because the world does NOT need another

cheesecake factory OR golf course, thank goddess for the little north american bog turtle

(i don't know turtles well, but i could swear the turtles i've seen in avon were bog turtles. i won't say WHERE i saw them tough. on my grandparents land, which is long gone, in south glastonbury, there were TONS of snappers. those i know!)

Turtle In The Road
A Dwindling Species Could Halt A Golf Course Project

By RINKER BUCK Courant Staff Writer

NORTH CANAAN - New York developer Roland W. Betts has encountered many obstacles during his five-year quest to build a golf course in the Litchfield Hills, from well-organized neighborhood opponents to regulators skeptical about his plans to use 300,000 gallons of groundwater a day to keep his fairways green.But now one of Connecticut's smallest and most mysterious of creatures — the North American bog turtle — could derail Betts' dream of building on the scenic high meadows of Yale Farm.The bog turtle, at just 4 inches long, is America's smallest turtle, but the species packs a mighty punch among the scientists and environmental regulators charged with protecting endangered species.........

Bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii), United States. (Photograph by Joe Boris)

more on the monster

that was dr reardon. more on the pain he caused. the parents who didn't believe their children because doctors were gods. yet you will never know what it feels like to be those boys and girls. what it's like to have and keep those memories. they never go away.
The Reardon Case: For Alleged Victims, Little Solace
Unshakable Memories
By HILARY WALDMAN And DANIEL P. JONES Courant Staff Writers
He says he can still see the huge Cadillac DeVille that slid up to his childhood home around lunchtime that Sunday 40 years ago.In his memory, he is 12 years old again and can feel the terror as he climbs into the front seat next to Dr. George Reardon for a drive to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.Reardon's hair is slicked back, and he smells of smoke from the cigarettes that seem almost constantly pursed between his lips........

.............But both also said that Reardon's eventual resignation in disgrace, his death from heart and lung disease in 1998 and finally the proof that everything they remembered was true would not be enough to salve their pain. What they want — and fear they may never get — is acknowledgment from their parents that the doctor harmed them and that the children were not to blame."He was a person of authority, my parents treated him as a god," said Dr. C., who like several other alleged victims described his upbringing in a devout Catholic household. "My parents' philosophy was if something bad happened it was because God was punishing you."...............

a shout out to the builders association of eastern connecticut

for helping cpl chris strickland come to a real HOME
Volunteers renovating home for injured Waterford Soldier
by News Channel 8's Crystal Haynes
Waterford (WTNH) _ A project is underway to help make life better for a soldier in Waterford who was injured in Iraq. Army Cpl. Chris Strickland's home is being retro fitted, so he can continue his recovery at home. Every cut, screw and plank in place on the new deck is bringing Cpl. Strickland closer to coming home to his family. He's spent the last year recovering at Walter reed medical center after being injured in Iraq.
"I went through 30 surgeries and then my hand still didn't work so I had to amputate it. And for the past seven or eight months I've been trying to adapt to having just one hand," said Cpl. Strickland. "Probably the hardest thing I ever went through. You don't realize how much having both hands really helps until you don't have one."
Cpl. Strickland also sustained serious injury to his legs and has lost sight in his right eye. Before he can come home, his house needs modifications including a deck, ramp and fencing in the yard for a new guide dog.
That's where the Builders Association of Eastern Connecticut comes in, they are renovating Strickland's home for free with materials donated by local businesses.
"He's over there doing this stuff for our safety and our freedom and I thin it's the least that we can do to help and give back to him," said volunteer, Tim Applegate........

my thoughts and prayers go out to

the friends and family of u.s. army ranger Gabrielle Costello

Stamford soldier killed in Iraq
STAMFORD, Conn.—Stamford officials say a 26-year-old U.S. Army Ranger from the city has been killed in Iraq.
more stories like this
Fire Lieutenant Troy Jones told The Advocate of Stamford that Gabrielle Costello was killed in action Sunday. He says Costello's mother called the Glenbrook firehouse Thursday morning to tell people about her son's death.
Costello was a volunteer for the Glenbrook department. Jones says firefighters are stunned and are trying to absorb the news.
The Department of Defense has not announced Costello's death. Jones says Costello went into the Army in October 2004.
Costello is believed to be the first military member from Stamford to die in the war on terror. City native Barbara Heald was killed in Baghdad in 2005 while working a civilian job for the Army.................

this is odd odd odd indeed: i just read this (7:13 pm on 11/30)
Death Of Stamford Soldier A Possible Hoax
STAMFORD - The U.S. Army is trying to determine whether a report of a Stamford man killed in Iraq was a hoax.

Glenbrook Fire Department officials on Thursday said Gabrielle Costello, 26, a U.S. Army Ranger and member of the volunteer department, was killed in action in Iraq. The story was reported in The Advocate and other area news organizations.

There is no report of a U.S. Army Ranger killed in Iraq last weekend or any record of Gabrielle Costello -- or anyone with a similar name -- serving in the Army, said Shari Lawrence, deputy public affairs officer for the U.S. Army's Human Resources Command.
.................

i lived rather close to griswold drive

if the doctor abused some neighborhood kids (in the 60s and 70s) i am certain i may know some. this happens all of the time and i know many times children are NOT believed. as it turns out this was the case here. oh the doctor had his hand slapped all right but NO punishment. and let's see here. saint francis hospital bitches and moans about dispensing birth control AND the morning after pill (let's say for a RAPE) YET THEY TRIED (AND I BELIEVE SUCCEEDED) to have a further delving into the doctor (by the feds) stopped. what the f**k is wrong with this country? we protect a tiny little cell but we don't protect a full formed ACTUAL HUMAN CHILD? wth

to those that were molested by dr reardon (or anyone else), you are no longer victims, you are survivors.
Victims Come Forward After 50,000 Child Pornography Slides Found
At least 10 victims have come forward to police after more than 50,000 slides of child pornography were found in a West Hartford home that once belonged to a prominent doctor.
Police are now working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify the victims in the images.
Police said evidence shows that the slides belonged to Dr. George Reardon, who practiced medicine at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center for over 30 years, serving as Chief of Endocrinology. Reardon died in 1998.
The slides were found when the new owners of Reardon’s home on Griswold Drive began renovating the basement and removing paneling. Reardon had lived in the Griswold Drive home for roughly 20 years. The family currently living in the home is the second owner since Reardon lived there.
A secret storage area was found filled with slides and video of child pornography.
Police said there were about 50,000 35 mm slides. There were also more than 100 8 mm video reels. Police said these were photos Reardon is believed to have taken..........

Police: Former Doctor Had Child Porn Stash
By DANIEL P. JONES AND HILDA MUÑOZ The Hartford Courant
................Reardon practiced medicine at St. Francis for 30 years. He resigned in 1993 after accusations that he had taken advantage of youngsters in his care since he was a medical student in the 1950s.The first two complaints to the state medical board were filed in 1987, but the state brought no charges against him until 1993, when the number of complaints had climbed to four. During the intervening years, neither the state nor the hospital moved to restrict his practice or to take precautions to protect young patients.................

why bother?

being an honest cop or a whistle blower that is. trying to do the right thing. seems like both governor jodi rell AND her lil' public 'safety' commissioner john a. danaher iii, are doing NOTHING to protect troopers who have been threatened and harrassed. from what the following article says, public 'safety' commissioner john a. danaher iii should HIMSELF be investigated and governor rell booted out of office. i, as a connecticut resident and YOU as connecticut residents should NOT accept this bullshite public 'safety' commissioner john a. danaher iii AND jodi rell are spouting.

i wish i could say i have your back (physicially) troopers matthews and pagoni but you work there and i work here. i DO have your back in spirit though. i'm also going to write a letter to both governor rell AND public 'safety' commissioner danaher. it appears the way you've been treated is a travesty. i'm also well aware of the story of the person in the aviation unit that's briefly mentioned in the following article. he's been written about before. if what has been reported is true, why he's still a trooper is beyond me

Officers Claim Retaliation
State Police Whistle-Blowers Allege Harassment; Attorney General Expresses Concern

By TRACY GORDON FOX Courant Staff Writer
Two of the principal whistle-blowers in a highly publicized investigation of the state police internal affairs unit are claiming that they are targets of retaliation for making complaints and that the attorney general's office is not adequately protecting them.The complaints of Sgt. Andrew Matthews helped trigger the investigation late last year that found, among other things, that internal affairs officers failed to address the misconduct of some troopers.......

.............A report released by Blumenthal in May found that Matthews was harassed, retaliated against and ostracized by high-ranking managers because of his claims against the agency. Blumenthal's investigation found that Matthews was not only subjected to a hostile work environment, but was punitively transferred around the agency, including to Brainard Airport in Hartford, which "posed a safety risk to Matthews" because some of the officers he had reported on work there.Matthews was again transferred to Brainard Airport on Nov. 1.Matthews' attorneys said sending him to Brainard is "an extremely hostile, possibly dangerous environment for him to be in," adding that there is still an active internal investigation at the airport "where a trooper in the aviation division threatened to shoot fellow officers and civilians."Blumenthal, after hearing that Matthews was transferred to an office at Brainard, which he had specificallyopposed, wrote a letter Nov. 1 to Danaher and Gov. M. Jodi Rell, urging them to re-evaluate the assignment. "My office lacks the legal authority under the whistle-blower statute to order state agencies to assign or reassign personnel," he said.Danaher replied on Nov. 6 that he had "never received any specific information that anyone has made any threat against Sgt. Matthews," but that he has attempted to address the officer's safety concerns. He said Brainard has keycard access and an office for Matthews with a separate lock and that any problems involving Matthews should be reported directly to him...........

operation elf

please think about donating (gift cards, grocery cards, pre-paid phone cards, toys, etc) to our deployed service members and their families. it's a way to give back to them

Governor Rell Kicks Off Operation E.L.F.
Governor M. Jodi Rell and the Connecticut National Guard today kicked-off this year’s special effort – Operation E.L.F. (Embracing Lonely Families) to help Connecticut servicemembers and their families during the holiday season.

“The holidays are usually a time for festive family get-togethers and celebrations. This year, many military families will spend the holidays worrying about and missing their loved ones who are on active duty,” said Governor Rell. “Many of our Connecticut servicemembers, in turn, are worried about their families back home........

Donations may be dropped off at the following armories beginning Monday, November 26, 2007 through Wednesday, December 12, 2007 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. -

Army Aviation Support Facility Hartford State Armory
Bradley International Airport 360 Broad Street
Route 75 Hartford, CT 06105
Windsor Locks, CT 06096

Waterbury Armory New London Armory
64 Field Street 249 Bayonet Street
Waterbury, CT 06702 New London, CT 06320


Stratford Armory Manchester Armory
63 Armory Road 330 Main Street
Stratford, CT 06614 Manchester, CT 06040


Norwich Armory
38 Stott Avenue
Norwich, CT 06360

i personally am ALL FOR

quieting down both horns and music. let's say i'm at the half door let's say i'm outside. let's say that light (sisson and farmington avenues) is a mess. hey peeps if you get off 84 (exit 46) DON'T take a right to sisson and farmington. go down capital OR boulevard. IT'S QUICKER. i swear to you. if you don't heed my sage advice and take a right onto sisson DO NOT EFFING BEEP AT THE LIGHT AT THE CORNER OF SISSON AND FARMINGTON. IT'S A SHORT LIGHT. IT'S A BAD INTERSECTION. i don't want to hear you. KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF. let's say ALL sorts of honking goes on AND all sorts of HORRID LOUD MUSIC (what the hell are people thinking? i sure don't want to listen to their shite. i have my own BUT i'm courteous. i don't blare. how DARE they take up MY space with their bass speakers. it's so invasive and so rude.

Trying to keep the noise down in Hartford
by News Channel 8's Bob Wilson
Hartford (WTNH) _ Honking cars and loud music are just some of the sounds heard in the city of Hartford and tonight a public hearing was attended by residents begging for reprieve against the constant barrage of noise.
It was standing room only at Hartford City Hall as folks got their chance to sound off about the noise. Hyaciath Yennie says she has called the police more times than she can remember to complain.
"We are well into triple digits," Yennie said.
The City Council is looking to make a change to the current noise ordinance. Right now when officers are called to a noise complaint they have to measure the decibel level 100-feet away from the source using a noise meter. ......

person of the day

dave rozza, volunteering for food not bombs

you don't have to spend fifty hours a week volunteering. one hour, two hours DO make a difference. help feed people, help people learn to read, clean a school yard, help build a house, spend time talking to the elderly at a nursing home...do SOMETHING for your fellow humans (or animals - they need help too)

Food Soldiers
A Young Father Helps Volunteers Feed The City's Hungry

By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ Courant Staff Writer

Whether you're just passing through or in it for the long haul, you've heard by now the rap on Hartford. There's no sense of place here, no unifying character. In a supposed "Rising Star" straining to be an urban center. You're hard-pressed to find real vibrancy and community.But let's stop to consider: Is that hype true, or is it a convenient myth we've bought into? We're on a hunt to find out, through the city's nooks and crannies, meeting the people who haven't given up on Hartford and who aren't looking to politicians and public figures to make this star rise. They're the names and faces who don't get much news ink but who probably should. They're the people you probably see about town but whose stories you don't know. They're the folks building community, as they define it and on their own terms — artists, activists, movers and shakers. In this space on the next 10 Thursdays, we'll introduce you to 10 faces of Hartford that we think you should know more about........

picture: DAVE ROZZA, 29, grew up in Hartford but now lives in West Hartford. Rozza sticks close to his Hartford roots. He works part time at the Charter Oak Cultural Center during the week. On weekends, he volunteers for Food Not Bombs, a worldwide volunteer movement dedicated to ending hunger. Rozza helps prepare vegetarian meals and distributes them at Bushnell Park Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 3. (PATRICK RAYCRAFT / November 17, 2007)

whew, he's free!!!

Young humpback whale rescued off Rhode Island

The Associated Press
WESTERLY, R.I. -- Rescuers on Monday freed a juvenile humpback whale that had been stranded off the Rhode Island coast over the weekend after it became tangled in what appeared to be fishing gear.
The nine-metre whale managed to squirm free of the tangled lines and swim back out to sea, said Janelle Schuh, the stranding co-ordinator at the Mystic Aquarium in nearby Mystic, Connecticut. ......

picture: mark bullinger/mystic aquarium

a shout out to wesleyan

and it's benefactors. i'm glad they're doing this. i hope ten veterans DO take advantage of this wonderful opportunity
Wesleyan to offer scholarships to military vets
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Wesleyan University, a liberal arts school known for its liberal student body, plans to offer up to 10 new scholarships to military veterans.There are perhaps two students in the 2,900-member student body who have a military background, the school said.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

a plea

does anyone in the greater hartford area know how to spin on a drop spindle OR support spindle (i have a drop AND just got the spindolyn which by the way is BEAUTIFUL)? i really need help.................i've looked at spinning videos a million times and i just can't 'GET IT'. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP

spindolyn from knitting any way

an experiment in avocado art

sounds kind of cool to me. we'll see........
Finding Art In Avocados
Hartford Artist Invites Help To Create A Living Sculpture From A Forest Of Plants
By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ Courant Staff Writer
In the midst of the downtown dinner rush, the man stood in the candlelit dimness of the Mexican restaurant last week with a white plastic bucket and this unorthodox request: Can I have your avocado pits?On the spectrum of donation requests asked of Hartford's Agave Grill, Victor Pacheco's plea for pits had to be among the most unusual. Food platters. Monetary contributions. Restaurant manager Jonathan Sablon was accustomed to those kinds of community inquiries. Trash-bound avocado seeds, naked of their soft green flesh? That was a first."We go through so many avocados in a day. Well over 100," says Sablon. "We figured it's not that hard to save them for him. So we thought we'd help him out."..........
.............To find out more about the Avocado Tree Project, or to volunteer to grow a plant, visit the artist's website: www.webspawner.com/users/vpacheco/index.html. Or contact him at vpacheco62@hotmail.com.......................

should you happen to read this before going to work this morning

farmington avenue from sisson to sigourney is CLOSED. it happened yesterday. traffic was nasty on the surrounding streets AND it was rainy out. buses had to be diverted to side streets that really were NOT meant for buses. anyway, should be open some time AFTER rush hour this morning
Water main break closes major Hartford thoroughfare
Hartford (WTNH) _ Hartford Police closed Farmington Avenue between Sigourney Street and Sisson Avenue as over half a million gallons of water poured into the streets. The road will be closed through rush hour tomorrow morning.
Crews are now digging up Farmington Avenue, trying to find the leak. The broken pipe is sandwiched between gas and electrical lines, making the job that more tedious. ..........

tim nast and philllip titolo - TWO COOL DUDES

with a cool cause!

(if you're from town, i wonder if you ever noticed this - i sure did a while back - you either KNOW someone on maplewood, KNEW someone on maplewood OR YOU lived or live on maplewood. it's just that kind o' street). shout out to you both! it always makes my heart sing to hear stories like this, especially involving younger people (AND especially involving uconn LAW. i've not had pleasant experiences with most of the students i've come across)

Books For The World

By FULVIO CATIVO Courant Staff Writer

WEST HARTFORD - Phillip Titolo and Tim Nast's Maplewood Avenue apartment is a temporary home for a lot of books.Piles of books wait to be sorted. Boxes of books await shipping. The hundreds of volumes headed out the door are going overseas.Titolo and Nast - roommates, fellow Boston College grads and first year-students at the University of Connecticut School of Law in Hartford - want to help spread literacy in Africa. So this fall the duo built on their passion for reading and community service and launched an organization, Maplewood Books for Humanity, to provide tools to people learning to read in some of the world's most disadvantaged communities..........

maplewood books for humanity

photo: TIM NAST, left, and Phillip Titolo, first-year law students at UConn, have organized Maplewood Books for Humanity, collecting hundreds of books and paying to send them to schools in English-speaking African nations. They work with nonprofit groups, such as Minnesota's Books for Africa, to get the books to those who need them. They are actively seeking more books that meet their criteria for usefulness, as well as school supplies. (SHANA SURECK / November 2, 2007)

a new veterans advocacy unit

has been formed by richard blumenthal (due to channel 8's reporting on ryan riddle). it's about time! we MUST take care of our veterans.

Blumenthal launches new unit to help veterans
by News Channel 8's Alan Cohn
New Haven (WTNH) _ A Team 8 investigation has resulted in the creation of a new department at the Connecticut attorney general's office.
Richard Blumenthal says he created the new unit after watching News Channel 8 report the difficulties Southington veteran Ryan Riddle faced after he was injured in the Iraq War.
Riddle was shot in Baghdad and still has a bullet lodged in his thigh. He was repeatedly denied combat related benefits because his medical records were lost.
Team 8 obtained statements from Riddle's comrades in Baghdad who were with him when he was shot. After months of pressuring the VA, the department finally reversed its decision and gave Riddle the benefits he deserves.
Blumenthal says he created the new office to help other veterans. ......

(my last posting on ryan riddle which includes links to other ryan riddle postings) and of course a wicked LOUD shout out to channel 8 wtnh

an interview with justin goodman

in

herbivore magazine

By Josh Hooten
I saw Justin Goodman speak at the Becoming the Change conference in Durham, N.C. at the beginning of October. Justin is a Research Associate in the Vivisection Department at PETA. His talk about primates in labs and the campaign he waged against his alma mater, the University of Connecticut were riveting and left me with much needed facts about this subject. It also left me with lots of questions, as animal testing is one of the trickier issue we animal rights advocates have to deal with. Knowing how to speak about this very emotional issue (”but what if it cures cancer? what if it saves lives?”) with facts and clarity is vital if we want to change minds on this. I hit Justin up with some of the questions I had, his answers are below...........

CONNECTICUT FOR ANIMALS
connecticut for animals
uchkillsmonkeys

i DO think a public park is an acceptable place for this

mr walton. what's political about writing the NUMBER OF AMERICAN LIVES LOST and the NUMBER OF IRAQI lives lost each month this war has lasted? do you want us all NOT to know how many lives were lost? do you want to gloss it over? whether someone is "for" this war or not "for" this war (how the hell COULD anyone be FOR THIS war? iraq NEVER touched us NOR were they EVER any THREAT to us........but i digress) do you not want to remember those who served? THOSE WHO DIED so the imminent threat of saddam invading new haven would be stopped dead (so to speak) in it's tracks?
An unconventional protest of the Iraq War
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
New Haven (WTNH) _ A new Iraq War memorial is about to be unveiled in New Haven and it may stir up more than emotion.
Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice is an activist group made up primarily of clergy from all different religions. The group was created in response to the Iraq War and last September they stood on the New Haven Green and read aloud all the names of the American service people who have died in the war.
But the group has decided to do something more concrete and now their new Iraq War memorial will be erected in the Broadway Park.
"We had come up with an idea of marking it physically by having a cairn of stones, each one representing a month of the war so far," said Stephen Kobasa. .........

..............Approval for the display was granted by the New Haven Board of Parks Commission last month. Kevin Walton, the New Haven Parks commissioner, was the only dissenting vote. He says, it's not appropriate in a public park. ........

da liebs delcares

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lieberman says 'tide has turned in Iraq'

By: Adam Wittenberg, Record-Journal staff

WALLINGFORD -- Speaking before an audience of 350 Brad Davis listeners Monday at Zandri's Stillwood Inn, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman felt right at home.

The mostly white-haired crowd met the independent Democrat's remarks with warm applause, particularly when he spoke on combating illegal immigration and furthering the war on Islamic terrorism."I'm proud to say that the tide has turned in Iraq and we're winning that war," Lieberman said. "And if we don't let down our troops, they're going to bring home a victory that will protect us here at home from today's threat -- totalitarian terrorist Islamism that's trying to take our liberty from us."The senator, who won his fourth term last November as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to political newcomer Ned Lamont, decried partisan politics in Washington, especially among the Democrats........

yet another

STUPID connecticut crime (i know other states have stupid crimes too, but for a small state, we sure seem to have MORE than our share)

Police: Man Arrested After Calling 911 For More Beer
A Hebron man was arrested Sunday after police said he called 911 several times, asking police to bring him beer.
Brian Poulin, 35, of 450 Church St., was charged with disorderly conduct.
Police said he called 911 numerous times and told police he was out of beer and asked them to pick up more for him..............

another update on ryan riddle

and it's GOOD news
(oh and thanks for serving ryan and the VERY BEST to you)

Southington veteran returns to 'normal' life
by Team 8 Investigator Alan Cohn
New Britain (WTNH) _ News Channel 8 has been following the struggles of a Southington veteran since last spring as he fought to get the disability benefits that he deserves.
At this time last year, Ryan Riddle was waging a very frustrating and lonely battle. Today, he is just like any other student on the campus of Central Connecticut State University.
But there is a huge difference between this 25-year old Iraq War veteran and his classmates, including the battles he has waged to get to the New Britain campus.
"It feels like a big boulder, a big weight, has been lifted off my shoulder. Things are starting to look positive. I can begin to start doing great things with my life now," Riddle said.
A year ago, Riddle found himself lost in the sea of bureaucratic red tape. His military medical records were lost when he was discharged from the Army. He was shot at a checkpoint in Baghdad and x-rays showed a bullet still lodged in his thigh. But every time he applied for service related benefits, he was denied. ...........

previous postings: finally

update

this is how we treat our war wounded

rick green writes a pretty decent

column about black and blue square. of course i was wickedly opposed to black and blue (and still am). mr green mentions a couple of times people walking more. so does that mean i am NOT going to be seeing all of those GIANT SUVs all over town taking up my parking spots? i doubt that. they (the they are the hep and happenin' west hartford, avon, simsbury in the center to see and be seen types and the like) are NOT going to WALK to the center. THEY will drive their horrid gas guzzling giant monstrosities (which they don't need because they either only have one or two children or one or two children and a dog) into town, park THEN walk into a few stores. several quotes on west hartford becoming urban in the story! urban??????????????? HARDLY. it will NEVER happen.



sit-n-knit is in the center. i'll continue to go there but attempt to go FIRST thing in the morning (when i have a day off that is). i just don't want to deal



again, i did think mr green's editorial was good. hit the nail on the head a FEW times.



In A Blue Back Minute
Like It Or Not, West Hartford Is The New Urban

Rick Green
November 4, 2007
I was there at the precious moment West Hartford became a city.It might have been in the town hall auditorium Thursday night. The connected and affluent raised their blue martinis, balancing small plates of apricot-glazed corned beef and sushi, in a self-confident celebration of the opening of West Hartford's trendy tableau of shopping and public life: Blue Back Square.Or was it Friday, when I bumped into a woman walking out of that large, new home furnishings store?
"I'm lost in West Hartford," she told me enthusiastically, standing at the busy new cobblestone corner of Isham and Memorial roads. She pulled a handful of movie tickets out of her pocket and informed me she was walking off to the new cinema with her kids...............

...................Blue Back's opening is a portentous snapshot in the history of West Hartford, perhaps the most self-analyzed, self-absorbed and over-debated suburb in Connecticut...................

..........Still, as I strolled back to Blue Back to meet my wife for her lunch break, I recalled the words of Rhea M. Lettiere. She looked at the new streetscape and proclaimed, "Gone is the dignity!"................

'we're coming back with problems'

problems AT THE VERY LEAST. army specialist eric trinidad brought back some amazing video. video from the snipers themselves, attacking specialist trinidad's unit (no one got hurt from that attack. although their medic was hit, he was wearing protective gear and was able to get up. click the link below for the video

A soldier's story
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
(WTNH) _ One Connecticut veteran is finding that a return to civilian life can be hard when scenes from war leave emotional scars.
Soldiers in Iraq have to deal with a hidden enemy that can strike at any time. The trauma of war can have long lasting psychological effects. Now, one Connecticut soldier is speaking out about his experiences in Iraq and how it has not been easy to come home.
Army Specialist Eric Trinidad shared some video with News Channel 8 that shows a viewpoint you don't often see. It is a recruiting tape made by terrorists who are targeting American soldiers.
After 13 months in combat the West Haven native says, "Sometimes I get angry for no reason. I can't even explain why I get angry. I just have a sense that people have forgotten. We're still over there and coming back with problems that it's hard to re-adjust." ...........

video (if this link doesn't work, click on the one above - there's a link to the video right in the wtnh story

i'm on vacation this week

what did i do monday, tuesday and wednesday? i helped my friends renovate (a bit) the half door. i painted, moved stuff, made a 'deep' (home depot) run or two, made a run to the music store to drop off some amps (not sure what exactly they were but they are part of the music system). i can barely move i am SO sore AND tired. the half door was supposed to open yesterday evening, but it just wasn't ready. it WILL open today at about 4:00 pm.

evil rotten souls

that if there WAS a hell would be burning in it (i know that is not a correctly structured sentence. so? i'm on vacation what do you want? )
Fake CNN Website Tries to Frame Hispanic Group for Wildfires
Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein
.........This post, written by Lindsay Beyerstein, originally appeared on Majikthise
Speaking of fake news... Someone registered the domain name "cnnheadlienews" on Oct. 25 2007, to run a bogus news story alleging that Hispanic separatist group had claimed responsibility for setting the California wildfires.
The page is dummied up to look like a CNN web page. There's no other content on the site. A WHOIS search reveals that the page is registered to something called "Bleach Boy Manufacturing."........................

keep your fingers crossed

fender doesn't SCREW with ovation (or kaman music in general).
i've played ovations and they're LOVELY instruments.


and a special shout out to the kamans for being so involved (well i don't know about now, i'm guessing they still are, i know they USED to be) in the fidelco guide dog organization


Kaman Selling Music Division
Fender Instruments To Take Over Business


By ERIC GERSHON Courant Staff Writer


In the colorful annals of Kaman Corp., this will be remembered as the year the music stopped.The Bloomfield maker of aircraft parts and helicopters is selling its 40-year-old Kaman Music Corp. division to Fender Musical Instruments Corp. of Arizona - maker of the celebrated Stratocaster and Telecaster electric guitars - for about $117 million.For Kaman - and American industry - the deal will end a long-lived and quirky business combination, one that blended the stone-sober practicality of aerospace manufacturing and industrial supplies with the whimsy, levity and creativity of musical instrument innovation............

kaman music

another story keeping with the time of year

i DO hope they are resting in peace now. i can only imagine the pain they endured during their lives if people DID think they were vampires

Vampires in Eastern Connecticut
by News Channel 8's Tina Detelj
Griswold (WTNH) _ A small Connecticut town has a creepy history of blood-sucking ghouls.
Lemuel and Elisha Ray were brothers and vampires according to Griswold's town historian, Mary Deveau. Mary says the brothers reached from beyond the grave to feed on their dying brother Henry who had tuberculosis.
"They were the living dead," Mary said. "These two were dead and they were supposedly feeding on his flesh."
To save Henry, relatives gathered at their graves determined to stop the disease by stopping them.
"They came and dug them up and the quote is, 'burned them on the spot,' Mary said.
But it didn't work and that year, 1854, Henry died. ...........

jewitt city vampires

an interesting story

especially for this time of year........

boo! (which is what i say to people who stare at me. and yes, stare they do. well, that is until i shout BOO to them)

Stones raining on tavern set stage for Salem witchcraft hysteria
NEW CASTLE, N.H. -- A 2-foot-high rock wall borders the elementary school near the spot where a satanic spirit purportedly showered George and Alice Walton's home and tavern with stones 325 years ago. It set off a wave of hysteria that foreshadowed the Salem witch trials.Could some of the rocks now neatly arranged outside Mabel H. Trefethen School be among those that came crashing down on Walton's property on the night of June 11, 1682, creating the belief that a stone-throwing devil was on the loose?
"Who knows where (the rocks) came from? Your guess is as good as mine," says historian Emerson W. Baker, whose new book, "The Devil of Great Island," uses the historical footnote as an opening to explore witchcraft and devilry in the Colonial New England mind-set.The moon was full that Sunday night when stones rained onto George Walton and several companions as they headed toward the tavern, according to an eyewitness. The rocks, some as large as a man's fist, continued to fly even after those targeted by the barrage took shelter inside. Some of the rocks were hot, as if they had just been pulled from a fire.............

from salem state, lithobolia

i'm happy

Champs again! Red Sox sweep World Series







photo: Jonathan Papelbon celebrated on the field as the Red Sox won the World Series. (Getty Images Photo / Jamie Squire)

thanks to jeff for sending me the link to

the wounded warrior project

wounded warrior project videos

Our Mission
To raise the awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service men and women, to help severely injured service members aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.
Wounded Warrior Project is a non-profit organization

to my beloved red sox

kick the SHITE out of 'em! (praise the lord)

The Rockies Get Off Their Knees
Dave Zirin
Twenty-one wins in twenty-two games. An improbable run to the World Series. One of the hottest streaks to end a season in the history of the game. And not two pitchers the average fan could even name. Ladies and gents, your Colorado Rockies: a team performing what even an atheist could call a baseball miracle. And "miracle" is an appropriate term for a team that riled the baseball world last year by claiming that filling the dugout with Christian players would grease the skids to greatness. ;.............

hot babes

at the half door

(missing are the cathys, dottie, amy, allie)

erin, lk, katie, maryanne and cary

cause i love that dirty waterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

(boston you're my home!!!)

David Ortiz was on the field for pregame warmups before Game 7 of the ALCS against the Indians.
(Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin)

welcome home

to the 192nd Engineer Battalion of the Connecticut Army National Guard! thanks for serving. we just are so happy you are HOME

Connecticut engineering battalion comes home
by News Channel 8's Crystal Haynes
Windsor Locks (WTNH) _ There was another huge homecoming this morning as members of a Stratford-based engineering battalion returned today after being away for more than a year.
The 192nd Engineer Battalion of the Connecticut Army National Guard out of Stratford was greeted with anticipation and excitement.
"I was gonna not cry when I got off the bus, but that didn't work too good," said Lt. Col. James Gibbons of the Connecticut Army National Guard.
It was hard to hold back the tears today for all the families of the 30 member unit who served a year in Iraq.
"Complete release, and excitement and happiness. You know you're anxious the entire time and when he finally steps off that bus everything just feels so good," said Sara Gibbons........

help

chris dodd bring our constitution back

not kingswood market!

no! this is rather shocking. i've lived my whole life (well except for the first few years when i lived in hartford) in west hartford. i went to plant junior high (when there WAS a plant junior high). kingswood has been there forever. i'm sorry it's come to this and i DO hope they reopen somewhere else. (i can't WAIT to see what goes in there. i'm sure it will be some froo froo store that will keep in with black and blue square standards)

Local Mart Facing Closure
By DANIEL P. JONES Courant Staff Writer
WEST HARTFORD - Kingswood Market, an old-fashioned grocery store that still makes deliveries to neighborhood customers, is facing closure at the end of next month after some 70 years in business on Farmington Avenue.Market owner Dave Bornstein, whose father bought the business in 1958, says he couldn't negotiate an affordable rent with the building's owner and probably will close at the end of next month when his current multiyear lease expires.The building's owner, Al Nweeia, says he isn't kicking Bornstein out. Bornstein just wouldn't agree to a fair rent that the market would bear, Nweeia said. And Bornstein, he said, hasn't changed his business to keep up with the times............

just a bit more on jason lantieri

the courant published this lovely piece this morningi certainly wish they didn't HAVE to though (what i mean is i wish they didn't have a REASON to publish it)

One End To Soldier's Two Lives
By JESSE HAMILTON Courant Staff Writer
KILLINGWORTH - Jason Lantieri was 25, but he lived two lives.Troubled youth and successful student. Ward of the state and beloved son. Soldier and charming rogue. The man who grew up in Killingworth was always of two worlds.Now, he's in the granite garden of Evergreen Cemetery. And, for so many, he's a prized memory.
Sgt. Lantieri died last week after a trucking accident south of Baghdad. He was buried Thursday in the town that hosted his rebirth. The people of Killingworth came out, mixing with uniformed troops and veterans. The damp-eyed hundreds gave Lantieri the burial of a hero - a tragic and lofty day for a man whose childhood left him with so much to overcome.The native of Waterbury was 11 when the state took custody of him from his mother. He had a difficult start, a boyhood suspended in the state's foster care system. But the Miller family of Killingworth soon took him in. They would have adopted the boy known as "Jay," they said, but his mother was still alive then. So before Lantieri was grown, he knew what it was to live on two sides of a rift.......

chris dodd

STILL kicking ass while others are cowering piles of steamin' shite (not mentioning any names but i'm talking about the DEMOCRATS here. a GIANT BUNCH O' LOSERS most of 'em)/ we elected you to DO A JOB. NOW F**KING DO IT

Dodd Singlehandedly Stops Bush's Domestic Spying Bill
Posted by Melissa McEwan

............Dodd will send a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this afternoon informing him of his decision [to put a hold on the Senate FISA renewal bill because it reportedly grants retroactive immunity to telephone companies for any role they played in the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program].
...By doing this, Dodd can effectively hold up the telecom immunity bill, because bills are supposed to have unanimous consent in the Senate before going forward. One Senator can make it very difficult to bring a bill to the floor by objecting to allowing it to go to a vote.
Dodd's planned action comes amid reports that the Senate Intelligence Committee has reached a deal with the White House on the legislation that would give telephone carriers legal immunity for whatever role they played in the National Security Agency's domestic eavesdropping program, which was approved by President Bush after 9/11. The White House and the phone companies have been lobbying aggressively for immunity, and the announcement of the immunity deal today dismayed many opponents.
This is a challenge to the Democratic leadership, but it's also a direct challenge to George Bush. This is using his position as a senator to defend his country. This is leadership...........

plan b's nicole wins!

for her bloody mary. congrats! (to al, shawn and kc as well)

as i said a couple of posts ago, they have THE BEST bella burger i have EVER had

(but their first baby, the half door will ALWAYS be my favorite

Bloody Mary Wins Bartenders Battle

MaryEllen Fillo JAVA

It was a tough job, but someone had to do it:Judge the first Mix Master competition, one of the events Tuesday at the Connecticut Restaurant and Lodging show at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.So Java - along with WFSB, Channel 3, morning anchor Mike Hydeck and Alistair Highet from the Hartford Advocate - staggered, um, stepped up, to sample and savor an array of libations prepared by five area bartenders who prepared their best in hopes of capturing the prized silver trophy.................

...................................In the end, it was not about the trendy, but rather the tried-and-true.For it was Bloody Mary, prepared by Plan B bartender Nicole Pappa, that captured the judge's taste buds as the winning entry."This is a drink I would go back to the bar for," said Highet, who complimented the fresh horseradish and crisp celery that made the potion just perfect..............

picture: NICOLE PAPPA toasts her victory in the Mix Master contest with judges Mike Hydeck, left, and Alistair Highet. (MARYELLEN FILLO)

welcome home to the 1109th AVCRAD !!!

National Guard troops return from Iraq
By News Channel 8's Kent Pierce
Groton (WTNH)_ A plane landed in Connecticut today carrying the answers to the prayers of more than a dozen families.
"You're very nervous when somebody goes off to Iraq and scared to death and you pray a lot to bring them back safely," said Sylvia Morgan, grandmother of soldier.
Fifteen members of the 1109th AVCRAD spent the past year fixing helicopters in Iraq and Kuwait. Meanwhile their families have been riding an emotional roller coaster.
"Sadness. Happiness when our son was born, and we miss him horribly," said Kate Morgan, wife of soldier.........

STUPID connecticut criminals

part i and part ii

Father Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Cheerleading Coach
and
Police: Man Charged With Larceny After Not Paying For Lap Dances

the link to

jason lantieri's myspace page

welcome home!

to members of the 643rd military police company! i saw y'all out there yesterday morning (well i saw some national guard members directing traffic). i happened to pass by and i gave y'all the silent nod

thanks for serving

National Guard Unit Welcomed Home
Soldiers Who Were Stationed In Germany Recognized For Serving In War On Terror

By REGINE LABOSSIERE
Courant Staff Writer
Sgt. Zena Campbell was looking for excitement five years ago, when she enlisted in the Connecticut National Guard.Excitement is what she got in the past two years as she trained to become a military police officer and then was deployed to Germany.Campbell, 23, of Waterbury, and about 130 other members of the 643rd Military Police Company had two extensions to their deployment as they patrolled several German towns and tracked down suspected terrorists before returning home in July.The unit of the state National Guard was honored Sunday in a welcome ceremony that Campbell and about 50 others in her unit attended at the State Armory in Hartford. They received the national defense medal, the global war on terrorism service medal and the armed forces reserve medal with "M" device...........

i too would be all over those 'ghost busters'

devils possessing a young child indeed! i hope carl glatzel Jr absolutely positively WINS his case against them ALL. how horrid he and his brother (and the whole family for that matter) had to go through this shite

`Factual' Exorcism Book Evokes Past Pain

By MELISSA PIONZIO Courant Staff Writer
Having a younger brother who suffered from delusions and seizures was hard enough for Carl Glatzel Jr., but then came the priests and a well-known ghost-hunting couple who deemed then-11-year-old David Glatzel to be possessed by demons. Carl Glatzel, now 42, says he was unable to protect his brother in 1981 when David underwent several rites of exorcism, or in 1983 when a book detailing the supposed affliction was first printed. But after the book was reprinted in 2006, he decided it was time to fight back. "It makes me furious," he said of the book's republishing. "It took me 20 years to build my [construction] business up. Now we are not going to have it thrown away because of something that is not really true."............

the BEST (non) hamburger i EVER had

was at plan b at one way fare in simsbury. FINALLY they got it over at plan b in west hartford (park road). i stopped for lunch TWICE last week.

it's a bella burger (actually three LITTLE bella burgers). they're unlike any bella sandwich i have ever had before. they are NOT the whole cap grilled. the portabellas are FINELY chopped and mixed with goddess only knows what. they ARE divine. i highly recommend them

the funeral arrangements for Jason Lantieri

Funeral Arrangements Set For Killingworth Soldier Killed In Iraq

A 25-year-old Killingworth soldier who was killed in Iraq will be laid to rest with full military honors Thursday
Jason Lantieri,, an Army sergeant, died in Iraq Tuesday after he was pinned between vehicles that were being moved, his family said last week.
Lantieri joined the Army two years ago and was due home in December, family members said.
Relatives will receive friends and mourners from 5-9 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 17, at the field house of the Haddam-Killingworth High School.
Services will be 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 18 at the high school, with burial to follow in Evergreen Cemetery in Killingworth with full Military Honors
Lantieri graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School in 2000 and earned a business degree from Western New England College in Springfield, Mass.
He was serving with the Army's 25th Infantry Division in Baghad, state officials said................

a tiny bit more on sgt Jason Lantieri

(from what i posted yesterday)

later, i'll attempt to get a link to his myspace page and post it.

once again, my thoughts and prayers for his family and friends

Killingworth family talks about son killed in Iraq

By News Channel 8's Crystal HaynesPosted Oct. 11, 2007Updated 6:17 PM
Killingworth (WTNH)_ If a picture is worth a thousand words, then perhaps a YouTube video posted on Army Sergeant Jason Lantieri's MySpace page while he was serving in Iraq says it all.
"Just another day at the office," the caption reads.
His family says his decision to be there was natural for him.
"This was part of the adventurous side of Jason. Part of what he wanted to see, more of the world. He wanted opportunities that he thought this was his ticket to try new things but I know he counted on coming home," said Kathy Miller, Lantieri's Foster Mother.
So did his family. They tell News Channel 8, Lantieri was killed October 10 due to an accident while working on a transportation unit.
His family says he was supposed to come home this summer, but his tour was extended......

Flags At Half-Staff For Conn. Soldier Killed In Iraq

Gov. M. Jodi Rell has ordered flags to be placed at half-staff after a 25-year-old Killingworth soldier was killed in Iraq.

Jason Lantieri, an Army sergeant who grew up in Killingworth, died accidentally in Iraq Tuesday after he was pinned between vehicles that were being moved, his family said Thursday.

Lantieri joined the Army two years ago and was due home in December, said his mother, Kathleen Miller of Clinton. She said the military told her family Wednesday morning that her son died in an accident.
"We don't have all the details," Miller said in a phone interview. "Our family is devastated. He was a pretty special person, full of fun, full of life. He went into the service looking for an adventure."
Lantieri graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School in 2000 and earned a business degree from Western New England College in Springfield, Mass...............

Killingworth Soldier Dies In Iraq

An Army paratrooper who grew up in Killingworth died in Iraq when he was accidentally pinned between two vehicles this week, his family said Thursday.Sgt. Jason Lantieri, 25, joined the Army two years ago and was due home in December for a break, said his mother, Kathleen Miller of Clinton. She said a military official came to her home Wednesday morning to tell her that her son died Tuesday in an accident."We don't have all the details," Miller said in a phone interview. "Our family is devastated. He was a pretty special person, full of fun, full of life. He went into the service looking for an adventure."

Military officials said that Lantieri was injured during late night vehicle maneuvers near Iskandaryah, which is about 30 miles south of Baghdad. The incident is under investigation.He was assigned to Echo Company, 725th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division based in Fort Richardson, Alaska.Lantieri was supposed to come home over the summer, but his unit's deployment was extended, Miller said.......

patriot guard riders

(images were from channel 30 site)

some horrid news

to the friends and family of Jason Lantieri my thoughts and prayers are with you.





Killingworth soldier killed in Iraq





by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke


Killingworth (WTNH) _ A 25-year old soldier from Killingworth is the latest Connecticut casualty of the Iraq War.
Jason Lantieri was killed early this morning in Baghdad, Iraq. The Department of Defense has not yet released the details of his deaths, but News Channel 8 has learned that he was on active duty and in the Army Airborne Division.
Lantieri graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School in 2000. Killingworth Today reports he graduated from Western New England College in 2004..........



and
Governor Rell Orders Flags to Half Staff to Honor Fallen Soldier
The Hartford Courant
11:32 AM EDT, October 11, 2007
Governor M. Jodi Rell has ordered U.S. and state flags lowered to half staff in honor of Sgt. Jason Lantieri of Killingworth, who was killed October 9th in Iraq.The 25-year-old Lantieri, a soldier in the Army's 25th Infantry Division, died during operations in Baghdad."This is a tremendous loss, and I ask that we unite as a state to honor the sacrifice that Sgt. Lantieri has made on our behalf," Governor Rell said. "Our most sincere condolences go out to Sgt. Lantieri's family and friends. We can all continue to honor Sgt. Lantieri's service by keeping in our thoughts and prayers the men and women now risking their lives overseas to serve our nation."........
and
WNEC grad killed in Iraq
Posted by bdewberr October 11, 2007 11:18AM
By Bea O'Quinn Dewberrybdewberry@repub.com
A 25-year-old Western New England College graduate was listed among the latest casualties of the Iraq War, a college spokesman confirmed today.
Jason Lantieri, of Killingworth, Conn., a small town near Middletown, was killed early Wednesday morning in Baghdad, Iraq.
"I'm hearing he really was a good kid and one of those kids that does leave an impression," Stephen Roulier, a college spokesman, said, noting that many friends of Lantieri had contacted the college upon learning of his death.
Lantieri graduate from the college in 2004 with a degree in business management, Roulier said.
According to other media reports, the Department of Defense has not yet released the details of his death. He was on active duty and in the Army Airborne Division.
Lantieri is the 39th person with ties to Connecticut to die in Iraq or Afghanistan.

talk to your daughter

from flimsy sanity with a hat tip to cv rick

a shout out to sgt barry albert

(thank you for serving)


and EVERYONE who is helping him and his family. makes my heart feel good





the windsor locks american legion post 36


heroes to hometowns


helmets to hardhats


the local (windsor locks area) boy and girl scouts


AND


all the other volunteers who are pitching in now and in the future





welcome home sgt albert (i know it's not official until december)





A New Kind Of Army Called To Duty


By LYNN DOAN Courant Staff Writer


WINDSOR LOCKS - U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Barry Albert came to on the side of a road, somewhere between Baghdad and Al Hillah."Pappy, Pappy, wake up!" a fellow soldier yelled. At first, Albert, 43, thought he was in bed - that was how his roommate usually woke him up in the morning. Then he felt the shrapnel digging into his upper thigh and remembered the four explosives, hidden in the utility pole along the road.One had blown out two tires on the Humvee he was driving. Two had ploughed through the truck, turning it within seconds into a metal heap of Swiss cheese. Another had found its way to his left leg............


................Albert is one of many injured soldiers now returning from war to find volunteers working on their homes or building new ones.The Windsor Locks American Legion Post 36, which is spearheading the renovations at Albert's house, heard about Albert's injury a couple months ago. Coincidentally, the group had established in February a program, "Heroes to Hometowns," to help returning soldiers like Albert. The program is modeled on a set of guidelines published by the national American Legion and is meant to give injured soldiers a local way to receive a battery of services, from financial assistance to snow shoveling.Albert became the first soldier to be helped by Heroes to Hometowns................

picture: STAFF SGT. BARRY ALBERT, 43, and his wife, Susan, are staying in a hotel while their home in Windsor Locks is being renovated and made accessible to a wheelchair with the help of a program by the local American Legion post and a host of other volunteers. Albert lost his leg in May after explosives hit his convoy in Iraq. (BOB MACDONNELL / October 1, 2007)

happy halloween

googhoul.com

pauline basso is up for re election

i'd think twice about voting for her if that's what you plan on doing

how horrid is this?
Danbury politician apologizes for racist e-mails
by News Channel 8's Erin Cox
Danbury (WTNH) _ A Republican councilwoman from Danbury has sent an apology to the NAACP for sending racist e-mails to her friends.
News Channel 8 obtained copies of the offensive e-mails distributed by Pauline Basso. The e-mails take shots at illegal immigrants, Muslims and Africans.
"I'm just appalled. I can't believe someone who has a position as she does would do this," said Danbury resident Sonnie Council.
Rev. Ivan Pitts of the NAACP says, "We are outraged, deeply concerned and insulted."
In Danbury, undocumented workers have been a hot button issue.
"It is scary that someone in elected office is sharing these feelings," said Wilson Hernandez of the Ecuadorian Civic Center........

remember october 14th!

free speech party rundown from cool justice report

(if you click on the flyer it will open bigger in another window)

yarns i scooped up the other day

here's what i picked up at sit-n-knit the other day (ALL on sale. well the yarns were. i got some needles and a book as well)

in the middle the noro kureyon (100% wool). the black and white is bingo mouline (100% merino). the four skeins to the left are, haco. 2 of sapphire jade and 2 of deep blue ocean (100% hadn dyed marino). the orange/grey/brown is cool wool grossa, merino big print (100% merino). the light blue is kathmando aran tweed (85% merino, 10% silk, 5% cashmire) it is SO soffffffffffffffttttttttttt. the hanks are malabrigo merino (kettle dyed 100% wool) in jewel blue and frank orhre (i LOVE this yarn. i made my log cabin baby blanket out of it) and the big puffy colored balls are action ny yarns (70% acrylic and 30% wool).

there's a yarn sale

at sit-n-knit in west harford center (i think their old wethersfield store as well) through the week.

i got mine (i'll post a picture in a day or two)

i guess the angels didn't say enough prayers

my beloved bosox swept 'em

Something magical is in the air

By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Manny Ramírez's towering walkoff home run - if a baseball lands in the Charles River does it qualify as a "splash hit?" - and the Red Sox charter aircraft both returned to earth sometime Saturday morning and throughout Red Sox Nation it feels like 2004 all over again.

There have been a lot of good nights at Olde Fenway since the Sox vanquished the Yankees (and Cardinals, by the way) three years ago, but this is the first time it's felt like the golden days of October '04.
Curt Schilling, one of the seven holdovers from that championship season, gets the ball today in a potential clinch game against the Angels. The Sox are on the threshold of advancing to the American League Championship Series and the Franconamen appear locked and loaded - ready for anything the Indians, or Yankees, can throw at them in the next round.........

picture: wfrfire.com