how cool is this? in a land far far away

D. Finnin/AMNH, June 27, 2007
This 17-foot-long dragon with a wingspan of over 19 feet guards the entrance to Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids, a new special exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

well, NOT so far. about two hours away.





i am going to see this. it's right up my alley. i have plenty of time too. it goes on through january





A Fabled Journey





By KIRA GOLDENBERG Courant Staff Writer





I was standing on tiptoes, stretching over an extra-tall ticket counter to see my receipt printing at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, when a security guard sidled up next to me. I signed my receipt, lowered my heels and turned to smile at him."Oh - you were on tiptoe," he said. "I was about to remark on how tall you are, but you're actually short."I'm 5 feet 8.


For my "daycation," I grabbed a friend and made for New York to see the museum's "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids" exhibit. New York is full of pricier adventures, but the city can captivate when you're simply walking around, people-watching - and flirting with bored security guards........





...........The exhibit is a fascinating combination of fancy and scholarship. Divided into land, sea and sky, each section features display cases devoted to various mythic creatures from all over the world, with panels that recount a version of each creature's legend. The tales are underscored with historical artifacts like sculptures, bones and 16th-century biology texts, all illustrating the persistence of the folkloric imagination throughout history and across continents......

da liebs

ready willing and don't for a second doubt, VERY capable of starting ANOTHER war

i don't like the government of iran. they are evil and even more unjust than our own government. there are terrorists in iran. i have no idea how many or if the government is bankrolling and training them. my point is i don't think DA LIEBS HAS THAT INFORMATION EITHER.

before starting YET ANOTHER WAR where our men and women are being harmed maimed and killed, WHY DON'T WE GATHER ALL OF THE FACTS. why don't we determine what is true and what isn't true.

we invaded iraq based on lies. are we going to continue to invade more countries without having the full story?

Lieberman: Iran has declared war on the US

Josh Catone
Following a statement issued by the American Forces Press Service accusing Iran's Quds Force of "training, funding and arming the Iraqi groups," as well as Hezbollah operatives in Iraq, Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) released a statement saying that Iran has declared war on America."Although no one desires a conflict with Iran, the fact is that the Iranian government by its actions has declared war on us," Lieberman wrote, while urging the United States to keep "open the possibility of using military force against the terrorist infrastructure inside Iran.".........

Lieberman: Iran Has Declared War

By DAVID LIGHTMAN Washington Bureau Chief, The Hartford Courant

............Lieberman said he hoped the latest news about Iran would help quash calls in Congress to withdraw U. S. troops.Withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq at this time, he added, "will give Iranians exactly what they want most" -- an "epic victory" for forces of terrorism."Iran's purpose in sponsoring these attacks against our soldiers is clear," he said. "The Iranian government wants to push the United States out of Iraq................

a shout out (a BIG one) to my friend lk

tyshawn and lk

mikey relaxin'

chris and lk

alli tyshawn katie and of course lil' gizmo

she just got back from a few days in new orleans. what was she doing you ask? sure, she went out and had fun during the evenings. during the day she was BUILDING HOUSES FOR HABITAT! that's so very wicked cool

alli katie and lk

i'm STILL angry the citizens of the great state of connecticut

voted this man, who is CLEARLY not quite right, back into office. makes me think my fellow citizens are NOT QUITE RIGHT either

(and by the way, i am NOT against surveillance of ANY kind as long as it is done WITHIN THE LAWS)

Lieberman calls for wider use of surveillance cameras

By Klaus Marre July 01, 2007

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, said Sunday he wants to “more widely” use surveillance cameras across the country.“The Brits have got something smart going in England, and it was part of why I believe they were able to so quickly apprehend suspects in the terrorist acts over the weekend, and that is they have cameras all over London and other of their major cities,” Lieberman said.“I think it’s just common sense to do that here much more widely,” he added. “And of course, we can do it without compromising anybody’s real privacy.”Lieberman lamented the “petty, partisan fighting” in Congress and called on his colleagues to join together to upgrade the nation’s electronic surveillance capabilities............

ugliness-VERY early morning june 29 2007

it's no bad news thursday: and we have birds bees butterfiles and bats

CONNECTICUT COOL!!!

New postage stamps give a lesson on the birds and the bees

_ A Connecticut artist is the inspiration behind a set of postage stamps that will feature the birds and the bees.
The four-stamp set, going on sale Friday, focuses on the importance of pollination by illustrating creatures that are active in that process -- birds, bees, butterflies and bats.
The stamps were designed by artist Steve Buchanan of Winsted. ........

New postage stamps give a lesson on the birds and the bees

.........The 41-cent stamps will be released in a ceremony at the Agriculture Department. They show four wildflowers, the purple nightshade, hummingbird trumpet, saguaro and prairie ironweed. Shown busy pollinating them are two Morrison's bumblebees, a calliope hummingbird, a lesser long-nosed bat and a Southern dogface butterfly.............

charlie

he just LOOKS cool, doesn't he? therapy animals are a wonderful thing! animals are a wonderful thing!

At Derby Neck Library, Cindy Trifone, right, of Soul Friends shows 2-year-old Lyndsy Pontillo, of Trumbull, how to properly approach her therapy dog Charlie during a program called "How a Dog's Brain Works" about positive reinforcement to change behavior in both canines and humans. Looking on, from right, were Rosie McGrath, 3, of Shelton, Penny Pontillo, of Trumbull, James McGrath, 2, of Shelton, and Julia Dota, 3, of Derby. (Tracy Deer/Connecticut Post)

Derby therapy dogs help Valley children

MATTHEW HIGBEE mhigbee@ctpost.com

DERBY — For many children, the earliest lessons in caring and responsibility are learned through caring for the family dog. Cindy Trifone, a mental health counselor for children and teenagers, has taken those lessons a step further. Trifone and her business partner, Kate Nicoll, a trained clinical therapist, are using therapy dogs in their practice, Soul Friends, to help young people with autism, grief, trauma from abuse, and a range of other emotional and developmental problems. The human-animal bond is a gift that the dog brings to the therapy," said Trifone, who was visiting the Derby Neck Library on Tuesday with Charlie, a terrier......

.......A rescue from the Woodbridge Animal Shelter, Charlie has a story that many patients identify with, Trifone added. He was emaciated when she took him home 2 1/2 years ago, and needed to be housebroken......

to the family and friends of 'dre', army specialist andre craig

my thoughts and prayers are with you. i am so very sorry for your loss

New Haven soldier killed in Iraq

by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke

New Haven-WTNH) _ Army Specialist Andre Craig, 24, was killed in Baghdad on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his convoy.
Just a few short weeks ago, Craig walked the streets of his New Haven home, showing off his baby girl and celebrating his 24th birthday with friends and family.
"He was a very friendly person, an outgoing person," said neighbor Anthony Winfrey. "When I heard about his passing it just tore me apart cause I was right here with the guy a couple weeks ago."........

New Haven Soldier Killed In Iraq Mourned

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- A New Haven family on Tuesday mourned the loss of their son, who was killed in Iraq.
Army Spc. Andre Craig, 22, was killed on Sunday when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle.
Neighbors said Craig had just come home on leave a few weeks ago and saw his baby daughter, Taylor, for the first time. Craig was known as "Dre" on Rosette Street, where he lived in New Haven

"He's a good person," said Barbara Smith, a neighbor of Craig's. "I'm going to miss you Dre. I'm going to really miss you."........

New Haven Soldier Killed In Iraq 24-Year-Old Army Specialist, A Convoy Gunner, Died In A Roadside Bomb Blast

By STEPHANIE SUMMERS, And ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER Courant Staff Writers

NEW HAVEN -- Army Spec. Andre Craig of New Haven is reportedly one of several U.S. soldiers who died in the past few days in roadside bomb attacks in Iraq.Jessica Mayorga, director of communications for New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., said Tuesday night that the mayor's office had been notified of Craig's death by several sources but was awaiting official confirmation from the military.

Mayorga said it appeared Craig was the first New Haven resident to die in the Iraq war.Craig, who turned 24 on June 18, was a gunner in a convoy in Baghdad, one of the riskiest jobs in the war, WTNH-TV, Channel 8, reported Tuesday evening. The station reported he was killed by a roadside bomb.............

when connecticut bishops

are able to get pregnant, THEN and ONLY THEN will their comments on plan b be worth anything

Conn. bishops claim Plan B law takes shot at religious freedom

By Susan Haigh, Associated Press Writer

HARTFORD, Conn. --Victim advocates cheered a recent bill requiring all Connecticut hospitals to offer emergency contraception to rape victims, but Roman Catholic leaders see it as the beginning of a new national assault on religious freedom.
The bishops in this heavily Catholic but pro-choice state say the legislation, already signed into law by the Republican governor, could force Connecticut's four Catholic hospitals to perform what they consider chemical abortions.
An attorney for the hospitals said they are considering state or federal legal action claiming the new law that takes effect Oct. 1 infringes on their constitutional rights.............

leonard domler

has passed. i didn't even know. he was a friend of the family. i know his kids.

the last time i saw him was at a relative's (both his and mine but from different sides) wedding. he was very old and very frail. he still had that twinkle in his eyes though.

he (and fran) were special people. i'm glad their paths crossed mine

A Driving Force Behind Folk Music In The Hartford Area

By ANNE M. HAMILTON, Special to The Courant


Len Domler's first love was country music, but over the years, he became known for bringing Odetta, Pete Seeger, Doc Watson and hundreds of other folk singers to Hartford. They all performed at the Sounding Board or the Hartford Family Folk Festival, which Domler ran.

Started in 1973, the Sounding Board is one of the oldest continuously running folk music sites in the country, according to Susan Forbes Hansen, a folk-radio show host. "He kept this venue growing, and it spawned a lot of others in the area," she said. "It's helped make Southern New England a hub for folk music."And while he was known for his overwhelming admiration of Johnny Cash, Domler also became a convert to folk music..........

i couldn't agree MORE with chris dodd on this one

for years i've been saying, ALL kids right out of high school (especially those who are planning on attending college) should be made to do some type of community service. in return, i think their education should be paid for (if going to a state school) or subsidized (if going to a private school).

i'm all with the adults doing service as well. i'm lucky - my company DOES allow for volunteer work/community service during work hours. (however, i've done most of my volunteerism on my own time)

Dodd Urges Mandatory Community Service


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) -- Aiming to create the first generation in which all Americans serve their country, Democratic presidential hopeful Chris Dodd is offering a range of initiatives to encourage -- and in some cases compel -- community service.
''All Americans should serve our country,'' the Connecticut senator said in remarks prepared for delivery Saturday. ''Endowed as we are with so many gifts, is it too much to ask that we each give something back to this remarkable place?''
He proposes making community service mandatory for all high school students, doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011 and expanding the AmeriCorps national service program to 1 million participants by the end of his presidency.
Requiring high school students to perform community service will give them a chance to acquire new skills while meeting the needs of their communities, Dodd said........

grrrls and sports

REMIGINO-KNAPP, center, the athletic director for West Hartford schools, stands with other female coaches for the district: Pam Moffo, from left, Susan Startzman- Daly, Sue McAuliffe Curnias and Kathy Walling. Remigino-Knapp was a student at Hall High School when female coaches staged a boycott in 1971 to fight to be paid for their work in the West Hartford schools. A year later, Title IX would help pave the way for further equality for girls and women in athletics. (MARC-YVES REGIS I)

i went to hall. i went around that time period as well. i hated sports (and to this day i hate MOST sports exept for my beloved red sox. oh ok, i like hockey too and perhaps the celtics in their heyday) in high school. i hated them with a passion. i did play field hockey and was good at it. goalie. as far as i can remember, that's about all we played among other schools. i don't think we played basketball or baseball, or similar sports. there is no reason GRRRLS can't play competitive sports in high school if they want to. they SHOULD have every equal opportunity boys do. we're MORE than cheerleaders.

i was quite the rebel when i was in junior and high school. i know i was SICK of playing golf in high school (to this day i HATE it so much i cannot even express it accurately). i don't remember if i was a sophomore or junior (i don't think i was a senior) but i decided to do something for me and all the other grrrls in all of the other high schools. i tried out for the boys basketball team. i was NO good. that was NOT the point. i didn't want to make the team. i wanted THEM to know i should have the SAME chance of playing on a team that competed against other schools as any other student. penis or not.

even back then i was a rabelrouser. of course they kicked me out of the gym but i felt good and i think i made THEM feel more uncomfortable (i'm good at that).

(oh and i remember ms rosenkrans too! a shout out to her)

Female Coaches Played Hardball A Year Before Title IX, Boycott Led To Wages

By LORI RILEY, Courant Staff Writer

Betty Remigino-Knapp's father won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Her mother grew up with a tennis court in her backyard and played football and baseball with the boys in her neighborhood. Lindy and June Remigino encouraged their four daughters to play sports, but there was little offered for girls in West Hartford in the 1960s.

When Betty entered Hall High School in the fall of 1969, she played some field hockey and basketball and ran track. But the sports were a far cry from girls high school sports today. The schedules and travel were limited. The girls wore the same uniforms for all three sports. There was a "girls gym" - smaller, no bleachers, no scoreboard - and a "boys gym" - bigger, with bleachers and a scoreboard.The girls didn't complain. They were just happy to be able to participate........

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i wasn't going to write about this at all

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i wasn't going to write about this at all

a shout out to the farmington valley school in avon

thank you for your tribute to our fallen

Avon students pay tribute to fallen soldiers

by News Channel 8's Jodi Latina

(Hartford-WTNH) _ Students from an Avon school's civics class brought their classroom to the capitol today. They're paying tribute in a unique way to American soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq.
The lawn of the state capitol was transformed into a makeshift memorial.
18-year old Jack Vivert, a senior at the Farmington Valley School in Avon, read some of the 3,500 names he and his classmates wrote down on paper. Each piece shows the name of an American soldier killed in the line of duty in Iraq.
These students are part of a civics class that often does hands on projects. This one took two weeks to make, along with a lot of emotional investment.
"Everyone talks about how much they hate the war but no one's doing anything," Vivert said...........

plan b at one way fare

UPDATE (click link to the right for pictures) - july 13 2007 : opening july 13 2007

(chris and eddie)

(chris, eddie and cathy)

i FINALLY ran into shawn yesterday. he and al are hard at work at one way fare in simsbury. he was SO excited. i've not seen him like this in a LONG time. all he could talk about was the lighting he got for the bar. they're being specially blown somewhere in ny (that is SO shawn!).

at any rate, i hear the joint should finally be open in approximately two weeks - give or take.

(shawn at the half door after a hard day of working at plan b at one way fare - all pictures taken at the half door by the way)

i can't wait. i know how hard they work to get everything perfect (yet you DO feel at home).

(dottie and marianne)

why is it i don't trust

what our government says about dragon skin armor???

at any rate, that is neither here nor there for gareth mello. let's wish him well along with all of the other deployed troops from connecticut AND the rest of the states as well!
(let's hope some day, some how, somewhere, there is NO MORE red tape and our troops can get ALL of the equipment they NEED WHEN they need it)

Steeled To Fight For Body Armor Marine's Father Pressing To Maximize Protection

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief


SOMERS -- Gordon Mello made sure his son, Gareth, took swimming lessons as an infant.Gordon Mello's brother had drowned at a young age, and he vowed to do all he could to teach his children how to deal with danger.
Protecting his son inevitably got harder as Gareth grew up. "You watched him get plunked by a pitch in Little League," the father recalled. "But you also know that learning the ability to bounce back develops confidence."Gareth Mello today is a 24-year-old Marine corporal, headed back to Iraq for a second tour of duty, and his father still feels a yearning to protect him. He's bought him $1,470 worth of equipment, including a Dragon Skin vest routinely used by some U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies to compensate for what the military is not providing...............

voices in conflict

it's NOT about the war, it's about the troops! (and mr lanza is correct. that IS what it's about) oh yeah, and principal canty is a giant weenie


Canceled school play about Iraq brings out real drama
Connecticut students find themselves in the national spotlight when their principal shuts down their play.

By Harry BruiniusWilton, Conn.

Stone-faced and grim, six boys from Wilton High School are marching in formation, stomping out the ominous rhythm of foot soldiers, and saluting from their chests. Together, they stop to shout: "For all the free people that still protest, you're welcome! You're welcome!"
It's a defiant rap, first written by U.S. Marines in Kuwait to taunt those who protested the first Gulf War, and now incorporated into a spring play, "Voices in Conflict," a dramatic series of monologues taken from interviews and letters from real soldiers in combat. This scene, however, has the most complicated stage directions, and Courtney Stack, a junior in charge of the choreography, is barking out orders, showing the boys how to move their feet and swing their shoulders as the pounding march becomes a flowing hip-hop groove. ........


Kids' Iraq Play Hits Big Stage After School Bars It
Wilton, Conn., Kids Get Standing Ovation for Off Broadway Performance

A group of high school students in a small Connecticut town wanted to perform a play telling the stories of actual soldiers in Iraq. But their school said no, afraid it might offend members of their community.
Although the students were silenced on their own stage in Wilton, Conn., they were given another -- Off Broadway in New York City.
Nick Lanza, a performer in the play, said it isn't about the war, it's about the troops.
"For us, it's pro-troops," Lanza said, "It's about the troops' feelings, what's happening to the troops, not whether or not war is an issue."..........

original posting and more voices

the grrrls (and some dreadful softball news)

cathy is back in town for a couple of days. I MISS HER MUCHO!!! here are cathy and lk hangin'

and i'm afraid i have some bad news. the masterbatters are 0 and 12!!!! (i told them i was going to run to my car. i had some extra skirts in there they could borrow)

a little history on bushnell park

picture: galenfrysinger.org/us/xmas05116.jpg

for example (and i didn't know this one) it was the FIRST publicly funded park in the country!

i did know there is a river running under it.

we (the big brothers big sisters group i belong to) were supposed to go to the carousel the other day but there was a bus mix up and we never did go. the kids were horribly upset (as were some of the bigs but we STILL had fun)

A Walk With History A Brisk Tour Of Bushnell Park - Its Key Shapers, Trees, Buried River

Story By SUSAN CAMPBELL, The Hartford Courant

picture: hartnet.org/als/Cable%20Collection/Images...

It's a beautiful spring day, and Edward Richardson of Glastonbury has just climbed 96 steps to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch in Hartford's Bushnell Park. To the south are the gold domes of the state Capitol and the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. To the north? I-84 and the train station, and all around are the tops of the trees.That is Richardson's special love, the park's trees. After he retired from the Phoenix insurance company in the '80s, he wrote a guide to them, and he's happy to give a brisk tour.

Brisk because there's much to see in the park.But first? A little history: Back in the 1850s, Hartford was a happening place. In roughly a decade, manufacturing and insurance, banking and munitions concerns hummed, and the population nearly doubled. With the influx of new residents - many of them immigrants - came increased crime and sticky sanitation problems......

picture: thecarouselmuseum.org/pic_bushnellpark_ca

women

are second class citizens

if you (ALLEGEDLY) try to stab your ex-girlfriend MULTIPLE TIMES with a SHARP PIECE OF BROKEN WOOD, then (ALLEGEDLY) knock her to the floor and (ALLEGEDLY) try to strangle her then last but NOT least (allegedly) STOMP HER FACE WITH YOUR DIRTY WORK BOOTS- YOU GET OFF WITH A $1,000 BAIL AMOUNT (remember what ken krayeske's bail was? i do and it was 75 times what this dude's was)

what is wrong with the justice system? who is responsible for this bail amout?


Bloomfield Man Accused Of Attacking Ex-Girlfriend
By DAVID OWENS, The Hartford Courant

VERNON -- A Bloomfield man has been charged with brutally assaulting his former girlfriend at her Rockville apartment.Garfield Heinz Johnson, 36, of 7 Norman Drive, was arraigned today on charges of second-degree assault, breach of peace and violation of a protective order. He posted $1,000 bail before his arraignment, but Deputy Assistant State's Attorney Charles Johnson put the defendant on notice that he would seek to increase his bond at his next court date, which is July 3.
Garfield Johnson is accused of smashing his way into his former girlfriend's apartment, trying repeatedly to stab her with a sharp piece of broken wood, then pushing her to the floor and trying to strangle her.The former girlfriend "found it impossible to breathe and she thought she was going to die," according to the warrant for Johnson's arrest. Johnson then stopped trying to strangle the woman, the warrant reads, and stood up and began to stomp her face. He was wearing work boots, the warrant reads.

a must read on da liebs

stuff i didn't know. makes me nauseated than i already was

'President’ Lieberman: A Cautionary Tale

by Robert Scheer
What if Al Gore had won the 2000 presidential election but died in office? Would President Joe Lieberman have been worse than George W. Bush? His recent actions suggest that he could have descended even lower in his illogical and immoral responses to the tragedy of 9/11. Although now an independent, Lieberman provides a cautionary tale for folks who talk of backing “any Democrat” who can win.
At a time when even President Bush has recognized the need for negotiations with Iran in order to stabilize Iraq, where disciples of Tehran’s ayatollahs have risen to power, thanks to the U.S. occupation he fervently supports, Lieberman urges war with Iran. “I think we’ve got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq,” he told CBS on Sunday, “and to me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran.” ..........

better than being armed - that's for sure

curtis sliwa is comin' to town and i don't think it's a half bad idea at all!

(the only thing upsetting about this is his comments about RACE WARS. it sounds like he is assuming the issues in new haven are ONLY among jews and blacks. i don't live in new haven and i don't know for sure but i have a stinking suspicion the violence EFFECTS ALL. it goes past color and class and religion and gender)

Guardian Angels founder bringing group to New Haven



by News Channel 8's Chris Velardi Posted June 13, 2007 Updated 12:15 PM
(New Haven-WTNH) _ The founder of the Guardian Angels is coming to New Haven Thursday to help patrol the city's Edgewood Park area. This comes after a neighborhood group started armed patrols in the area.
"It just highlights the problems and the issues that have been raised over the last several days and over the last two years," Eliezer Greer said.
That's why Eliezer and his brother Dov Greer decided to take matters into their own hands, to hop on their bikes and patrol the Edgewood Neighborhood armed with guns........

......"I understand their pain, I understand their victimization, and I understand their frustration at the growing violent crime problem," the group's founder Curtis Sliwa said during a live telephone interview on Good Morning Connecticut, "except I'm bringing a solution -- an inter-racial patrol, unarmed."
Sliwa plans to meet with the Greers Thursday. He says they have the right idea, but they may be going about it wrong. Sliwa believes the armed patrols may lead to a racial war.......

i wrote about this before. not the two officers suits but their complaints against burr and against oxford's first selectman august palmer iii. i searched high and low for the posting but i just can't find it.


IF what troopers john butkevicius and patrick carroza say about burr is true (that he had his guns taken away MORE than once for domestic complaints), WHY THE HELL IS BURR STILL ON THE JOB AND CARRYING GUNS? therapy or not ....

either butkevicius and carroza are correct in what they say

....... "Two woman filed three restraining orders against Burr, and police officials took his guns away twice. He was arrested in one of the incidents, but the charges have since been dropped and he is back on the job. He traded a gun for a tattoo in Waterbury and improperly disposed of drugs found at a death scene, according to the lawsuit.Palmer allowed Burr to return to work over the objections of Butkevicius and Carroza. The troopers claim that they were later harassed by Burr and that his instability "caused them to be in fear for their lives and the lives of their families and loved ones." "..

or august palmer iii is correct. it should be a matter of public record if three restraining orders were filed against burr. it should be a matter of public record if he had his guns taken away TWICE. it should be a matter of public record if burr improperly 'disposed' of drugs at a crime scene and it should be a matter of record if he traded a gun for a tattoo (was the gun registered? is it legal to trade a gun for ink? did the tattoo artist then register the gun in her or his name?)

i wonder how one starts to investigate this? if the above is true about burr we're ALL in deep deep shite if he's back on the job with a loaded weapon

Troopers Sue Over `B-Team' Treatment Supervisors Accused Of Ignoring Complaints

By TRACY GORDON FOX, Courant Staff Writer

Two state troopers have sued five state police supervisors, two former commanders and the former public safety commissioner, saying their civil rights were violated and their work environment was hostile because they are not on the department's "A-team."Troopers John Butkevicius and Patrick Carroza, who at one time were resident state troopers in Oxford, also are suing the town's first selectman, August Palmer III, and a local police officer, James Burr, in the suit filed in U.S. District Court in New Haven Tuesday.

The two troopers claim they were removed as Oxford's co-resident troopers after they complained about the behavior of a local officer, whom they supervised.........

and this from behind the blue wall (back in late 2005)

November 30th - December 1st, 2005 - Oxford Police Cpl. James Burr has just been suspended again. He's had three restraining orders filed against him by 2 women and has been suspended from duty & had his guns taken away twice. The State Troopers supervising Burr say they fear he'll hurt them or somebody else, that he's unstable, and possibly using drugs. Burr's ex-girlfriend said in court that he called her recently 94 times in two days, parked outside her house, and she's afraid. His former wife also filed a restraining order against him in 2003 and a second one in 2004. Oxford First Selectman (City Manager) August Palmer III had planned on having Burr RETURN TO WORK regardless of everything but yesterday Judge Deborah Frankel extended his restraining order for 6 months, and today finally it's announced there will be an internal investigation. FINALLY! BURR BLAMES the murder-suicide last week - Trooper Victor Diaz murdered Officer Ciara McDermott - for the current extension of his restraining order, but he was collecting those before last week's tragedy. Police are also looking into whether Burr made threatening comments to others that he would go after the 2 troopers if he lost his job.......

State drops harassment case against Oxford cop


...Mariano said Burr has gone for counseling and "has done perfectly well. He's done everything he's supposed to. He's volunteered for more extensive drug tests than are necessary, and he's passed with flying colors."
Based on conversations with the Family Relations Office and on psychiatric testing Burr underwent, Mariani said the State's Attorneys Office felt dropping the charges was not a problem. He also said Gaudett was fine with the case being nolled...

my feeling is this: you can go to ALL the counseling in the universe. if, for a job you carry guns BUT need to take 'extensive' drug tests and have had restraining orders taken out on you and have called your ex 94 times in two days i sure don't think you should be allowed to carry a gun any longer. i think you can change your life around sure. i think you can become a new person, a better person, a good person. BUT - i just don't want to take a chance and put a gun back into your hands. PERIOD

as far as i'm concerned he crossed the line LONG ago

but now even his OWN PARTY thinks he's gone way too far

i think his remarks are without thought. i think they're based on one thing and one thing only and it has NOTHING to do with american soldiers being killed

i think what he said on sunday is insane AND dangerous

Lieberman asked to resign from his own party

(WTNH) _ The Connecticut for Lieberman Party is calling on Senator Joseph Lieberman to resign from the U.S. Senate following his remarks made Sunday on CBS' Face the Nation regarding military action against Iran.
Lieberman said on the national television program that, "we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians." .......

Attack Iran? Joe Stirs Debate Senator: The Threat Boosts Diplomacy

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON -- Joe Lieberman this week triggered the debate Washington really doesn't want: what to do about Iran.For nearly three decades, Iran has been the foreign policy irritant no American president or Congress has been able to contain.
Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, has been suggesting all week that the United States and its allies should be prepared to take military action against Iran if the country continues helping extremists who are killing American soldiers in Iraq.He is not urging such a strike at the moment, but Connecticut's junior senator argued Tuesday that "diplomacy is only likely to succeed if it is backed by a credible threat of consequences.".............

.........The comments triggered an instant firestorm. Retired Gen. Wesley Clark weighed in Monday and again Tuesday, calling the senator's views "highly irresponsible and counter-productive," and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson suggested a softer approach, such as sanctions.........

da liebs da warmonger

hey you piece of steamin' you know what, IRANIANS WOULD NOT BE KILLING AMERICANS IN IRAQ (if in fact they are at all. i'm uncertain of that) IF WE WEREN'T IN IRAQ IN THE FIRST PLACE. we shouldn't be there. iraq never attacked the united states. they were NOT the ones who flew the planes into the pentagon or the world trade center. they were NOT the ones that trained the terrorists. there was and is NO REASON for us to have invaded THEIR country. there was and is NO REASON for us to have displaced tens of thousands of iraqi citizens.

if we bring our troops home, neither iraqis or iranians will be killing OUR men and women. it's simple. BRING THEM HOME NOW

Lieberman says U.S. should prepare to strike Iran

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday the United States should consider a military strike against Iran because of Tehran's involvement in Iraq."I think we've got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq," Lieberman said. "And to me, that would include a strike over the border into Iran, where we have good evidence that they have a base at which they are training these people coming back into Iraq to kill our soldiers."
The U.S. accuses Iran of fostering terrorism and Tehran's nuclear ambitions have brought about international reproach.Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000 who now represents Connecticut as an independent, spoke of Iranians' role in the continued violence in Iraq...............

is this legal???

i sure don't want armed vigilantes in MY hood. even if they ARE on bikes

no, i wouldn't mind citizen patrols but NOT with guns. that's a disaster waiting to happen

Armed citizen patrol in New Haven

by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke

New Haven-WTNH) _ One group armed with guns is ready to make their New Haven neighborhood a safer place by patrolling in the area around Edgewood Park.
The Edgewood Park Defense Patrol will be patrolling the 16-block area from Whalley to Edgewood and Winthrop to West Park. They believe that the police are not doing their part to keep the streets safe.
Their uniform is a black tee-shirt with Edgewood Park Defense Patrol and their mission is to keep peace on the streets with armed bike patrols.
"It's certainly not the substitute that one would want but when you're missing what you're supposed to have and things are slipping out of hand then you're left with no choice but to do something about it," said Eliezer Greer. .............

they took my cigarette lighters

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..................

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)

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.........

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..........

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. ...............

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........

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.)

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)

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!!!)

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.........................

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.............

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 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.

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. ..........