i LOVE this theater

i'm a movie addict. a movie snob (although i've been known to watch animal house more than once). i love foreign movies. surrealist movies. movies out of the ordinary. there aren't too many places in the greater hartford area one can see these types of movies (remember there was a time BEFORE dvds and BEFORE netflix and BEFORE blockbuster). cinema city (or whatever it's called now) was one, BUT for as long as i can recall, there has been cinestudio cinestudio with the kick ass old style rising curtain. (and the ONLY thing i don't like about it is NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT or DRINK. dang it would be nice to have a beverage there). my favorite seat is in the balcony in the very last row (on the end). thanks cinestudio for bringing so many wonderful nights to me.

Cinestudio At Trinity College, Now 40 Years Old, Is A Hartford Treasure

By SUSAN DUNNE |The Hartford Courant

In 1969, a group of Trinity College students hung up two bedsheets side by side in an unused auditorium in the basement of the Clement Chemistry Building and projected a movie onto their makeshift screen. The next movie they wanted to screen was in ultra-wide CinemaScope, so they had to buy two more sheets. Forty years later, that auditorium has evolved into Hartford's premier art-house and vintage-film theater, Cinestudio. The venue is beloved by local movie fans not just for its usually flawless selection of classic and contemporary top-tier films but also for its look, which calls to mind movie houses of old. "The '40s and '50s were the pinnacle of motion-picture entertainment," says James Hanley, who was in that first audience in 1969 and still co-manages the theater today. "It was the last bastion of real cinema." Those theaters were the inspiration for the interior design for Cinestudio; the exterior of the building, built in 1935, was designed by the legendary architectural firm McKim, Mead and White..........

picture: Perhaps the best known feature of the Cinestudio experience is the working movie curtain, which rises vertically before every show. (STEPHEN DUNN, Hartford Courant / April 24, 2009)

the vote was 31 to 2

aren't you interested in who those 2 are? which two people think it's ok, think it's acceptable for someone UNDER 16 TO HAVE A MACHINE GUN? i'm guessing the dude mentioned at the very end of the article (click the link) is one of 'em. i am just sitting here shaking my head.

babies and machine guns. why is that acceptable to ANYONE?

are the 2 conspiracy theorists who think (like a bunch of wingnuts), the new president of color is a socialist with only one agenda - that is prying the guns out of your cold dead hands? i don't know but i'd certainly re-consider voting for ANYONE who doesn't have a problem with giving a minor a machine gun

Senate Passes Machine Gun Ban For Children
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING |The Hartford Courant
Prompted by the tragic death of an 8-year-old Connecticut boy at a Massachusetts gun club, the state Senate voted 31 to 2 Thursday afternoon to ban the transfer of a machine (gun) to anyone under 16.

The bill prohibits the physical transfer of such weapons to children - in response to the death of Christopher K. Bizilj, an Ashford boy who lost control of a Micro Uzi submachine gun and accidentally shot himself in the head in Massachusetts in late October.

The third-grade boy, who stood 4 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 66 pounds, could not control the recoil of the high-powered weapon. A Massachusetts grand jury has indicted a police chief, the gun club, and two Connecticut men in connection with the accident at the machine gun event in Westfield.

Both Republicans and Democrats described the measure as "common sense'' legislation, saying they believe that most citizens would be surprised that it was legal for minors to fire such a powerful weapon..........

you go grrrls!

i'm really not too much of a college basketball fan, but you have to give 'em their props

Huskies Get Presidential Honors

By LEANNE GENDREAU

the.......reformed....... pirate: amazing scrabble commercials

the.......reformed....... pirate: amazing scrabble commercials

please watch these kick-arse scrabble ads. you'll thank me (AND you'll whip the game out as well)

water ban lifted for a few towns but NOT west hartford

man, they unplugged ALL of the coffee pots at work yesterday. of course i had some with me when i went in (at 3:30 am) so that was all well and good. however, they didn't start making coffee until much much later in the morning (in the cafeteria). they boiled all of the water first. usually we can make our own. each wing on each floor has their own coffee maker (and THAT coffee and tea are FREE. the cafeteria beverages are NOT free). so i'm guessing that coffee will still be unavailable. at about 11 am the powers that be decided to allow us to have free bottled water from the cafeteria. that really was nice and i did appreciate it. i'm wondering though, how LONG prior to the bloomfield couple discovering the water critters have we actually been drinking the tainted water?????? and if the critters are NOT harmful as the mdc claim, why then go to all the precautions of boiling our water? to be honest with y'all, i had a rough day at work yesterday and i went out for a beverage afterwards. YES, I HAD ICE ICE BABY



MDC Finds Copepods And Rotifers In Water; Boil Advisory Lifted For 4 Towns
By HILDA MUÑOZ |The Hartford Courant
Residents of East Hartford, Glastonbury, Portland and South Windsor no longer need to boil water for consumption, according to the Metropolitan District Commission and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

After the discovery of microscopic organisms called copepods and rotifers in a Bloomfield home earlier this week, the MDC advised many of its customers to boil their water for one minute before consuming it. Residents of Bloomfield, Windsor, Hartford, West Hartford and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks should continue to boil their water through the weekend while testing continues through the system, according to a statement from the MDC.........


the world of copepods
pic:

Copepods (U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY)

pic:

A drawing by Giesbrecht (1892) of the Copepoda, Sapphirina auronitens Claus, 1863

Water Alert Lifted in 5 Towns

by MONICA BUCHANAN and DEBRA BOGSTIE

he boil water alert has been lifted in East Hartford, Glastonbury, Portland, South Windsor, and 12 homes that were affected in Manchester. The warning is still in efffect for Hartford, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Windsor, and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks MDC water customers.

if you're in one of these ten towns

and i AM, we are being advised to boil our drinking water (shite)
Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Portland, Windsor, Hartford, East Hartford, West Hartford, South Windsor and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks


Residents Of MDC Towns Being Advised To Boil Drinking Water
By MARK SPENCER |Hartford Courant
Residents of 10 towns served by the Metropolitan District Commission are being advised to boil their drinking water for one minute as a precautionary measure.

The advisory was issued today at the request of the state Department of Public Health for the towns of Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Portland, Windsor, Hartford, East Hartford, West Hartford, South Windsor and parts of East Granby and Windsor Locks. The practice should be followed until further notice, the MDC said in a statement.

The MDC said it is conducting a study to determine why microscopic aquatic organisms called "copepods" and "rotifers" have been detected in the drinking water distribution system coming through the district's Reservoir No. 6 water treatment facility in Bloomfield.
................

oh this is a good idea

NOT

uconn is now dodge city? the ok corral? we have wyatt earps and annie oakleys instead of albert einsteins and marie curies? (i want the alberts and the maries personally)

wtf? there is absolutely something WRONG with someone who wants to pack heat at uconn or central or any other college in connecticut (or elsewhere)

two words for you
frat parties (add another word) DRUNKEN

another seven words
stranger walking behind you late at night (add another word) INNOCENT

Student Groups Divided On Right To Carry Guns On Campus

By JESSE LEAVENWORTH | |The Hartford Courant
Philip Axelrod and Sara Adler say they don't want to be defenseless targets.

"There are people out there who are off-balance and who shoot up schools," Axelrod, 20, said. "I don't want to be caught up in a situation where I have to lay down and die."

Axelrod, a University of Connecticut student, and Adler, who attends Central Connecticut State University, are leading "empty holster" protests next week at both schools to lobby for the right to carry concealed handguns on campus. Although state law permits eligible people 21 and older to carry handguns, student conduct codes at both universities prohibit possession of firearms on campus.

The weeklong protest — which launches Monday, the 10th anniversary of the mass killings at Columbine High School in Colorado — is being held to raise awareness about a national organization, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus [ www.concealedcampus.org]. The group advocates self-defense and seeks to form a front line against another slaughter like the one at Virginia Tech in 2007.............


students for gun free schools

from the talk of west hartford blog

we have the west hartford pot hole users guide

(please note: we've reported a burned out street light to the town over the YEARS, yes, that's right, i said YEARS. and it is STILL NOT RE-BULBED. we are told, each time we call, 'they will get to it')

soooooooooooooo, i wouldn't hold my breath waiting on the repair of the pot holes

..................
As a public service, portions of a Pot Hole FAQ have been reprinted (with additions) for those traversing the streets of West Hartford:

What makes a pothole?
Potholes are created when moisture seeps into the pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws. This weakens the pavement. Traffic loosens it even more, and it eventually the pavement crumbles and pops out.

Some people will be blaming new de-icing materials that were used this past winter on our roadways. Who knows, it might even be all those heavy West Hartford SUV's and the increased traffic flow that was not meant for our roadways................

didn't know a west hartfordite

was a crew member of the ship hijacked by pirates (i'm glad you're ALL now safe and sound)

hurry home to your family and friends! and of course welcome back

Conn. crewman reconsiders job after pirate attack

By Susan Haigh
Associated Press Writer
WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—The wife of a Connecticut crew member on a cargo ship attacked by Somali pirates says he told her the incident has convinced him to consider giving up his job. ATM "Zahid" Reza called his wife Jennifer from Kenya moments after news broke that his captain, Richard Phillips, was freed unharmed Sunday.

His wife says Reza told her that he was "terribly relieved" that Phillips was safe.

Reza lives in West Hartford with his wife and 6-year-old son Isa. He was one of 19 sailors who reached safety Saturday, four days after escaping the pirate hijacking......

Conn. crewman reconsiders job after pirate attack
from The Associated Press
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. April 12, 2009, 05:47 pm ET · When ATM "Zahid" Reza left in late January on his latest voyage aboard a cargo ship, he told a friend he knew there was a risk of pirates but thought the problem was over-hyped.

On Sunday, days after escaping a pirate hijacking off the coast of Somalia, the 41-year-old Merchant Marine called his wife and told her he was thinking of quitting because of the frightening incident. Reza has said he was the first to see the pirates board the Maersk Alabama with hooks and ropes, firing into the air.

"Are you going to give up being a Merchant Marine?" Jennifer Reza asked her husband, as stood in her back driveway in West Hartford with several reporters listening to her end of the conversation. The Rezas' 6-year-old son, Isa, crawled in and out of the family's silver Honda Civic, where he and his mother had been reading books to escape the constant barrage of telephone calls from reporters.......

since i avoid going to the center at ALL costs

i sure have no need to get one of these cards. i think it's a good idea, i just think west hartford parking is a giant rip off/robbery. (if you've ever been to northampton, now THEY have a parking system which is MORE than reasonable. there are machines here and there. you put some change in the machine and you get a parking receipt which you put on your windshield. it's ridiculously inexpensive as well. a quarter will get you a couple of hours at the LEAST). west hartford? $.25 for FIFTEEN EFFING MINUTES. yeah, that is welcoming to visitors!

so west hartford has these new cards you can buy. like i said good idea. BUT (you knew there was going to be a but) YOU HAVE TO INITIALLY LOAD IT WITH $60.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

60 BUCKS IN PARKING MONEY? that's a lot o' dough

West Hartford's Parking Meters Accept Special Debit Card

By BILL LEUKHARDT
WEST HARTFORD — - A new service will end the need to pump coins into town parking meters.

The West Hartford Parking Authority is offering a special debit card usable at any on-street parking meter and at participating businesses. The card, called Parcxmart, costs $1, and can be loaded with up to $500 from a user's credit or debit accounts or with cash.

It is available at the authority office, 17 Isham Road, online at the Parcxmart website or at participating businesses.

"We've sold about 20 at our office since we first offered it April 1, and dozens have been sold online," John Phillips, the town's parking operations manager, said Monday. "We hope to sell many more, especially as more businesses participate."
.................

congratulations!

i'm not a college hoops fan, but you gotta give a shout out to the uconn babes (i can call them babes, just like i call myself one. BUT DON'T YOU call me, or them a babe)

UConn Women Achieve Perfection

By JOHN ALTAVILLA |The Hartford Courant

ST. LOUIS - The No. 1 UConn women, driven by three players as gifted as any they've ever had, won it all Tuesday.

Challenged briefly in the first half, the Huskies rolled as usual, defeating Louisville 76-54 at the Scottrade Center to win their sixth national championship in 15 seasons.

Coach Geno Auriemma's team (39-0) completed its third undefeated season, joining the 1995 and 2002 champs as program icons.

At the forefront of the attack was junior center Tina Charles, so maligned in the past for her postseason performances. On Tuesday, Charles' performance was record-setting..........

(pic:

NCAA Championship Game: UConn vs. Louisville

(MICHAEL MCANDREWS / HARTFORD COURANT / April 7, 2009)

Perfect Ending! UConn Women Win Sixth Title

From St. Louis to Storrs, UConn women's basketball fans are celebrating the perfect ending to a perfect 39-0 season.

The UConn women captured their sixth national championship in St. Louis Tuesday night against Big East rival Louisville.

Tina Charles had 25 points and grabbed 19 rebounds Tuesday night as UConn routed Louisville 76-54.

It wasn't just that Connecticut claimed another title. It was how they did it.

UConn won every one of its 39 games by double digits, an unprecedented run in college basketball.

Charles was the star of the last big win. She commanded both ends of the floor and Louisville, which lost badly to UConn for the third time this season, had no one who could stop her.

Coach Geno Auriemma had said before the tournament that his junior center would be the key to UConn winning the title. A year after he benched her in the NCAAs for inconsistent play, Charles delivered.

"I'm really happy for her," Auriemma said.

"I told Tina before the game, I said 'Sunday night you played against an All-American center and you played defense and you worked as hard as the best center in America and now you have to prove it tonight' and she did."............

a great courant editorial

of course i think ALL guns should be absolutely banned (except for law enforcement and the military) but i'm in the minority. i also read some of the comments on the article. some of them are just nasty lunatic fringe ugly evil spewing sickness comments.

we don't have militias (well, we do but most of THEM are lunatic fringe end of the world white supremacist types) and we do NOT need to bear arms

Machine Gun Ban For Youths Misses Big Picture
If legislators have their way, it will soon be illegal for anyone in Connecticut to hand a machine gun to a child younger than 16. That this even has to be spelled out in the statutes is testament to the pervasive power of our gun culture.

The proposal came out of a tragedy, as many laws do. Christopher K. Bizilj, 8, of Ashford, died last fall after losing control of a 9 mm Micro Uzi at a gun expo in Massachusetts. The boy shot himself in the head during "target practice" on a pumpkin while adults, who should have known better, looked on. What were they thinking when they put a lethal weapon that fires up to 1,700 rounds per minute in the hands of a 43-pound third-grader? This is wrong on so many levels that it boggles the mind.

No one outside the military, and possibly law enforcement, should be permitted to use a machine gun, least of all children. Sen. John Kissel felt compelled to defend his committee vote in favor of the age limit, saying it is "one of the few-and-far-between gun bills that I feel has an awful lot of merit."

You think?..........

some west hartford news

psssssssssttttttt - as i've mentioned before WE (the employees of my company) didn't get raises this year either. i'm not liking that, but i like it a whole heck of a lot better than NOT having a job (or my coworkers not having a job)

West Hartford Union Agrees To Wage Freeze

By BILL LEUKHARDT |The Hartford Courant

April 4, 2009

WEST HARTFORD — - The first of the town's employee unions has tentatively agreed to a wage freeze, a request town leaders have made to all unions to help save money and jobs during a cash-poor time and a projected $6 million revenue shortfall in next year's proposed budget.

The Service Employees International Union, its 187 members making it the largest of the town's municipal unions, will soon vote on a proposal to accept a wage freeze, interim town manager Ronald F. Van Winkle said Friday.

SEIU spokesman Matt O'Connor said Friday that the membership will vote April 15 on a proposal but that he could not provide details......

wow, that's some gift

good for yale! (i would have liked it to be a scholarship fund - perhaps earning interest, but whatever.......50 mill is 50 mill)

$50 Million Gift To Create International Studies Institute At Yale

By REGINE LABOSSIERE |The Hartford Courant
NEW HAVEN — - Yale University has received an "astonishing" $50 million gift to establish a new international studies institute to encourage students to pursue careers in diplomacy and global affairs.

The gift, announced Friday by university President Richard Levin, was from John W. Jackson, a 1967 Yale graduate, and his wife, Susan. University officials said the donation is one of the single-largest the university has received. They called it an inspiration during a rough economy and said the Jackson Institute for Global Affairs would make Yale even more competitive than it already is.

University officials had been in talks since last summer with Jackson and his wife, who live in New Jersey, but they weren't sure until Wednesday that the gift would become a reality.

"I was thrilled and surprised," Levin said. "And that really speaks to the loyalty and generosity of these donors. That, in times of economic hardship, that they would make an impressive donation. It will be an inspiration to students and faculty."...

i saw what you did

i know you didn't see me. i was standing in the back yard between my dad's house and the house next door. i was smokin' a butt. you were pushing a wheel chair in which a very impaired man sat. walking in front of you (and with great difficulty) were two other people who were also impaired.

i watched you for a few seconds. then i saw what you did. you took your hand and you gently stroked the head of the man in the wheelchair. i couldn't hear if you said anything to him or not. i couldn't see your lips and i couldn't hear you. in my mind you said something soothing to him though.

as you passed and i could no longer see you from my vantage point, i walked up to the front of the yard. guess what? i saw you stroke his head again!


(there IS hope and there IS good)

i'm not exactly sure how they got my email address

the new haven citizens' action network that is BUT i think i rather LIKE this idea:

the email follows:

Press Release Press Release Press Release


From: New Haven Citizens’ Action Network (NHCAN) www.nhcan.org


For Immediate Release



Date: Monday, March 30, 2009



Grassroots Group Stimulates Economy With “Lotto Sales Receipt” Proposal

New Haven, Conn. - Jeffrey Kerekes, a steering committee member of the New Haven Citizens’ Action Network (NHCAN) released a proposal today to help stimulate Connecticut’s economy and increase State revenues to close the deficit and aid large Cities with increased aid from the State. Kerekes’ proposal would turn each sales receipt into a lotto ticket in an effort to not only increase reporting of current sales but to bring shoppers into the State. “We have all seen or suspected instances where sales were not being recorded,” Kerekes reports, “That is lost money to the State.” Kerekes argues that if the State were to sell the register tape to all stores in Connecticut with lotto numbers pre-printed on them, “consumers would demand receipts with each purchase,” he added.

Retailers and restaurants would continue to pay for the register receipt paper rolls, only they would buy them from the State with preprinted lotto numbers on them. The State would then hold a drawing on a monthly or quarterly basis with cash or other prizes for people with winning lotto numbers. Kerekes believes that providing a percentage of the winning ticket to the store that sold it would make the initiative more palpable to store owners. Store owners with a lot of sales would have better odds given the volume of sales – a win-win for everyone. Further variations could include introducing this with a small increase in the sales tax. The State could mail lotto tickets to people who self-report online purchases, bringing in additional dollars. This can stimulate the economy – “shopping could even be a little fun when you have a chance to win big for everyday purchases”. The Sate can win big by bringing in currently unreported sales and enticing shoppers from other states to spend their money in Connecticut.

“This should cost almost nothing to implement,” Kerekes predicts. “The State is already set up to run lotteries so the only new burden would be to print and sell register tapes and sell them to businesses. The cost of doing this could easily be paid for out of increased revenues. While hopefully unnecessary, consumers could even be fined for leaving a store having made a purchase without a receipt if you wanted to enhance reporting and remove incentives to keep transactions off the books.

The New Haven Citizens’ Action Network is a grass roots group concerned with financial sustainability. We believe by assisting the state in its ability to raise revenues, it can lead to better assistance to its Cities. NHCAN believes in an open, transparent government, one that listens to the voice of the citizens it represents. Visit www.nhcan.org for more information.

she's not done yet

but i was so happy with her and i couldn't wait to post a picture (or two) of her until she was completed (the wings and the big yarn ball she's sitting on have to be done). pictures are crappy.. i took them upsidedown and spinned them around.

i really LOVE her. i got her done at liberty tattoo in berlin by pat macdonald (his pops and i go waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back)

anyway, if you're in the mood for some ink, stop on by liberty they'll hook you up

and yes, i'll post her when she's DONE as well

in all fairness my knitting fairy is loosely based on a drawing on saw on the internet (i can't find her again or i'd give credit where credit is due). i told pat i wanted her to have a bun and have knitting needles sticking out of it. i wanted her to have wings and i wanted her to be sitting on a big ball of yarn. i wanted a raven in there somewhere and i wanted some purples. HE came up with the drawing which i will say once again I LOVE

i think he got it right

he just needs an suv and a designer dog

i just got the following email:

BurnBrite

All, My film, Crushing Pennies, will be shown at the Kent Film Festival this Saturday. We will be having another "official premiere" soon in the next few months if you cannot make it to Kent. Thanks, Ryan

Connecticut Independent film, Crushing Pennies to be Screened at the Kent Film Festival - March 28, 2009

FavoriteMedia and BurnBrite Promotions are proud to announce the debut of the independent film, Crushing Pennies, at the Kent Film Festival in Kent, CT, on Saturday, March 28, 2009.

Crushing Pennies is a 35-minute drama, shot entirely on location in Connecticut with a Connecticut cast and crew. Showcasing the delusional world of married couple, Irene (Leah Dashe) and Gabe (Jesse Murphy), Crushing Pennies explores the subconscious world created by the two main characters' mutually shared delusions. As Irene and Gabe sink deeper into this imaginary world, they find it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion. Their quest for help from a professional marriage counselor leads them and the audience to a surprising conclusion to their problems. To view the trailer, visit YouTube here.

Ryan Casey, Director of FavoriteMedia and BurnBrite Promotions is a Connecticut filmmaker who wrote and directed Crushing Pennies.

Casey has his BA in Film Production from Keene State College and is currently attaining his Master's Degree at The University of Hartford. Casey is currently in pre-production of his feature film, Catching Sparks, which will also be shot in Connecticut.

Above: A scene from Crushing Pennies - Joe Medina (Left) watches Leah Dashe (Right) with intrigue.

Cinematography for Crushing Pennies was done by Dave Sikora. Sikora is a graduate of Full Sail University, located in Winter Park, Florida.

Crushing Pennies is the second short film by Casey. The first, The Icon of 2nd Street starred local Connecticut native, Troy Farrand with cinematography done by Jeff Hoyt of KJ Films.

Crushing Pennies and Casey will be featured at the Bristol Historical Society's Younger Artists Series in June. Check our blog for that (BurnBrite Blog) - information will be posted soon.

Connecticut-based FavoriteMedia provides turn-key solutions for independent filmmakers and local acting talent to produce quality original films that celebrate Connecticut locations.

BurnBrite Promotions brings these films to targeted audiences through independent film screenings and effective web-based promotional and distribution methods.

The Kent Film Festival screens films created by a richly diverse group of talent - students of film and independent filmmakers screen alongside well-seasoned film professionals. Tickets are available now for presale and web reserve via the festival website at: http://www.kentfilmfestival.org/.

Click here for the Crushing Pennies Facebook Page.

For more information, contact Ryan Casey at: favoritemediamail@yahoo.com.

a shout out to the police department

who stopped me this morning (for the SECOND time in a month and it's only the 19th). it was of course at 3:00 am. i always feel obliged to shout out (first thing) I'M ON MY WAY TO WORK (not to be confused with I'M EFFING DRUNK - I JUST GOT OUT OF A BAR)

i truly did NOT know my headlight was out. it wasn't yesterday. another shout out to brian. he installed the new one.

(note: no ticket either time but warnings)

i also want to give a shout out to the officer who upon seeing there was NO WAY i was going to be able to retrieve my registration offered to look it up for me (note: officer, I AM going to clean my car out this weekend)

you rock