i'm linking to this wapo article

for a reason. it's too far away for us to drive on over to the dc area to do our grocery shopping BUT if you're in the greater hartford area it's NOT too far to drive to the shield street plaza and do a little shopping at a dong (one of THE best, and might i add BIGGEST asian markets in the area). in my neighborhood alone (well within a couple of mile radius), there are a few smaller asian groceries (not to mention indian, thai, japanese, vietnamese, laotian, korean, greek/middle eastern and chinese restaurants)

A Dong Supermarket
160 Shield Street (off New Britain Avenue), West Hartford
860-953-8903

(oh and while you're at it DO NOT FORGET cosmos international. indian grocery store on farmington avenue. Cosmos International
770 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford
203-232-6600)

if you want to buy something like spices WHICH COST A FORTUNE - go to cosmos. they have GREAT spices for GREAT prices (granted, you're not going to get them in those pretty little glass bottles.)

oh just stop in one of the stores one day. you won't be sorry. you'll have trouble identifying SOME of the items, but hell, you'll be able to find what you're looking for! just do it

A World of Bargains
Asian Supermarkets Attract Chefs and the Budget-Minded

By Melissa McCart

Special to The Washington Post
It's a busy Saturday morning at the Super H Mart in Fairfax City, where scores of people navigate carts down aisles, stocking up on the week's groceries. In the center of the seafood section, Yoon-Hee Heather Choi, a native of Seoul and a Fairfax resident since 1993, holds court as she leans over ice-filled bins showcasing the day's catch: silver mackerel, shimmery saury and whole squid, eyes aligned like dominoes.

"That squid looks great for calamari," says a man next to her.

"No," she says, then points to the fish counter behind her. "Go to the fishmonger and ask for small ones. They're sweeter." Whole squids slightly longer than a man's hand sell for $2.99 a pound, while smaller calamari the length of a finger cost $1.99, either size a fraction of the price at a Whole Foods Market ($5.99 a pound) or Giant ($8.99 for a frozen 13-ounce box)..........

it IS from the connecticut forum after all

(hat tip: boing boing)

bye mayor mike

i knew him. not well, but i did know him. i NEVER saw mike without a smile on his face. i never saw him NOT say hello to people. the man was one of THE BEST schmoozers i have ever seen in my entire life. you could just tell how much he enjoyed being out and about. greeting people, talking, telling jokes.

i never heard him quiet either. the man COULD and DID tell a mean tale. he once told me his mother (or his mother's family. not sure it was long ago) had something to do with opening the first and last tavern. don't know if it is true or not, but hell, when he told it, it sounded good to me!

MIKE PETERS, 1948-2009

'Mayor Mike' Peters Dies At 60; Struggled With Liver Damage
By EDMUND MAHONY The Hartford Courant

Mike Peters, the wise-cracking fireman who, over four terms as mayor, helped lift Hartford from a political, financial and crime-ridden funk, died just before 8 p.m. Sunday following a struggle with liver failure, family members said. He was 60.Peters had undergone a nearly eight-hour surgery last October to remove his cirrhosis-damaged liver and replace it with a healthy one. He had done well with the new liver, but developed complications with his kidneys. By Nov. 20, he was back in intensive care, and his doctors were considering a kidney transplant once he regained strength.During his time in office, from 1993 to 2001, Peters repeatedly was elected to serve as Hartford's last weak, or ceremonial, mayor. Armed with a revision to the city charter, his successor, Eddie Perez, would eventually gethat Peters always wanted but never had: Strong mayoral authority to shape the city's agenda.But powerless or not, Peters had limitless enthusiasm and he hurled it at his ceremonial office with great effect. Armed with only his personality, a not inconsequential weapon, he reinvigorated a city that, during the 1980s, seemed perched endlessly on the dismal brink of yet another failure................

Timeline: Important Dates In Peters' Life

The Hartford Courant

picture: In this 1998 photo, Hartford Mayor Mike Peters makes a joke as he speaks at a news conference at the state Capitol in Hartford. At left, behind Peters, are M. Jodi Rell, then the lieutenant governor, and then-Gov. John Rowland. (BOB CHILD / AP / March 19, 1998)

if you owe back connecticut state tax

take note of this

State offering tax amnesty program
HARTFORD, Conn.—The Connecticut tax department is urging people who owe back state taxes to participate in an upcoming tax amnesty program.

State officials hope the amnesty will raise about $40 million and help close a projected state budget deficit that's in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The amnesty will be offered from May 1 through June 25 to any taxpayer with back taxes owed as of Nov. 28, 2008. Eligible taxpayers will be able to pay off those taxes while avoiding penalties and criminal prosecution.

There will also be a small reduction in accrued interest...........

i didn't know wtic was so effed up

but it is. i knew they were bordering though

it starts with them playing that george noory dude in the morning (when i say morning i mean 2 or 3 am here). the button is pre-set and it's usually on wtic when i turn on my car radio on my way to work in the morning. WHY? well because i've had it on wtic listening to colin mcenroe on my way home from work each day.

i actually LIKE listening to colin. i don't always agree with him, but i think he's intelligent, funny, witty, caustic and something special. if it's before 3:00 pm and i actually get that blob, flush limburger my hair stands on end. it's all ok when colin comes on though. he was a true treasure and wtic just made one gigantic mistake

i don't get a chance to listen to diane and ray in the morning so i can't say if i would have liked them or not. i do like her from watching and listening to her prior work. BUT TO EFFING FIRE HER TO GIVE VICEVICH MORE TIME? WTF is up with that? i happen to know 'buddy' (not well, i knew his first wife and met him a few times through her) and i didn't like him then and i sure as shite haven't grown to like him NOW.

i'll listen to wtic today because it's colin's last show. after that, EFF THEM. (and i'm thinking here, is tic leaning a bit to the right now? flush and buddy and goddess only knows who else...........hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......... i think i may have something here after all!!!)

colin, they made a mistake. a bad one. i will miss you on wtic BUT i hope this will lead to something mo' better for you (and for US, your 'adoring' public)

WTIC AM Purge: Diane Smith, Colin McEnroe
By
Roger Catlin
on December 30, 2008
The end of the year sweeps out two more local voices from Hartford talk radio.

New Year's Eve will be the last day for Diane Smith who has been half of "Mornings with Ray and Diane" for nine years on Hartford's WTIC AM. Out at the end of the year, too, is afternoon raconteur and fellow Courant blogger and columnist Colin McEnroe.


"After months of reporting on every aspect of the global economic slowdown," Smith said in an e-mailed announcement Tuesday, "I have a new angle to report: After 9 years on the air at WTIC-AM NewsTalk 1080, I will sign off as co-host of "Mornings with Ray and Diane" at 10am on 12/31/08."


She says she's in talks with the station to explore ways to continue to contribute. In the meantime, she is at work at developing a new weekly series for CPTV, "Connecticut on the Road" as she continues her series "Positively Connecticut" which will produce a fifth book for Globe Pequot Press.

"Most of all," she says, "I hope to find new ways to continue my unofficial role as a goodwill ambassador for Connecticut."........

Colin McEnroe, Diane Smith Laid Off at WTIC-AM"
By
Christopher Keating
on December 30
In a stunning announcement, longtime radio hosts Colin McEnroe and Diane Smith are leaving their posts at WTIC- AM radio.

McEnroe, a longtime columnist at The Hartford Courant, is a fixture in the afternoons from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a mix of newsmaker interviews and a conglomeration of witticisms that includes anything that comes to his mind at the moment. Smith is the morning radio partner of host Ray Dunaway at the most influential news and sports station in the state.

McEnroe clearly has had his own niche in the local radio world since 1992, frequently bantering with former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Curry as one of the most frequent guests through the years.

Steve Grant is reporting at www.courant.com that the station confirmed Tuesday that McEnroe and Smith have been laid off. Grant says that the new lineup begins Monday, January 5, with an afternoon "news block'' that will be anchored by reporters Bill Pearse and Aaron Kupec - focusing on both national and local stories.......

here's a link to colin's blog with two of his latest postings. the comments sections are to be read:

ruh roh!
and
balms away

oh and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let wtic KNOW why you will no longer be listening to wtic.....
here is the CONTACT INFO page

saw this in the courant the other day

and i thought it was a great story. i'm sorry mr tinsley got shot (more than sorry) but i am so very happy he's not only found work, but been kicking butt at his job. shout out to the va and mike wolf for helping mr tinsley and giving mr tinsley a chance, along the way

Disabled Veteran In Bloomfield Builds Bikes As He Rebuilds His Life

By STEVEN GOODE |The Hartford Courant

BLOOMFIELD — - Brian Tinsley lost a lot that day in Afghanistan.

The bullet that entered one of his temples and exited the other took away his sight, his sense of smell and part of his sense of taste.

But it didn't take away his ability to find a silver lining.

"Someone else might not have survived," said Tinsely.

Tinsley, 25, joined the Army after graduating from Bloomfield High School in 2001. His goal was to serve his country, learn to be a mechanic and take that skill with him back to civilian life. Tinsley was doing both, providing special forces support in 2003, when he was shot.

The bullet also took away his memory of that day.

"I don't have any recollection," he said. "I regained consciousness in Walter Reed Hospital about a month later."

But Tinsley didn't lose his desire to live an independent, productive life.

Tinsley went to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Eastern Blind Rehabilitation Center in West Haven to learn how to maintain his mobility and read Braille, and even helped Habitat for Humanity build a house in Hartford.

"It'll drive you nuts if you just sit and do nothing," he said.

Tinsley eventually found his way back to a local bicycle shop he frequented in his youth when he rode stunt bikes. But this time around, he wasn't looking for parts, he was looking for work. Specifically, he wanted to build bikes...........

photo: BRIAN TINSLEY, 25, of Bloomfield, was shot in the head while in Afghanistan on military duty in 2003 and lost his eyesight. Tinsley now works at the Bloomfield Bicycle and Repair Shop in Bloomfield and was hired by Mike Wolf, left, owner of the store, who said, "We hope that he'll be with us a long time." (ROSS TAYLOR / HARTFORD COURANT / November 13, 2008)

merry christmas

merry christmas

some of my ornaments. some are quite old and some are new. i love them all

merry christmas eve

some cops in avon

racist or not? i know what i personally know (having worked in avon for more than 1/2 of my life). i also know if ANYONE feels guilty about bringing these emails to light, THEY SHOULD NOT

andy thibault at the cool justice report links us up to some articles

and here's colin mcenroe's story (he is the one that filed the initial complaint i believe)

matthieu ricard

i heard him being interviewed by the bbc on npr this morning on my way to work. i was quite moved (note: if the video doesn't work, here's the link )

you know i read this yesterday

and could only shake my head. one would think ANYONE with half a brain couldn't support someone like sarevil palin for political office. i mean the women is beyond ignorant AND let's face it, she couldn't name ONE periodical she has read in the past? listen, i'm being KIND to her here, especially only mentioning that ONE thing.

i mean the courant story NAMES NAMES and all. i'd be MORTIFIED if people actually knew i admired someone like sarevil (who really did stir up the racial pot more than ANYONE or ANYTHING else). well, it seems like daniela altimari is sort of actually GUSHING about sarevil, doesn't it? i don't see where she reports any racism or people insisting barack obama is something he's not or how there are MORE barack obama posts than sarevil ones........... hmmmmm

Sarah Palin Fans In Connecticut Hold On To Hope
By DANIELA ALTIMARI |The Hartford Courant

Sarah Palin lost the election, but to many, her light hasn't dimmed.

In fact, the Alaska governor, with her sassy, frontier-woman image and rock-ribbed, right-of-center politics, has become the repository for the hopes and dreams of conservative Republicans across the nation. Even here in liberal Connecticut, she has a devoted circle of fans.

"Most politicians say what they think people want them to say," said Melita Motherway, a 46-year-old mom and engineer from southeastern Connecticut. "She's different. She absolutely practices what she preaches."

As they set about restoring the shine to the national GOP's tarnished brand, many Republicans have seized upon Palin as the one who will lead them back to the win column, and help them endure the Barack Obama years............

......But supporters such as Motherway, Brislin and Trawick already have found an outlet for their pro-Palin activism. It's called TeamSarah.org, a social networking site with more than 60,000 members who are determined to stay connected and keep the conversation going...........

........Once on board, members can join groups: Rush Limbaugh Fans for Sarah Palin; Catholics for Sarah; and Pro Woman, Pro Life, to cite three examples. There are family pictures of the Palins. Husband Todd has a page of his own. And sprinkled throughout, there are personal testimonies from members about what they did to help Sarah. Praying for is her popular, especially following the arrest Thursday of Bristol Palin's boyfriend's mother.........


and then i came across this from larisa:
TeamSarah.org: where racists come to discuss "Christian values"

This is downright scary - TeamSarah.org - a bastion for those that evolution has left behind, including racists, anti-Semites, and the not so Christian Evangelical "end of times" crew. Oh, and of course the pro pre-life bunch too (anti-abortion is not what these people are... they are pro everything before and after life and the living). Here is Geoff Dunn describing this collective of the left behind in a HuffPo entry:

But what's interesting is that there are actually more blog topics about "Obama" than about "Palin." Of course, Obama's citizenship, birth certificate, and alleged Muslim upbringing are constantly questioned, along with his youthful drug use (though funny, Palin's admitted use of marijuana is not, and we won't even mention Levi Johnston's mother). There are also a lot of references to Obama being the anti-Christ: "He is the antichrist sent here to destroy America. Nobody knows who he is or where he was born."

And then there's some plain, downright nastiness and plenty of good ol' fashioned racism that, well, certainly doesn't sound Christian, if you catch my drift. When a blogger named James asks if anybody has bought the new Obama coins, SavantNoir responds: "[Y]es James, and i melted it down to see the look of agnoy on his face, made it a BB pellet and shot it into a pile of shit.".......

snows and crows

off of my back porch late afternoon sunday december 21st

thank the goddess for the innocence project

A Daughter's Nightmare, 20 Years Too Long
Helen Ubiñas
She was 10 when a cousin picked her up from school and told her that her father had been arrested for killing someone; a Daddy's girl who rushed past reporters parked outside her grandmother's house to find her mother inside, crying by a window.

"I was confused," Vanessa Roman recalled as we sat in her New Britain living room Tuesday night.

She'd left for school that morning with her family intact, and suddenly the house was filled with people trying to reassure her and her younger sister that everything was going to be all right, that their father was innocent.

She didn't need them to tell her that............

emergency contraception is NOT abortion

it never was and it never will be.

king george and his court do NOT respect women. they never have and they never will. this is just another nail in our coffin

Federal Regulation Will Override Plan B Agreement
By ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER | The Hartford Courant
A federal regulation set to take effect in the final days of the Bush administration threatens to "blow apart" the carefully crafted agreement that guarantees all Connecticut hospitals provide emergency contraception to rape victims, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Friday.

The rule, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reinforces protections for health care workers and institutions who refuse to provide services they object to, including abortion.

When it takes effect Jan. 18, the regulation will override the 2007 Connecticut law that requires hospitals to provide emergency contraception, commonly known as Plan B, to rape victims, Blumenthal said.

"We went through a very lengthy, painstaking, contentious process to reach our statute in Connecticut, which has worked well for everyone," Blumenthal said. "This administration's new regulation threatens to blow apart that very significant balance of interests and compromise.".........

because i feel so passionately about it

i'm going to come right out and say it:

i don't care if god herself told you it was ok for kids to fire uzis. IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT OK FOR A KID OF 8 TO HOLD OR FIRE AN UZI

2 plead not guilty inboy's Uzi death
Springfield, Mass. (AP) - Two men accused of providing machine guns to a show where an 8-year-old Connecticut boy fatally shot himself with an Uzi have pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Attorneys for Carl Giuffre of Hartford, Conn., and Domenico Spano of New Milford, Conn., entered the pleas Monday after the men were excused from appearing in court in Springfield..

Hampden District Attorney William Bennett said the men brought the guns to the Westfield show in October after being wrongly assured by a show promoter that it was legal for children to use the Uzi under Massachusetts law.

connecticut has two MAIN food banks

the links below are to the charity navigator ratings of both. both have EXCEPTIONAL ratings. in this horrid time, think about donations or money food OR YOUR TIME. really, a few cans of food or a turkey or a few hours of your time. you CAN afford that. so very many people YES EVEN WORKING PEOPLE need a jump start.

connecticut food bank

and

foodshare

and here are the food banks official websites
foodshare in bloomfield

and
connecticut food bank in the east haven area.

(yesterday i was part of a team (from work actually) who sorted and packed up into smaller bags, MORE THAN 6,000 pounds of carrots, green peppers and spuds for foodshare. it only took a few hours and it was actually fun)

this would be

kick ass IF it actually went into effect.

would execs think twice about their MILLIONS in bonuses and such? most likely NOT but at least WE WOULD KNOW EXACT AMOUNTS

i said this before (but i think on another blog), they told us a couple of weeks ago we were NOT going to get a raise this year (ours were to be given in march 2009). that wasn't totally a surprise to me. i'd rather have my job than a teeny raise any damn way.

but i DO want to know what all the big boys and grrrls of ALL companies (especially the public ones) are gonna get

State Orders Utilities To Disclose Executives' Compensation
By LYNN DOAN | ldoan@courant.com
State regulators have ordered all utility companies, including telephone and cable companies, to disclose the salaries and other compensation of their top executives each year.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced Tuesday that the state the Department of Public Utility Control has granted his request to require all of the state's public utility companies to file a standardized compensation form each year and for the past two years.

Telecommunications providers AT&T and Verizon are fighting the order, arguing that they are not public utilities regulated by the state..........

if you're around town

thursday and friday december 11th and 12th, ahava kids and the park road playhouse (west hartford) are presenting .........an improvised christmas carol! it will benefit ahava kids new england safe house. check it out! i'm sure it will be a blast

Ahava Kids and The Park Road Playhouse present
A (hilarious, improvised) CHRISTMAS CAROL

Featuring the Seattle based improv group: Unexpected Productions

Two great performances:
Thursday, December 11, 2008 - 6:00 PM
Friday, December 12, 2008 - 6:00 PM

Don't wait! Tickets are very limited. To order your tickets now, call Toll Free - 877-417-2504 or purchase tickets online here.

Park Road Playhouse
244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT
Tickets - $49.95 per person - all inclusive

Benefiting the Ahava Kids New England Safe House
Come and experience a spectacular holiday night of...
· World Class Entertainment
· Gourmet Hors d’oeuvres
· Extraordinary Wines
· Delicious Desserts after the show
· A wide range of incredible Auction Items – perfect for Holiday Gifts!

Come see a hilarious retelling of Dickens’ classic tale performed by Unexpected Productions, a professional improv ensemble from Seattle. In this one of a kind show, the players from Unexpected Productions will combine your suggestions and their imaginations to create a performance of 'A Christmas Carol' like nothing you have ever seen.

This is a tremendous opportunity for your business. If you would like to become a sponsor or donate Auction items, please call Ahava Kids at 860-760-0370.

the all new and improved

rockabilly jon martin (no more dreads!!!)