s had on one clingy stretchy halter top showing the big tattoo on her lower back. the ONLY reason i did notice that was it is the part of her i saw each time i got up to have a butt and each time i came back in to my seat. i think she had shorts on but i can't be certain. i will say ms s has beautiful exotic eyes. i never really checked out her whole body though.
from my perspective the prior few times i had seen her, it looked to me like she was ALL OVER our mutual acquaintance. i thought she was hot for him. he is an attractive man. i don't know too much about him. i've known him for a while but we don't hang in the same circles. when i DO run into him, he's always decent to me so i've always been decent to him. he has issues (one of them is he can be VERY loud and rather frightening but if you tell him to knock it off, he will IMMEDIATELY stop) but then again we ALL have issues. my curiousity got the better of me (aw c'mon we all know it ALWAYS does. the mindin' my own bid-nez is just a load o' crap. i NEVER mind my OWN bid-nez) and i asked ms s what the deal was between her and our mutual acquaintaince. she asked me if i really wanted to know - OF COURSE I REALLY WANT TO KNOW, dang. so then she told me something that knocked me back. holy shite, i never saw it coming a mile away. it's nothing bad, it was just that i can ususally discern this about a person and i sure had NOT about him. that is if ms s was telling me the truth. i don't know, i don't know, i don't know. i'm still pondering it. in the same breath she also told me our mutual acquaintance wanted her to be his grrrlfren'. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (that is NOT exactly the message i got from him the last time i saw him but he never came right on out and said anything one way or another)
anyway, i hope ms s tracks her phone down
i hope i get more scoop on ms s and the mutual acquainance
i hope i get some amusing phone calls today
so yesterday, i was minding my own bid-nez as i am KNOWN for doing. i stopped by my favorite pub for brunch. i was chatting with the bartender (i always sit at the bar) who happens to be a dear friend of mine. she is having a rather rough time of late and i just wanted to listen and support her. after a while the stripper (whom i shall call ms s) comes in. i know she is a stipper because the last time i saw her i asked what she did for a living and she told me.
we nodded hello to each other. she sat a few seats down the bar and there were people in between us. after a bit, i went out to have a butt and as i passed her she asked if our mutual acquaintance had been in. i told her no, not that day. i thought he may have been at work. (he works some weekends). when i came back in i saw her on the phone. turns out it was the bartenders phone. ms s was using it because she went to some brazilian party (there is more of a story here but to tell you the truth, i never did get the whole gist of it) and somehow her phone got lost or misplaced or stolen. the bartender's phone was losing it's juice so i offered ms s the use of my phone. i had just charged it earlier that morning. since i rarely use it, i knew i had a lot of minutes left. plus it was the weekend and you get extra minutes anyway, PLUS i have carryover minutes which i'll never use. all she was doing was trying to track down HER phone. nothing untoward. ms s decided to come sit next to me. i always put my 'stuff' (i travel with a LOT of stuff. one never knows, does one???) on the chair next to me so no assholes have a chance of getting in my personal zone (it doesn't always work though. i attract 'em like flies to shite. if they can't sit NEXT to me they stand next to me, they stand in back of me, they lean over me, they breathe MY air). anyway, in a friendly gesture (which was sincere i might add), i removed my 'stuff' from the chair and i made it available to ms s. she plopped her moneymaker right on down. she was using the phone and every time she put it down, it would ring. she'd ask me if it was ok if she answered (i liked that she was polite enough to ask. manners mean a GREAT deal to me) each time. she made and received TONS of calls. i can't wait until some of those people start calling ME, perhaps thinking it was HER phone number. we'll see. could make for some classic moments in a rose is a rose's history.
ms s had on one clingy stretchy halter top showing the big tattoo on her lower back. the ONLY reason i did notice that was it is the part of her i saw each time i got up to have a butt and each time i came back in to my seat. i think she had shorts on but i can't be certain. i will say ms s has beautiful exotic eyes. i never really checked out her whole body though.
from my perspective the prior few times i had seen her, it looked to me like she was ALL OVER our mutual acquaintance. i thought she was hot for him. he is an attractive man. i don't know too much about him. i've known him for a while but we don't hang in the same circles. when i DO run into him, he's always decent to me so i've always been decent to him. he has issues (one of them is he can be VERY loud and rather frightening but if you tell him to knock it off, he will IMMEDIATELY stop) but then again we ALL have issues. my curiousity got the better of me (aw c'mon we all know it ALWAYS does. the mindin' my own bid-nez is just a load o' crap. i NEVER mind my OWN bid-nez) and i asked ms s what the deal was between her and our mutual acquaintaince. she asked me if i really wanted to know - OF COURSE I REALLY WANT TO KNOW, dang. so then she told me something that knocked me back. holy shite, i never saw it coming a mile away. it's nothing bad, it was just that i can ususally discern this about a person and i sure had NOT about him. that is if ms s was telling me the truth. i don't know, i don't know, i don't know. i'm still pondering it. in the same breath she also told me our mutual acquaintance wanted her to be his grrrlfren'. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (that is NOT exactly the message i got from him the last time i saw him but he never came right on out and said anything one way or another)
anyway, i hope ms s tracks her phone down
i hope i get more scoop on ms s and the mutual acquainance
i hope i get some amusing phone calls today
Friday, May 25, 2007
thanks senator dodd!
Senator Dodd Votes Against Iraq Supplemental, Rejects President's War Plan
(i sent a thank you to him through his website as well. wouldn't hurt if YOU did the same. after all he was only one of FOURTEEN that had the courage to stand up to his convictions)
(i sent a thank you to him through his website as well. wouldn't hurt if YOU did the same. after all he was only one of FOURTEEN that had the courage to stand up to his convictions)
justin, your protest worked (well it worked so far as being brought to peoples attention)
you got coverage in the courant
By WILLIAM HATHAWAY, And HILARY WALDMAN Courant Staff Writers
Surgical trainees at Hartford Hospital on Thursday took a course that called for them to plunge their hands into a gory mess on an operating table and try to repair injuries designed to simulate gunshot or stab wounds. Outside the hospital's front entrance, fewer than 10 protesters held placards assailing the damage inflicted upon the "patients" - five, anesthetized, 100-pound pigs used in the regularly scheduled training course."When we tell them they cut open and stab pigs, people gasp," said Justin Goodman, an animal-rights activist who organized Thursday's protest. "They ask for our literature."Although Goodman said his ultimate goal is to stop the use of all animals in research and medical education, the pig protest sheds light on a medical dilemma - how best to prepare doctors to deal with a situation few in the United States will ever face - the need to repair someone severely damaged by trauma..........
.....However, Dr. John J. Pippin, a Dallas cardiologist and research adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says the great majority of courses to train surgeons do not use live animals.Most surgical training programs, Pippin said, use a combination of simulators, closely supervised practice on human patients and practice on dead human bodies. "The momentum and the trend in modern medical education is not to use live animals because it is not necessary to do so," Pippin said.........
perhaps someday, when we all decide to not practice violence and torture each other we can decide at the VERY same time, to NOT practice violence or torture animals as well
By WILLIAM HATHAWAY, And HILARY WALDMAN Courant Staff Writers
Surgical trainees at Hartford Hospital on Thursday took a course that called for them to plunge their hands into a gory mess on an operating table and try to repair injuries designed to simulate gunshot or stab wounds. Outside the hospital's front entrance, fewer than 10 protesters held placards assailing the damage inflicted upon the "patients" - five, anesthetized, 100-pound pigs used in the regularly scheduled training course."When we tell them they cut open and stab pigs, people gasp," said Justin Goodman, an animal-rights activist who organized Thursday's protest. "They ask for our literature."Although Goodman said his ultimate goal is to stop the use of all animals in research and medical education, the pig protest sheds light on a medical dilemma - how best to prepare doctors to deal with a situation few in the United States will ever face - the need to repair someone severely damaged by trauma..........
.....However, Dr. John J. Pippin, a Dallas cardiologist and research adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says the great majority of courses to train surgeons do not use live animals.Most surgical training programs, Pippin said, use a combination of simulators, closely supervised practice on human patients and practice on dead human bodies. "The momentum and the trend in modern medical education is not to use live animals because it is not necessary to do so," Pippin said.........
from maura
at my left nutmeg
InauguRELLgate: Krayeske Files Lawsuit, Reveals Details on Bond
Ken Krayeske filed a lawsuit on Thursday in federal court against the Hartford Police Department, three named officers, and one unnamed officer.
The grounds of his lawsuit are "false arrest, unreasonable bond and the denial of rights to freedom of expression, freedom of the press and due process of law arising under the First, Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution."
A few new details on the story are revealed in the text of the filing (pdf). Many of us here at MLN were as concerned about the outrageous $75,000 bond that appeared to have been used to unlawfully keep Ken in lockup so that he would be unable to attend Jodi Rell's inaugural ball. Ken had been tight-lipped about exactly what happened to him in custody, but his filing reveals some of the details that he had been unable to discuss earlier:
Prior to his arrest, Mr. Krayeske had written about the inauguration in an ironic tone, informing readers that "[T]ickets to see the Fairy Godmother turn herself into Cinderella are only $150." Mr. Krayeske expressed dissent about the governor's priorities......
..........And in a remarkably ironic and disturbing twist, Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie reports that Krayeske was hassled by law enforcement just this week when he came to the Capitol:...........
InauguRELLgate: Krayeske Files Lawsuit, Reveals Details on Bond
Ken Krayeske filed a lawsuit on Thursday in federal court against the Hartford Police Department, three named officers, and one unnamed officer.
The grounds of his lawsuit are "false arrest, unreasonable bond and the denial of rights to freedom of expression, freedom of the press and due process of law arising under the First, Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution."
A few new details on the story are revealed in the text of the filing (pdf). Many of us here at MLN were as concerned about the outrageous $75,000 bond that appeared to have been used to unlawfully keep Ken in lockup so that he would be unable to attend Jodi Rell's inaugural ball. Ken had been tight-lipped about exactly what happened to him in custody, but his filing reveals some of the details that he had been unable to discuss earlier:
Prior to his arrest, Mr. Krayeske had written about the inauguration in an ironic tone, informing readers that "[T]ickets to see the Fairy Godmother turn herself into Cinderella are only $150." Mr. Krayeske expressed dissent about the governor's priorities......
..........And in a remarkably ironic and disturbing twist, Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie reports that Krayeske was hassled by law enforcement just this week when he came to the Capitol:...........
Thursday, May 24, 2007
yeah, watch your phone bills
i'm just saying - my phone bills (and my pops) have been a bit 'iffy' of late. there are always charges on there i don't understand (never big ones but a buck here and there) but of late, we've been getting TWO bills
FTC Warns Customers To Check Phone Bills For Cramming
There are complaints across the country and in Connecticut about a practice called cramming.
Customers are being charged on their phone bills for services they never wanted.
Jane Bolton noticed two company names she didn't recognize on her AT&T bill. One was Enhanced Services Billing Incorporated, or ESBI, and the other was Residential E-mail
She noticed they had been charging her $15.85 a month for six months but said she didn't know what for.
NBC 30 found out that ESBI is something called a billing aggregator that collects charges for other companies. In this case, it was for Residential E-mail, a company that offers online discounts if you pay for their email service.
Bolton said she never signed up for this service.
She called customer service and spoke to a representative, who told her that she requested it and had a three-month trial that she never canceled.
NBC 30 found out that the Federal Trade Commission accused ESBI of cramming in 2001, which is when companies illegally cram unauthorized charges onto a person's phone bill............
FTC Warns Customers To Check Phone Bills For Cramming
There are complaints across the country and in Connecticut about a practice called cramming.
Customers are being charged on their phone bills for services they never wanted.
Jane Bolton noticed two company names she didn't recognize on her AT&T bill. One was Enhanced Services Billing Incorporated, or ESBI, and the other was Residential E-mail
She noticed they had been charging her $15.85 a month for six months but said she didn't know what for.
NBC 30 found out that ESBI is something called a billing aggregator that collects charges for other companies. In this case, it was for Residential E-mail, a company that offers online discounts if you pay for their email service.
Bolton said she never signed up for this service.
She called customer service and spoke to a representative, who told her that she requested it and had a three-month trial that she never canceled.
NBC 30 found out that the Federal Trade Commission accused ESBI of cramming in 2001, which is when companies illegally cram unauthorized charges onto a person's phone bill............
i so think this is THE RIGHT thing to do
when one is going through something such as chemo. why the hell wouldn't it be ok to grow a plant or two? why not allow someone who is VERY ill to smoke a j instead of taking some sort of narcotic? just because one can write a prescription for the narcotic doesn't make it any safer or better than a splif.
i'm not talking legalizing marijuana for the masses here. i'm talking for the terminally ill or very heavy duty chronicly ill
State House Passes Medical Marijuana Bill
By COLIN POITRAS, The Hartford Courant
The state House of Representatives Wednesday passed a measure allowing seriously ill individuals to grow marijuana at home to ease their pain.The bill passed by a 89-58 bipartisan vote that was comprised of a unique coalition of supportive lawmakers, who appeared to be bonded by their own experiences with family members and friends suffering with chronic or terminal illnesses.
Bill opponents said it sends the wrong message to young people that it is OK to use illegal drugs and that illegal drugs can be good for you.But Rep. Russell Morin, D-Wethersfield and a father of three, spoke of another message he wanted to send to his children by passing the bill...........
i'm not talking legalizing marijuana for the masses here. i'm talking for the terminally ill or very heavy duty chronicly ill
State House Passes Medical Marijuana Bill
By COLIN POITRAS, The Hartford Courant
The state House of Representatives Wednesday passed a measure allowing seriously ill individuals to grow marijuana at home to ease their pain.The bill passed by a 89-58 bipartisan vote that was comprised of a unique coalition of supportive lawmakers, who appeared to be bonded by their own experiences with family members and friends suffering with chronic or terminal illnesses.
Bill opponents said it sends the wrong message to young people that it is OK to use illegal drugs and that illegal drugs can be good for you.But Rep. Russell Morin, D-Wethersfield and a father of three, spoke of another message he wanted to send to his children by passing the bill...........
king george says..........
President addresses Coast Guard Academy cadets
(New London-WTNH)_President Bush spoke to cadets at the Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony in New London Wednesday, congratulating them on their achievement and making his case for continuing the war effort in Iraq. The commander in chief gave the commencement address for the second time in recent memory.
In addition to the cadets themselves the arrival of the keynote speaker was also greatly anticipated.
President Bush wasted no time in reaffirming the mission of the 228 graduates who will serve under the Department of Homeland Security...........
'Victory In Iraq Is Vital' Bush Speaks In New London
By JESSE HAMILTON, The Hartford Courant
NEW LONDON -- Much may have changed in the four years since he last delivered a graduation speech here, but in an address to today's U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduates, President George W. Bush again delivered his belief that progress is being made in the war against terrorism.In an effort to defend his war strategy, Bush on Tuesday declassified intelligence asserting that Osama bin Laden in 2005 ordered a top lieutenant to form a terrorist cell to conduct attacks outside Iraq, and said the U.S. should be a top target.
Today Bush, standing under a cloudless blue sky in front of the Thames River, spoke at length about al-Qaeda and said "We must defeat al-Qaeda in Iraq.""Victory in Iraq is important for Osama bin Laden, and victory in Iraq is vital for the United States of America," he said............
Bush Cites Report On Bin Laden During Coast Guard Graduation
NEW LONDON, Conn. -- President George W. Bush, stressing that Americans face an ongoing threat from terrorists, shared intelligence on Wednesday asserting that Osama bin Laden was working in 2005 to set up a unit inside Iraq to hit U.S. targets.
Much of the information Bush cited in a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy described terrorism plots already revealed, but he fleshed out details and highlighted U.S. successes in foiling planned attacks.
Bush said that intelligence showed that in January 2005, bin Laden tasked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, his senior operative in Iraq, to set up the cell to use Iraq as a staging ground for attacks in the United States. Al-Zarqawi was killed in Iraq in June 2006 by a U.S. airstrike......
his 'intelligence'? do you think i for ONE SECOND believe his 'intelligence' (yeah, it could have more than one meaning)? did king george get his 'intelligence' about osama from the same peeps he got the weapons of mass destruction 'intelligence' from? we ALL know saddam (who was wickedly evil and was soul-less) was NEVER going to allow osama (who is also wickedly evil and soul-less) in his country. they were certainly never buds. yes there ARE terrorists out there. many in iraq now. there WERE VERY FEW (if any) TERRORISTS in iraq BEFORE WE ATTACKED AND INVADED THEIR COUNTRY. WE are responsible for creating whatever happens in THAT country now and forever and ever.
(New London-WTNH)_President Bush spoke to cadets at the Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremony in New London Wednesday, congratulating them on their achievement and making his case for continuing the war effort in Iraq. The commander in chief gave the commencement address for the second time in recent memory.
In addition to the cadets themselves the arrival of the keynote speaker was also greatly anticipated.
President Bush wasted no time in reaffirming the mission of the 228 graduates who will serve under the Department of Homeland Security...........
'Victory In Iraq Is Vital' Bush Speaks In New London
By JESSE HAMILTON, The Hartford Courant
NEW LONDON -- Much may have changed in the four years since he last delivered a graduation speech here, but in an address to today's U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduates, President George W. Bush again delivered his belief that progress is being made in the war against terrorism.In an effort to defend his war strategy, Bush on Tuesday declassified intelligence asserting that Osama bin Laden in 2005 ordered a top lieutenant to form a terrorist cell to conduct attacks outside Iraq, and said the U.S. should be a top target.
Today Bush, standing under a cloudless blue sky in front of the Thames River, spoke at length about al-Qaeda and said "We must defeat al-Qaeda in Iraq.""Victory in Iraq is important for Osama bin Laden, and victory in Iraq is vital for the United States of America," he said............
Bush Cites Report On Bin Laden During Coast Guard Graduation
NEW LONDON, Conn. -- President George W. Bush, stressing that Americans face an ongoing threat from terrorists, shared intelligence on Wednesday asserting that Osama bin Laden was working in 2005 to set up a unit inside Iraq to hit U.S. targets.
Much of the information Bush cited in a commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy described terrorism plots already revealed, but he fleshed out details and highlighted U.S. successes in foiling planned attacks.
Bush said that intelligence showed that in January 2005, bin Laden tasked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, his senior operative in Iraq, to set up the cell to use Iraq as a staging ground for attacks in the United States. Al-Zarqawi was killed in Iraq in June 2006 by a U.S. airstrike......
his 'intelligence'? do you think i for ONE SECOND believe his 'intelligence' (yeah, it could have more than one meaning)? did king george get his 'intelligence' about osama from the same peeps he got the weapons of mass destruction 'intelligence' from? we ALL know saddam (who was wickedly evil and was soul-less) was NEVER going to allow osama (who is also wickedly evil and soul-less) in his country. they were certainly never buds. yes there ARE terrorists out there. many in iraq now. there WERE VERY FEW (if any) TERRORISTS in iraq BEFORE WE ATTACKED AND INVADED THEIR COUNTRY. WE are responsible for creating whatever happens in THAT country now and forever and ever.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
hartford hospital thursday 5/24 4:15 to 6:15
Medical professionals, activists decry live animal trauma lab at Hartford Hospital
Hartford – Local animal rights campaigners will lead a demonstration at Hartford Hospital on Thursday afternoon to denounce the use of live pigs in surgical training exercises.
Date: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Time: 4:15-6:15pm
Place: Main entrance to Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT
Hartford Hospital, in concert with the UConn School of Medicine, administers a monthly program called the Advanced Trauma Operative Management course (ATOM). ATOM includes a 3-hour lab session during which surgery trainees and practitioners pay $1,500 each to manage fourteen different traumatic injuries that are intentionally inflicted in live adult pigs. The animals must suffer through penetrating injuries such as stab wounds to numerous organs in the abdomen and chest, including the kidney, pancreas, stomach, diaphragm, and heart.
Hartford Hospital uses five pigs per month in this series of highly invasive surgical procedures. Those pigs who survive the traumas and surgeries are killed at the end of the exercises. According to documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the facility regularly confines over 100 pigs for use in this program.
Justin Goodman, a local animal rights campaigner, stated, "Pigs are highly intelligent, sensitive individuals who are very easily stressed. Studies at US and UK universities show pigs to be more intelligent than three-year-old children. And confining, mutilating and killing them for these kinds of exercises is not only morally wrong, but scientifically unjustifiable. We want these exercises ended immediately."
He continued, "Regardless of how many pigs these doctors operate on, some human patient in the ER is still going to have to be their first. Why waste the state's resources and the lives of these animals training surgeons on anatomically incorrect models, especially when there are so many promising ethical alternatives that could be used instead?"
Added John Pippin, M.D., Senior Medical and Research Adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: "The surgery training paradigm has moved beyond the use of live animals. More than 95 percent of American medical schools have eliminated the use of animals to teach surgery skills, the majority of Advanced Trauma Life Support courses do not use animals, and the American College of Surgeons no longer uses animals in its own courses or in its revised surgery curriculum."
Goodman added, “An overwhelming majority of trauma surgeons worldwide have never conducted such barbaric exercises on nonhuman animals of any kind and the available research suggests that surgical knowledge and competency are not improved by doing so. In the interest of upholding their duty to practice ethical medicine, these doctors and researchers should be abandoning these superfluous animal studies in favor of pursuing human-relevant, humane alternatives," Goodman said.
Hartford – Local animal rights campaigners will lead a demonstration at Hartford Hospital on Thursday afternoon to denounce the use of live pigs in surgical training exercises.
Date: Thursday, May 24, 2007
Time: 4:15-6:15pm
Place: Main entrance to Hartford Hospital, 80 Seymour Street, Hartford, CT
Hartford Hospital, in concert with the UConn School of Medicine, administers a monthly program called the Advanced Trauma Operative Management course (ATOM). ATOM includes a 3-hour lab session during which surgery trainees and practitioners pay $1,500 each to manage fourteen different traumatic injuries that are intentionally inflicted in live adult pigs. The animals must suffer through penetrating injuries such as stab wounds to numerous organs in the abdomen and chest, including the kidney, pancreas, stomach, diaphragm, and heart.
Hartford Hospital uses five pigs per month in this series of highly invasive surgical procedures. Those pigs who survive the traumas and surgeries are killed at the end of the exercises. According to documents obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the facility regularly confines over 100 pigs for use in this program.
Justin Goodman, a local animal rights campaigner, stated, "Pigs are highly intelligent, sensitive individuals who are very easily stressed. Studies at US and UK universities show pigs to be more intelligent than three-year-old children. And confining, mutilating and killing them for these kinds of exercises is not only morally wrong, but scientifically unjustifiable. We want these exercises ended immediately."
He continued, "Regardless of how many pigs these doctors operate on, some human patient in the ER is still going to have to be their first. Why waste the state's resources and the lives of these animals training surgeons on anatomically incorrect models, especially when there are so many promising ethical alternatives that could be used instead?"
Added John Pippin, M.D., Senior Medical and Research Adviser for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: "The surgery training paradigm has moved beyond the use of live animals. More than 95 percent of American medical schools have eliminated the use of animals to teach surgery skills, the majority of Advanced Trauma Life Support courses do not use animals, and the American College of Surgeons no longer uses animals in its own courses or in its revised surgery curriculum."
Goodman added, “An overwhelming majority of trauma surgeons worldwide have never conducted such barbaric exercises on nonhuman animals of any kind and the available research suggests that surgical knowledge and competency are not improved by doing so. In the interest of upholding their duty to practice ethical medicine, these doctors and researchers should be abandoning these superfluous animal studies in favor of pursuing human-relevant, humane alternatives," Goodman said.
a shout out to dr mohammad dbeisi
a waterbury doctor home from iraq
Casualties of war
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
Waterbury-WTNH) _ An army reservist doctor recently home from Iraq, shared his experience with other doctors at Waterbury Hospital Tuesday night.
The army is in need of surgeons in Iraq and one doctor from Waterbury comes from a long line of soldiers. Dr. Mohammad Dbeisi's father and uncles all served and he figured it was a good fit for him, so he headed to Iraq with the Army National Guard.
"Being out there with the guys and looking at the IED's and the bombs going off, it really hits home," said Dr. Dbeisi.
And the injuries suffered as a result are absolutely devastating, but with limited supplies, the job is tough...............
Casualties of war
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
Waterbury-WTNH) _ An army reservist doctor recently home from Iraq, shared his experience with other doctors at Waterbury Hospital Tuesday night.
The army is in need of surgeons in Iraq and one doctor from Waterbury comes from a long line of soldiers. Dr. Mohammad Dbeisi's father and uncles all served and he figured it was a good fit for him, so he headed to Iraq with the Army National Guard.
"Being out there with the guys and looking at the IED's and the bombs going off, it really hits home," said Dr. Dbeisi.
And the injuries suffered as a result are absolutely devastating, but with limited supplies, the job is tough...............
i got my new car registration
i wasn't expecting a sticker that goes on the INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. i've been trying to peel off the old emissions sticker that was ALREADY on my windshield, for days. no go. so now when someone wants to steal your registration instead of cutting out the sticker on your license plate, they'll just BREAK YOUR WINDOWS
DMV changes sticker rules
Priya Raman
To combat an increase in the theft of registration stickers from automobiles, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles will begin requiring the stickers to be placed on the inside of windshields next month, following an initiative first proposed by city officials in New Haven.The new registration stickers, commissioned by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, will be placed inside the front windshield of vehicles rather than on license plates. The new regulations were initially proposed by New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and New Haven Police Chief Francisco Ortiz last January as a way to reduce sticker theft -- also known as insert theft -- DeStefano spokesman Derek Slap said................
DMV changes sticker rules
Priya Raman
To combat an increase in the theft of registration stickers from automobiles, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles will begin requiring the stickers to be placed on the inside of windshields next month, following an initiative first proposed by city officials in New Haven.The new registration stickers, commissioned by Gov. M. Jodi Rell, will be placed inside the front windshield of vehicles rather than on license plates. The new regulations were initially proposed by New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and New Haven Police Chief Francisco Ortiz last January as a way to reduce sticker theft -- also known as insert theft -- DeStefano spokesman Derek Slap said................
Monday, May 21, 2007
the king is giving the commencement address
at the coast guard academy
seems like he may run into one or two protesters
Presidential visit a magnet for demonstrators
NEW LONDON, Conn. --National peace groups and those supporting the president's policies in Iraq are planning to converge on New London Wednesday to demonstrate as President Bush delivers his commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
The peace groups, organized by sponsors Veterans for Peace and Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (A.N.S.W.E.R.), plan an all-night vigil Tuesday at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument downtown.
The groups then plan to march from downtown to a rally at the academy gates Wednesday that is expected to include speeches by parents who have lost children in Iraq.
They will be joined by scientists from colleges in Connecticut, who plan to wear academic robes and carry signs protesting the Bush Administration's science policies.
The Raging Grannies and Code Pink, women war protesters known for their pink feather boas, also plan to demonstrate.
A national pro-war group, Gathering of Eagles, also plans a demonstration.............
(a PRO war group? who is PRO war? think about it)
seems like he may run into one or two protesters
Presidential visit a magnet for demonstrators
NEW LONDON, Conn. --National peace groups and those supporting the president's policies in Iraq are planning to converge on New London Wednesday to demonstrate as President Bush delivers his commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
The peace groups, organized by sponsors Veterans for Peace and Act Now to Stop War & End Racism (A.N.S.W.E.R.), plan an all-night vigil Tuesday at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument downtown.
The groups then plan to march from downtown to a rally at the academy gates Wednesday that is expected to include speeches by parents who have lost children in Iraq.
They will be joined by scientists from colleges in Connecticut, who plan to wear academic robes and carry signs protesting the Bush Administration's science policies.
The Raging Grannies and Code Pink, women war protesters known for their pink feather boas, also plan to demonstrate.
A national pro-war group, Gathering of Eagles, also plans a demonstration.............
(a PRO war group? who is PRO war? think about it)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
plan b at one way fare
UPDATE (click link to the right for pictures) - july 13 2007 : opening july 13 2007
i never stop talking about the half door. i even have a permanent link in my sidebar. i love that joint. there is only one day a year i wouldn't even consider going in. that's st patrick's day. WAY too crowded for me. as of yesterday, i just added another day (i've been through the day multiple times, it just slips my mind). it's the uconn law school end of the year (the last tests) day. i believe it's always on a friday but i could be wrong there. they crowd the half door. most are inconsiderate, RUDE, obnoxious, ill mannered asses. i look at them and shake my head. if this is who we have becomming our lawyers and politicians we're in a more sorry state than ever i imagined. i'd tell some stories but i don't want to involve any innocents. so now, it's TWO days of the year to stay away.
al and shawn own the half door. they also own tisane a block and half down farmington avenue. the food is good but it's just too TRENDY for me in there. the latest venture is plan b on park road in west hartford. they (al and shaw did LOTS of the work themselves mind you along with k c the chef) worked very hard to get that in the shape they wanted it. if you had ever been to the old cypress arms you'd never recognize it now. i like the food and i'm friends with some of the staff. i just don't like to hang there either BECAUSE IT'S TRENDY.
now shawn and al have bought the old one way fare in simsbury (i knew the previous owner paula THAT'S PAULA the courant article called her paul. i worked with her for many years). they're again doing a lot of the work themselves. i've not stopped down yet but i plan on doing so before they open. i want to see what they've done. they take pride in their establishments.
i remember how i felt when i first walked in the half door. i felt at home. the MOST impressive part? i remembered HOW CLEAN the bathroom was. it's a small bar, it's an OLD bar but it was CLEAN. that means the world to me. shawn can't ever just sit. he's washing windows or straightening something or my favorite, he mops a portion of the floor. i've rarely ever seen him NOT do it if he's in the half door. the day of their christmas party (way AFTER christmas mind you) we all met there on a sunday afternoon to drive over to dinner at peppercorn's grill downtown (once again thanks shawn and jen and al). we were ALL dressed up. what does shawn do while we're waiting to leave? gets out a mop and starts doing the floor!
anyway, here's some words from the courant
New Owners Offer Blended Plan B
By LORETTA WALDMAN, Courant Staff Writer
SIMSBURY -- Creating a new restaurant in what used to be One-Way Fare is a lot like turning a church into a house. Anyone attempting either project knows they are treading on sacred ground. And so it is with that sense of reverence that Shawn Skehan and Al Gamble are approaching the transformation of a beloved eatery that, after 32 years, had become an institution in town. The two restaurateurs - owners of Hartford's Half Door and Tisane and Plan B in West Hartford - say their latest venture will be modeled after Plan B but will feature elements of the old One-Way Fare that folks know and love. Even the name of the new restaurant - Plan B at One-Way Fare - melds the two. "We're walking a fine line between the modern and old," Skehan explained. "We want to see if we can blend the two and have some fun with it." The new restaurant is slated to open in early June. Skehan and Gamble have been hard at work re-creating the interior of the old Pennsylvania Rail Road depot, which was first turned into a restaurant in 1976.....................
i never stop talking about the half door. i even have a permanent link in my sidebar. i love that joint. there is only one day a year i wouldn't even consider going in. that's st patrick's day. WAY too crowded for me. as of yesterday, i just added another day (i've been through the day multiple times, it just slips my mind). it's the uconn law school end of the year (the last tests) day. i believe it's always on a friday but i could be wrong there. they crowd the half door. most are inconsiderate, RUDE, obnoxious, ill mannered asses. i look at them and shake my head. if this is who we have becomming our lawyers and politicians we're in a more sorry state than ever i imagined. i'd tell some stories but i don't want to involve any innocents. so now, it's TWO days of the year to stay away.
al and shawn own the half door. they also own tisane a block and half down farmington avenue. the food is good but it's just too TRENDY for me in there. the latest venture is plan b on park road in west hartford. they (al and shaw did LOTS of the work themselves mind you along with k c the chef) worked very hard to get that in the shape they wanted it. if you had ever been to the old cypress arms you'd never recognize it now. i like the food and i'm friends with some of the staff. i just don't like to hang there either BECAUSE IT'S TRENDY.
now shawn and al have bought the old one way fare in simsbury (i knew the previous owner paula THAT'S PAULA the courant article called her paul. i worked with her for many years). they're again doing a lot of the work themselves. i've not stopped down yet but i plan on doing so before they open. i want to see what they've done. they take pride in their establishments.
i remember how i felt when i first walked in the half door. i felt at home. the MOST impressive part? i remembered HOW CLEAN the bathroom was. it's a small bar, it's an OLD bar but it was CLEAN. that means the world to me. shawn can't ever just sit. he's washing windows or straightening something or my favorite, he mops a portion of the floor. i've rarely ever seen him NOT do it if he's in the half door. the day of their christmas party (way AFTER christmas mind you) we all met there on a sunday afternoon to drive over to dinner at peppercorn's grill downtown (once again thanks shawn and jen and al). we were ALL dressed up. what does shawn do while we're waiting to leave? gets out a mop and starts doing the floor!
anyway, here's some words from the courant
New Owners Offer Blended Plan B
By LORETTA WALDMAN, Courant Staff Writer
SIMSBURY -- Creating a new restaurant in what used to be One-Way Fare is a lot like turning a church into a house. Anyone attempting either project knows they are treading on sacred ground. And so it is with that sense of reverence that Shawn Skehan and Al Gamble are approaching the transformation of a beloved eatery that, after 32 years, had become an institution in town. The two restaurateurs - owners of Hartford's Half Door and Tisane and Plan B in West Hartford - say their latest venture will be modeled after Plan B but will feature elements of the old One-Way Fare that folks know and love. Even the name of the new restaurant - Plan B at One-Way Fare - melds the two. "We're walking a fine line between the modern and old," Skehan explained. "We want to see if we can blend the two and have some fun with it." The new restaurant is slated to open in early June. Skehan and Gamble have been hard at work re-creating the interior of the old Pennsylvania Rail Road depot, which was first turned into a restaurant in 1976.....................
Friday, May 18, 2007
yet another stupid
connecticut (alleged) criminal
Conn. Woman Tried To Rob Bank In Limo
The Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Evonne D. Maurice apparently wanted to get away in style.The Connecticut woman pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to trying to rob a bank at a drive-up window while traveling in a hired limousine.The attempted robbery occurred Dec. 1, 2005, at a Citizens Bank branch in Cranston. Prosecutors said Maurice, 22, had a limousine take her to the bank, told the driver she needed to withdraw cash to pay for the ride, then walked up to the window and handed the teller an envelope with a note demanding money and saying there were two bombs in the bank.The teller triggered an alarm, and Maurice got back in the limo and was driven away. The driver was unaware of the robbery attempt, prosecutors said...................
Conn. Woman Tried To Rob Bank In Limo
The Associated Press PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Evonne D. Maurice apparently wanted to get away in style.The Connecticut woman pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to trying to rob a bank at a drive-up window while traveling in a hired limousine.The attempted robbery occurred Dec. 1, 2005, at a Citizens Bank branch in Cranston. Prosecutors said Maurice, 22, had a limousine take her to the bank, told the driver she needed to withdraw cash to pay for the ride, then walked up to the window and handed the teller an envelope with a note demanding money and saying there were two bombs in the bank.The teller triggered an alarm, and Maurice got back in the limo and was driven away. The driver was unaware of the robbery attempt, prosecutors said...................
Thursday, May 17, 2007
is anyone else getting two phone bills
only one more step
the governor has to approve it and it PASSES!
House approves bill on helping pets in family violence cases
(Hartford-AP)_A bill that would protect pets in family violence cases has cleared the state House of Representatives and now moves to Governor Rell for final approval. The proposed law would allow a judge to issue protective and restraining orders for animals owned or kept by victims of domestic violence, stalking and harassment. North Stonington Representative Diana Urban told fellow lawmakers about an abused woman who went to a safe house to escape her abuser. While she was there, the abuser cut off the ears of the woman's dog and mailed them to her family...............
House approves bill on helping pets in family violence cases
(Hartford-AP)_A bill that would protect pets in family violence cases has cleared the state House of Representatives and now moves to Governor Rell for final approval. The proposed law would allow a judge to issue protective and restraining orders for animals owned or kept by victims of domestic violence, stalking and harassment. North Stonington Representative Diana Urban told fellow lawmakers about an abused woman who went to a safe house to escape her abuser. While she was there, the abuser cut off the ears of the woman's dog and mailed them to her family...............
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
YOU elected him
now you have to live with not only him, BUT his choices as well. i can live with him fundraising for a republican MORE than i can live with him sending our men and women into an unjust, illegal AND immoral war
Lieberman Helps Collect Cash for Collins
Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) is never going to win any popularity contests among his party's liberal base -- a fact he seems decidedly unconcerned about despite his 2006 Democratic primary loss to Ned Lamont.
Not only has Lieberman endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.) -- one of Democrats' biggest targets in the 2008 cycle -- but he's planning to co-host a fundraiser for her on June 21 in Washington, D.C..............
Lieberman Helps Collect Cash for Collins
Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) is never going to win any popularity contests among his party's liberal base -- a fact he seems decidedly unconcerned about despite his 2006 Democratic primary loss to Ned Lamont.
Not only has Lieberman endorsed Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.) -- one of Democrats' biggest targets in the 2008 cycle -- but he's planning to co-host a fundraiser for her on June 21 in Washington, D.C..............
Monday, May 14, 2007
there HAS to be a better way
this sub human (who had claimed his wife was killed in iraq) pleaded guilty to assaulting a 13 year old girl. he most likely will get PROBATION for THAT offense (he got actual time for the lie about his wife being killed in iraq). i understand not wanting the girl to testify because it will cause her pain. i really DO understand that. but to let this piece of steamin' you know what slide is just NOT right. we have to come up with a BETTER way to protect our children yet punish the guilty
Man who claimed wife died in Iraq pleads to sex assault
WATERBURY, Conn. --A 46-year-old man, already serving time for telling police that his wife had died in Iraq, has pleaded guilty to charges that he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl.
Edward Valentin had faced sexual assault charges, but under a deal with prosecutors, pleaded guilty Friday to risk of injury to a minor. He is expected to be sentence to probation.
Assistant State's Attorney Gail Hardy said she agreed to the deal because she believed that testifying during the trial would have been detrimental to the mental health of the girl, who is now 17.
"The victim was actually happy she doesn't have to go through the exercise of testifying," Hardy said. "But she was willing to do it if she needed to."
Valentin is currently serving an 87-day sentence for fabricating a story in 2004 that his then-wife, U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Betsy Heelan, had been killed in Iraq.
Valentin received national attention in February 2004 when he claimed he received a phone call from the U.S. Department of Defense informing him that his wife had been among 101 soldiers killed in an explosion in Baghdad.
After it became clear the Army did not call him, Valentin claimed to be the victim of a cruel hoax. He later admitted he made up the story and said it was because he thought it would get his wife home.
Prosecutors said he made up the story because he was wanted to date a woman who had told him she did not want to get involved with a married man..............
Man who claimed wife died in Iraq pleads to sex assault
WATERBURY, Conn. --A 46-year-old man, already serving time for telling police that his wife had died in Iraq, has pleaded guilty to charges that he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl.
Edward Valentin had faced sexual assault charges, but under a deal with prosecutors, pleaded guilty Friday to risk of injury to a minor. He is expected to be sentence to probation.
Assistant State's Attorney Gail Hardy said she agreed to the deal because she believed that testifying during the trial would have been detrimental to the mental health of the girl, who is now 17.
"The victim was actually happy she doesn't have to go through the exercise of testifying," Hardy said. "But she was willing to do it if she needed to."
Valentin is currently serving an 87-day sentence for fabricating a story in 2004 that his then-wife, U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Betsy Heelan, had been killed in Iraq.
Valentin received national attention in February 2004 when he claimed he received a phone call from the U.S. Department of Defense informing him that his wife had been among 101 soldiers killed in an explosion in Baghdad.
After it became clear the Army did not call him, Valentin claimed to be the victim of a cruel hoax. He later admitted he made up the story and said it was because he thought it would get his wife home.
Prosecutors said he made up the story because he was wanted to date a woman who had told him she did not want to get involved with a married man..............
Friday, May 11, 2007
perhaps da liebs
can backfill (with the cost coming out of his OWN pockets) connecticut with:
more than two-hundred high-mobility multipurpose vehicles, a Chinook CH-47D cargo helicopter, fifteen-hundred pairs of night-vision goggles and twenty-one large support vehicles such as tankers, wreckers and heavy cargo vehicles.
cause that's what we're missing (due to king george, his court and da liebs insistance to send our men and women into harm's way in an illegal, unjust and immoral war)
Governors worry about depleted National Guard with equipment left in Iraq and Afghanistan
(Hartford-AP)_Some governors are questioning whether they will be able to handle the next hurricane, wildfire or terrorist attack at home. That's because repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are leaving state National Guards without nearly half of their required equipment. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius complained this week that shortages of equipment and well-trained personnel slowed Guard response to the killer tornadoes that ravaged her state. .............
..............The Pentagon acknowledged this week that Army National Guard units had only 56 percent of their required equipment, the lowest levels since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ...............
more than two-hundred high-mobility multipurpose vehicles, a Chinook CH-47D cargo helicopter, fifteen-hundred pairs of night-vision goggles and twenty-one large support vehicles such as tankers, wreckers and heavy cargo vehicles.
cause that's what we're missing (due to king george, his court and da liebs insistance to send our men and women into harm's way in an illegal, unjust and immoral war)
Governors worry about depleted National Guard with equipment left in Iraq and Afghanistan
(Hartford-AP)_Some governors are questioning whether they will be able to handle the next hurricane, wildfire or terrorist attack at home. That's because repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are leaving state National Guards without nearly half of their required equipment. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius complained this week that shortages of equipment and well-trained personnel slowed Guard response to the killer tornadoes that ravaged her state. .............
..............The Pentagon acknowledged this week that Army National Guard units had only 56 percent of their required equipment, the lowest levels since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. ...............
Thursday, May 10, 2007
the last of the 102nd are home
and i welcome you and i thank you (we all do)
National Guard members return to Connecticut
(Windsor Locks-WTNH)_It was a third and final homecoming today for the New Haven based 102nd Infantry Battalion. Fifty unit members arrived at Bradley International Airport this afternoon to the loving arms of wives, husbands, children and parents.
After a year in Afghanistan and almost a year and a half away from home, the members of the 102nd were recognized while they were in Afghanistan for holding off Taliban forces, so that Afghan security forces could arrive. During their stay, they participated in search and seizure operations, working with the Afghan security forces and the Afghan National Army. They spent the past month taking warrior leader courses at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, but today it was all about just being with family.
Jessica Koeler of Meriden said her husband has been away since January of last year. .............
National Guard members return to Connecticut
(Windsor Locks-WTNH)_It was a third and final homecoming today for the New Haven based 102nd Infantry Battalion. Fifty unit members arrived at Bradley International Airport this afternoon to the loving arms of wives, husbands, children and parents.
After a year in Afghanistan and almost a year and a half away from home, the members of the 102nd were recognized while they were in Afghanistan for holding off Taliban forces, so that Afghan security forces could arrive. During their stay, they participated in search and seizure operations, working with the Afghan security forces and the Afghan National Army. They spent the past month taking warrior leader courses at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, but today it was all about just being with family.
Jessica Koeler of Meriden said her husband has been away since January of last year. .............
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
the start of my
chevron scarf from last minute knitted gifts
tweedy cotton classic #476 (the pinkish purplish yarn)
cotton classic color #109 (the blue/green/purple)
both by tahki-stacy charles
(from sit-n-knit in west hartford center)
Monday, May 07, 2007
i'm not one to go to concerts (any more)
i don't like large venues (although i DID enjoy the allman brothers at whatever it's called now. before it was called what it is now mind you, the dodge theater or ford or yugo)
i DID see many a fine act at toad's though and i sure do hope to see many in the future (anyone remember the sting in new britain? i enjoyed the hell out of THAT place too. while we're at it, and i'm dating myself. how about the shaboo??? damn some GOOD GOOD GOOD times)
Famous night club ordered closed for three months
NEW HAVEN, Conn. --There will be no beers poured, no dancing, no screaming guitars, no gigs at Toad's Place for the next three months.
The famous nightclub, where stars from Count Basie to the Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash to U2 have all performed, shut its doors Friday for three months by order of the state Liquor Control Division.
Liquor control agents and police officers raided Toad's Place in November 2005 as the club was holding a "College Night."
The club was charged with selling of alcohol to minors and negotiated a settlement with the state. It agreed to close its doors for 90 days and pay a $90,000 fine. None of the underage drinkers was arrested.
"What's done is done," Toads General Manager Ed Dingus of Hamden told the New Haven Register. "We've got to play by the rules."..............
i DID see many a fine act at toad's though and i sure do hope to see many in the future (anyone remember the sting in new britain? i enjoyed the hell out of THAT place too. while we're at it, and i'm dating myself. how about the shaboo??? damn some GOOD GOOD GOOD times)
Famous night club ordered closed for three months
NEW HAVEN, Conn. --There will be no beers poured, no dancing, no screaming guitars, no gigs at Toad's Place for the next three months.
The famous nightclub, where stars from Count Basie to the Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash to U2 have all performed, shut its doors Friday for three months by order of the state Liquor Control Division.
Liquor control agents and police officers raided Toad's Place in November 2005 as the club was holding a "College Night."
The club was charged with selling of alcohol to minors and negotiated a settlement with the state. It agreed to close its doors for 90 days and pay a $90,000 fine. None of the underage drinkers was arrested.
"What's done is done," Toads General Manager Ed Dingus of Hamden told the New Haven Register. "We've got to play by the rules."..............
please say a few kind words or a prayer or two for the 405th
combat support hospital. they're out of my hood, west hartford, but are from all over the northeast. let's all keep a good thought out for them
Medical unit deploys to Iraq
by News Channel 8's Jamie Muro
(West Hartford-WTNH) _ It was a special send-off Sunday in West Hartford for 95-men and women of the 405th Combat Support Hospital.
The unit is stationed in West Hartford, but these medical professionals bound for Iraq came from all over the northeast. Some family members and friends traveled great lengths to see off their loved ones from the United States Armed Forces Reserve Center.
Doctors, nurses and dentists make up this group of people who are often unseen in the media spotlight of this war, but some say their contribution is immeasurable. .........
Back To The Desert For New Face Of War Reservists Making Second Trip Over
By JESSE HAMILTON, Courant Staff Writer
For the first time in the Iraq war, one of Connecticut's units of Army reservists is returning for a second lengthy deployment to the Middle East. It's just the first of what will likely be a series of local units sent back to the war, military officials say. The 405th Combat Support Hospital, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in West Hartford, had already served in Kuwait in the buildup to the Iraq War, and about a hundred of its members will return soon to a very different situation....
..............The 405th had deployed to Kuwait in 2002, as U.S. forces were readying for a possible military confrontation with Iraq. They staffed a combat hospital for several months, but it had few trauma patients. An October 2002 attack on some Marines in Kuwait provided their main experience with combat wounds and with a dead American. But the 405th came home before the real shooting war began in March 2003............
Medical unit deploys to Iraq
by News Channel 8's Jamie Muro
(West Hartford-WTNH) _ It was a special send-off Sunday in West Hartford for 95-men and women of the 405th Combat Support Hospital.
The unit is stationed in West Hartford, but these medical professionals bound for Iraq came from all over the northeast. Some family members and friends traveled great lengths to see off their loved ones from the United States Armed Forces Reserve Center.
Doctors, nurses and dentists make up this group of people who are often unseen in the media spotlight of this war, but some say their contribution is immeasurable. .........
Back To The Desert For New Face Of War Reservists Making Second Trip Over
By JESSE HAMILTON, Courant Staff Writer
For the first time in the Iraq war, one of Connecticut's units of Army reservists is returning for a second lengthy deployment to the Middle East. It's just the first of what will likely be a series of local units sent back to the war, military officials say. The 405th Combat Support Hospital, a U.S. Army Reserve unit based in West Hartford, had already served in Kuwait in the buildup to the Iraq War, and about a hundred of its members will return soon to a very different situation....
..............The 405th had deployed to Kuwait in 2002, as U.S. forces were readying for a possible military confrontation with Iraq. They staffed a combat hospital for several months, but it had few trauma patients. An October 2002 attack on some Marines in Kuwait provided their main experience with combat wounds and with a dead American. But the 405th came home before the real shooting war began in March 2003............
Sunday, May 06, 2007
the west end
i spend a lot of time in the west end. it's a great area. diverse, lovely, wonderful restaurants, bodegas, shops (try De Vars-Phillips Florist out. they have great gifts too, not just flowers) all sorts of people from college kids to elderly (there is an elderly housing complex on sisson by the fire house). oxford street is full of big beautiful homes (as are a lot of other streets in that hood. many historic buildings not just the mark twain home and harriet beecher stowe's house). of course my beloved half door is in the hood too. that doesn't hurt
CHRISTIAN AND KATE WINKLEY play with their daughter, Anna, outside their home on Oxford Street in Hartford, their first of several renovation projects on the block in the West End. They live on the first floor of the house above and rent out the other two floors. (ROSS TAYLOR)
Young City Homeowners Make Modern History
By NANCY SCHOEFFLER, At Home Editor
The house had asbestos siding, and all the architectural details were covered up. The porch was rotted, and the ceiling was caving in.But, says Kate Winkley, "the bones were there Christian and Kate Winkley transformed their three-family home on Oxford Street in Hartford's West End, and then they started to transform the neighborhood: They now own three other houses on the block and another just around the corner, all renovated or in the works."Multifamily houses are so often neglected; often they're non-owner-occupied," says Christian Winkley, noting that all but one of the houses on the block are multifamily dwellings. "This was a perfect block to bring back," Winkley says. "It just needed a little TLC," adds his wife.................
CHRISTIAN AND KATE WINKLEY play with their daughter, Anna, outside their home on Oxford Street in Hartford, their first of several renovation projects on the block in the West End. They live on the first floor of the house above and rent out the other two floors. (ROSS TAYLOR)
Young City Homeowners Make Modern History
By NANCY SCHOEFFLER, At Home Editor
The house had asbestos siding, and all the architectural details were covered up. The porch was rotted, and the ceiling was caving in.But, says Kate Winkley, "the bones were there Christian and Kate Winkley transformed their three-family home on Oxford Street in Hartford's West End, and then they started to transform the neighborhood: They now own three other houses on the block and another just around the corner, all renovated or in the works."Multifamily houses are so often neglected; often they're non-owner-occupied," says Christian Winkley, noting that all but one of the houses on the block are multifamily dwellings. "This was a perfect block to bring back," Winkley says. "It just needed a little TLC," adds his wife.................
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