went to

sit-n-knit yesterday and got more stash! the center was a MESS yesterday but the visit to the yarn store made it all worth while. very nice people in the store. it's a pleasure doing business there (unlike many OTHER stores in the center). the rain was unbelievable. i'm wondering if i should start building an ark

the blue & pink yarns are 100% alpaca from peru. the green and green/purple combo are luxury bumpy yarn by charlene (99% merino and 1% nylon - it's SO cool) and it's by farmhouse yarns. the orange/pink yarn is; claudia hand painted yarns 100% merino. the little red and green balls are baby alpaca (SO SOFT). i'm going to use them to make the strawberry fruit hat for baby s (well she's a year and a half now) . the brown/orange and grey/black/brown wicked cool yarns are malabrigo hand dyed - kettle dyed merino.

i have NO idea (except for the strawberry hat) what i'm going to use the yarns for. i also bought a book (you can see it under the malabrigo) with unbelievable modular vest/sweater/jacket patterns.

i'm being attacked by the 'family institute of connecticut' and i do use the word family LOOSELY here

first off i'm NOT PRO abortion, i am PRO choice. second off, i am NOT going to insist anyone have an abortion IF THEY DON'T WANT ONE. i'm NOT going to insist anyone take or use birth control if they don't want to. i AM going to insist THEY leave me and my body the hell alone and let ME make my OWN decisions. i don't think of myself as narrow, close-minded, frightened (by what i sure don't know) and uncaring like others who shall remain nameless


May 26
PRO-ABORTIONISTS' NEWEST REVENGE TACTIC: CENSORSHIP [Peter Wolfgang]
First we defeated a pro-abortion attack on the religious freedom of Catholic hospitals. Then we defeated the pro-abortionists' attempt to financially penalize those hospitals. Now those same pro-abortionists are trying to censor pro-life license plates: ....

....The "Trainspotting" quote posted on a local pro-abortion blog gives you a sense of the mentality of some of our opponents.
The fact is, the state's pro-abortion establishment is hopping mad over their defeats in the 2006 legislative session and they are determined to seek their revenge wherever they can, even before their inevitable next assault on religious freedom in the 2007 session...........

my home away from home

the half door tuesday june 6th 4:00 pm (chris and erin)

nero speckin' out the hood

tuesday june 6th 4:00 pm

my beads, FINALLY

remember these strips ^^^^^^^? well the beads are finally done (drying on drinking straws)! i made them out of torn strips of raw silk, fabric paint, fabric ink, wire, beads, silk roving, wool roving, a bunch of different yarns and LOTS of mod podge. i am going to make yarn necklaces and use one or two of these beads on each one as focal points. when i get that far, i'll post pictures

why these people didn't have to do ANY time is beyond me

it sickens me people get away with treating animals like this. it really does. well HER case is settled and SHE didn't have to do time, his case isn't decided yet. PUT THEM BOTH AWAY in a CELL COVERED IN EXCREMENT with KNEE DEEP EXCREMENT ON THE FLOOR. make them STAND IN IT as long as the animals had to. don't feed them much, just now and again toss them something putrid and nothing but stagnant water to drink.... (this is just a fantasy, i really am not cold enough to wish it were actually true EVEN THOUGH THEY DESERVE SUCH A PUNISHMENT)

Animal Cruelty Case Decided
By STEPHANIE SUMMERS Courant Staff Writer June 2 2006
In a major farm animal cruelty case, a 43-year-old Mansfield woman received a suspended sentence and probation this week after signing over to the town 30 malnourished and parasite-ridden horses that were found in foot-high manure.Donna Russell and her husband Kenneth Morgan, 48, were charged in late April with 51 counts of animal cruelty and four counts of confining dogs for an unreasonable amount of time. In March, animal control officers and investigators discovered the horses, dogs, sheep and goats confined without water, sufficient food and proper shelter on the 80-acre farm at 342 Mulberry Road in Mansfield. Two horses and a ewe were found dead.In a plea bargain agreement Tuesday in Superior Court in Rockville, Russell pleaded guilty to five counts of animal cruelty and received a five-year suspended sentence and three years' probation.Morgan's case has not been resolved. He is scheduled to appear July 11 in court........

if the fbi investigates me, it is NOT going to be because i'm pro liebs. that's for sure!

i went over to connecticut local politics to check it out myself. it may be MUCH ado about nada

Lawyer says FBI is investigating pro-Lieberman blog postings
By Don Michak , Journal Inquirer
A Hartford lawyer says the FBI has agreed to investigate postings promoting Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's re-election on a popular Connecticut-based Internet "blog" in the names of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Bruce D. Rubenstein, a former finance chairman for the Democratic State Central Committee and a Lieberman critic, said Wednesday that an agent in the FBI's Meriden office told him the agency would probe the postings on the "Connecticut Local Politics" Web log run by an Enfield man, Chris Bigelow.

The FBI as a matter of policy refuses to confirm or deny that it is conducting any investigation.Bigelow said Wednesday that he had not been contacted by anyone investigating the matter.Meanwhile, a spokesman in Obama's Washington, D.C., office, Tommy Vietor, said Wednesday that he could state "unequivocally" that "there is no way" the Illinois senator sent any messages to the Connecticut blog.He added that "whoever" posted one of the messages, which he said appeared to be based on reports of Obama's comments at the Connecticut Democrats' annual fundraising dinner, had spelled his first name incorrectly, dropping the "c."......

more on our brave (and KICK-ASS) connecticut librarians

i really AM proud to be a native. they're heros

Librarians Defy the FBI
By Larisa Alexandrovna, Raw StoryPosted on June 2, 2006, Printed on June 2, 2006http://www.alternet.org/story/36953/

Four Connecticut librarians, members of Library Connection, a not-for profit cooperative organization for resource sharing across 26 Connecticut library branches sharing a centralized computer, were served with a National Security Letter (NSL) in August of last year as part of the FBI's attempt to attain access to patron's records.
The NSL is a little known statute in the Patriot Act that permits law enforcement to obtain records of people not suspected of any wrongdoing and without a court order. As part of the NSL, those served with the document are gagged and prohibited from disclosing that they have even been served.
The foursome of Barbara Bailey, Peter Chase, George Christian, and Jan Nocek were automatically gagged from disclosing that they had received the letter, the contents of the letter, and even from discussions surrounding the Patriot Act.
The librarians, via the national and Connecticut branches of the ACLU, filed suit challenging the Patriot Act on first amendment grounds.
"People ask about private and confidential things in the library setting ... like about their health, their family issues and related books they take out ... these are confidential and we did this to protect our patrons from authorized snooping," said Peter Chase, Vice President of Library Connection."........

chris durang is talking up ned! (and talking down the liebs)

chris durang has a great posting about the liebs AND mr < href="http://nedlamont.com/"> in the huffington post

Lieberman - Why I've Cancelled My HRC Membership

Last week I sent an upset email to the Human Rights Campaign, the gay rights organization, telling them to cancel my modest monthly donation to them. I did this because I was furious that they had come out and endorsed Senator Joseph Lieberman. The HRC finds him friendly on gay issues.
Senator Lieberman is a firm supporter of President Bush's dangerous folly in Iraq..................

imagine if you will..................

note: i am going to post a couple of pictures of my handbag (yeah, i'm that brave) but blogger for some reason won't upload them. i'll try later

i am so angry with myself i could spit! at approximately 11:45 am in broad daylight on a VERY major street in hartford, i missed a photographic opportunity of a lifetime (this was yesterday, wednesday may 31st). i would have won awards, EVERY photography award there is out there. oh, i had my digital camera with me. i take it every place i go. it was stuffed somewhere down in the bowels of my handbag. well, handbag is a misnomer. it's more of a canvas type CASE. it's heavy too. i have a LOT o' stuff in it. consequently i walk rather lopsided at all times (but i'm STILL as graceful as a gazelle). there are several sections of hartford. downtown where all of the insurance companies are. years ago, downtown had giant wonderful department stores. g. fox and company was the biggest and best. it had 10 or 11 floors, i've forgotten the exact number. all of the state of connecticut came out to see their christmas display in december. i loved that store! the north end where i grew up. now it is the 'ghetto' section of the city. it still has some lovely old houses but it has a lot of homes and apartments in ruins too. within the span of the last week, there were SIXTEEN shootings in and around that neighborhood. my friend brian lives on the street i grew up on. he is one of those 'catholic workers' our govmint (rory's word which i just appropriated) is spying on. he was recently arrested at a protest in dc. i believe he is the ONLY white (i mean REALLY white, irish white) person living in that area. anyway, it's a SMALL world. another section is the north meadows. that's where a lot of trucking companies and porno shops are. then there is the south end. the south end was strictly italian back in the day. now it is some italian and very much hispanic. the italian grocery stores and INCREDIBLE bakeries are still there though as well as a ton of the best italian mom and pop restaurants. DAMN they make some FINE FINE FINE food. the section of hartford i was in is called the west end. it has a GREAT mix of people. young ones, old ones, all ethnicities, some VERY nice homes, some not so nice ones. tons of doggies (one of my favorite hounds, nero the pit bull lives in this hood), lots of restaurants of ALL types (authentic mexican, a 1/2 japanese 1/2 korean one, pizza joints by the dozens, and probably more little tiny chinese restaurants than any other place in the world, including china. my favorite pub the half door is in this hood too. well to get back to what i was really saying......i was stopped at a light on this major hartford artery and i glanced over at the sidewalk to my left. the only thing i could focus on (at first at least) were legs. BARE, CHUNKY legs starting at some cut off daisy dukes (when i say cut off i mean you could practically see heaven) and ending with some open-toed, open-heeled, strappy, platform skanky-ho shoes. oh i did notice her hair too. it was either wet or VERY greasy. she had a comb in her hand and was using it constantly. i instinctively had a feeling deep down in my gut something amazing and wondrous was going to happen. i unzipped my bag and started to fumble around for my camera (see recreation) while never removing my eyes from the vision on the sidewalk. all of a sudden, she bent over from the waist (still combing her hair mind you) and what was left of her daisy dukes disappeared up in her crack. i was frantic at this point. in tears, i couldn't find the damn camera! damn damn damn damn. too late - she stood up (wobbly on those skanky-ho shoes) and the light changed and i had to go. i thought about circling back but i had a very important errand to run. i really wanted not only the picture that would have brought me fortune and fame BUT i really really really needed to know if that poor lonely woman ever found the date she so desperately needed.

anyone check the whereabouts of rush???

Drug manufacturer offers cash reward in connection with robberies
May 31, 2006
MESA, Ariz. --The manufacturer of a drug being stolen during dozens of robberies at Phoenix-area pharmacies has put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the robbers.
Stamford, Conn.-based Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, is offering the reward through Arizona's Silent Witness program..........

i hope mr rivera is taller than 5'1" or...........

he MAY BE LET GO (well that happened in nebraska). time after time after time, i see these offenders doing SO LITTLE time. they hurt KIDS and they do a year or two, come out, THEN HURT THEM AGAIN. it is my belief sexual predators CANNOT be 'cured'. i do believe some types of criminals CAN turn their lives around, this segment CANNOT

(see: this posting if you don't know what i'm talking about or this one

Life sentence sought in child sex case
By Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press Writer May 31, 2006
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. --A convicted sex offender charged with making child pornography and preying on boys over the Internet faces life in prison in the first Connecticut case brought under a federal two-strikes-and-you're-out law for sex crimes.
Carlos Rivera, 35, was charged last year with using the Internet to entice two boys, 15 and 13, into sexual encounters.
Prosecutors last month added a charge of producing child pornography, triggering the Protect Act, which mandates life sentences for repeat offenders. Rivera's first strike was a 1996 conviction for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old.
The law is written narrowly and only covers certain offenses, so just using the Internet to entice the boys would not have triggered the law.
Rivera appeared briefly in federal court Wednesday to hear Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Glover explain the potential sentence if he is convicted at trial in July. Rivera, who has pleaded not guilty, spoke only to tell the judge he understood.
In February, federal prosecutors in Maryland became the first in the nation to use the 2003 law when 46-year-old James A. Reigle Jr. was sentenced to life in prison for producing child pornography after having already served time for molestation and possession of child porn......

this is a GOOD thing

they should do it for dogs too. EVERY town in EVERY state.

Mansfield levies fees for fertile cats
(Mansfield-WTNH, May 30, 2006 10:25 PM) _ Under a new ordinance, cat owners in Mansfield have to have their felines spayed or neutered or else pay a yearly fee.
by News Channel 8's Sara Welch
There are plenty of kittens and cats staying at the shelter in Mansfield.
All day long the town's Animal Control Officer fielded calls about stray cats.
"It's a huge problem. I find cats abandoned here at the shelter. People find strays in their yards," says Noranne Nielsen, animal control.
The over-population of stray and unwanted felines has grown so out of control in the Mansfield that town leaders are taking steps to stop it.
A new ordinance will require cats older than six months to be spayed or neutered.
"It's a matter of owners taking responsibility."
The mayor says part of the problem stems from the town's transient population such as students at UConn who leave their cats behind. Noranne Neilsen has seen the sad side of overbreeding.
"I have seen litters frozen to death in the winter or kittens eaten by coyotes and I don't want this to happen we want them to find a good home.".............

and from the courant

Mansfield Institutes Spay-Or-Pay Option For Cats
By STEPHANIE SUMMERS Courant Staff Writer May 30 2006 MANSFIELD -
- For all you dogs feeling singled out by the leash law, wait till you see what they're doing to the cats in Mansfield.Unlike their more regulated canine counterparts, cats don't have to wear tags and are free to roam. State law requires only that cats be vaccinated against rabies.But last week, the town council unanimously approved an ordinance to require that cats older than 6 months be spayed or neutered unless the owner pays a $75 annual fee for an "unaltered animal" permit.You could call it a license to breed.Town officials hope most residents will willingly pay the fee, but the animal control officer is ready to enforce the ordinance when cats are found and returned to their owners.Mansfield is the first town in the state to approve a cat spay/neuter measure, says Susan Linker, president of the Animal Welfare Federation of Connecticut.Why single out cats? Because those aforementioned feline freedoms have led to cat overpopulation and abandonment problems, say animal control and rescue experts. Linker says the best estimate of free-roaming cats statewide is 500,000......

our connecticut librarians are tough mothas!

i for one salute your principals and your strength!

Librarians bitterly decry gag order in Patriot Act case
By Frank Eltman, Associated Press Writer May 31, 2006
NEW YORK --Recently released from a months-long gag order, four librarians from Connecticut did little to hide their displeasure about the FBI's demands for records about library patrons under the Patriot Act.
"I am incensed that the government uses provisions of the Patriot Act to justify unrestrained and secret access to the records of libraries," said George Christian, of Windsor, Conn., who along with three others spoke out Tuesday for the first time since the gag order was lifted.
"Free public libraries exist in this country to promote democracy by allowing the public to inform itself on the issues of the day. The idea that the government can secretly investigate what the public is informing itself about is chilling," said Christian, executive director of the Library Connection, Inc., a consortium of libraries in the central part of the state.
U.S. District Judge Janet Hall ruled last year that the gag order should be lifted, saying it unfairly prevented the librarians from participating in a debate over how the Patriot Act should be rewritten. But it wasn't until April that prosecutors dropped an appeal of that order.
Speaking at a press conference organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, which represented the librarians, Christian noted with irony that the gag order was lifted only after Congress voted to reauthorize the Patriot Act.
"The fact that I can speak now is a little like being permitted to call the fire department only after a building has burned to the ground," he said..........

no surprise here

moveon is endorsing ned lamont as am i (although i don't have any political sway

Strong Signs of Rift Among Democrats
Support for a challenger to longtime Sen. Joe Lieberman indicates tensions over Iraq war. By Ronald BrownsteinTimes Staff WriterMay 27, 2006
WASHINGTON — The liberal challenge to Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) escalated Friday when the political arm of MoveOn.org, an influential online advocacy group, endorsed the political newcomer opposing his bid for renomination.Gaining the support of MoveOn's political action committee was Ned Lamont, a businessman who wants to unseat Lieberman largely because of the veteran lawmaker's staunch support for the war in Iraq.The group announced its backing after polling MoveOn's members in Connecticut.MoveOn has emerged as a leading voice for left-leaning activists, and the endorsement marks the first time that its PAC has sought to unseat an incumbent Democratic senator."Lamont's message resonated with members who want a senator who will stand up to President Bush on key issues and represent the views of most people in Connecticut," said Eli Pariser, executive director of the MoveOn PAC.With the endorsement, the group will seek to raise money and generate volunteers for Lamont among MoveOn's 3.2 million members nationwide.Lamont earlier this week gained an endorsement from Democracy for America, a liberal grass-roots group that Howard Dean established as his campaign for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination foundered. Dean gave up his leadership role when he became chairman of the Democratic National Committee last year, but the group is headed by his brother, Jim Dean.Lamont's candidacy also has become a priority for many liberal websites, such as Daily Kos — whose founder, Markos Moulitsas Zuniga, recently appeared in one of Lamont's television advertisements........

dodd NAY (and i thank you) the liebs YES and i DON'T thank you

of course i'm NOT surprised by this vote

Roll Call: Hayden confirmed to head CIA

half of the marines in this company are from connecticut

once again, the courant presents another GREAT story about our service people. also, please remember IF you'd like to support a deployed service person (you don't get to choose who or where they're from), please join soldiers' angels organization. they'll hook you up with someone. all you have to do is write to your soldier (or sailor or marine, or airman/woman) and send a care package once in a while. i can tell you from personal experience what this means to those deployed. i can also tell you, i've almost had to THREATEN my soldiers/airmen to get them to admit exactly WHAT they want in their care packages (meaning they do NOT ask for anything and when they do, it's usually something they can share with others). join, it makes YOU feel good!


FOR CONNECTICUT MARINES, THE ENEMY IS EVERYWHERE
Story By JESSE HAMILTON l Photos By Tom Brown l The Hartford Courant May 28 2006 FALLUJAH, Iraq --

The Marines are filthy and tired and act hard, like they've been here two years instead of two months.Charlie Company's 200 or so infantrymen - half from Connecticut - are reservists, pulled from civilian life for the unit's first trip into the war. They will spend seven months running patrols, guarding posts, raiding suspect houses and manning checkpoints in one of Iraq's most dangerous cities.The men from Enfield, Colchester, Middletown and East Windsor are fighting in Fallujah to keep things from getting worse. They fight to buy time for the training of Iraqi replacements. They fight for an unknown future under yet-to-emerge Iraqi leaders. And, at the most basic level, the corporals and privates first class fight to keep themselves and their friends from getting killed.They rehash their battle stories sometimes before they've returned to safety, writing their own characters into the war movies they gravitate to. They court death in their spare time, watching violent movies and some playing video games of war. Under it all, they are young and far from home."We're trying to keep Fallujah stable and get out of here," said Cpl. Parke Stearns, 26, of Lebanon, Ct. The Marines here are fighting a war. But it's not always clear whose war...............

choose life - oh, THIS isn't what they meant?

(Trainspotting
John Hodge)
Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself.
Choose your future.
Choose life.

to tell you the truth, i really don't think i have EVER seen one of these plates and if i have, it sure didn't register with me. i like the ANIMAL plates though! oh the save the sound ones are cool too

Pro-Life License Plates Under Fire

DMV To Reconsider Sponsor's Eligibility
By JON LENDER Courant Staff Writer May 26 2006
A swirling national First Amendment debate hit Connecticut Thursday as the Department of Motor Vehicles said it will stop issuing special "Choose Life" license plates for The Children First Foundation - a New York-based pro-adoption group opposed to abortion - while it investigates, along with the attorney general, whether the foundation qualifies for the plates. DMV Commissioner Ralph J. Carpenter agreed to reconsider the small foundation's eligibility for the plates - a status it applied for, and was granted, in 2003 - based on a letter Wednesday from Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and a Democratic state legislator charging that the group has "negligible, if any, `operations' in Connecticut, much less a base of operations in this state."The charge surprised the nonprofit group's founder and president, Elizabeth Rex of Yonkers, N.Y. She had heard nothing from Blumenthal about such questions - but she quickly produced a series of letters from Connecticut officials who have recognized her group's efforts in recent years. The letters came from Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, Govs. John G. Rowland and M. Jodi Rell, the state's child advocate - and Blumenthal himself."Please extend my deepest appreciation and admiration to your members for the outstanding work that they do in advocating that every abandoned child should have a home with adoptive parents who love that child unconditionally," Blumenthal wrote Rex March 4, 2003.......

wow, i went out on the ct dmv site and there are a TON of plates available! way more than the last time i checked

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: soooooooooooooo#links

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: soooooooooooooo#links

and now i find this in the state of connecticut

Manchester man sentenced in child sex assault

a man gets FIVE YEARS for sexually abusing a child from the time she was EIGHT until she was FOURTEEN???? he has a PRIOR conviction from the 70s too. he was caught with a WEAPON in jail but FIVE YEARS IS ALL HE'S GOING TO ACTUALLY DO. WTF is wrong with THAT picture?

wednesday may 24th 6:00 am

this is NOT the first time i have seen abandoned shoes on the side of the road. this time, they had a shirt to keep them company.

sunrise and sunrise through a tree

an odd shaped branch

no amount of ANYTHING would EVER make me think

guns should be allowed to be owned by the public.


Woman Injured By Shot Police Believe Round Not Aimed At Her
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY Courant Staff Writer May 23 2006
TOLLAND -- Pam Gale was sitting in the car with her husband after attending a wedding when she heard what sounded like an explosion.A bullet shattered her passenger-side window, which was inches from her head, and lodged in the car's ceiling above the back seat.Flying glass cut the right side of Gale's face, her jaw and the right side of her neck, the Newington woman said Monday night. An inch-long gash to the back of her head, which may have been caused by the bullet grazing her, took two stitches to close, she said.Still, Pam Gale, 47, and her husband, Andrew Gale, 45, were safe."It was definitely my lucky day," she said.Trooper John O'Connor, who is investigating the Saturday shooting, put it differently."She's beyond lucky," he said.O'Connor said the shooting appears to be unintentional.........

check this out if you please

this is what happens when we don't care about one another

you don't call 911 for help even if it's badly needed. this is just a big shame. the number one priority should NOT be la migra, it SHOULD BE one's life

Fear Delays Call For Help Worker's Fall Now An Immigration Case

By ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER And DANIELA ALTIMARI Courant Staff Writers May 24 2006 MIDDLETOWN -- When she first heard the crash, Valerie Melanson figured it was debris.Then she saw several of the men who had been working on the roof next door rush to the back of the house. A young man from Ecuador who was part of the construction crew was lying in the driveway, on his back."I saw them trying to revive the guy," she said. "And they weren't having a good time at it."Melanson asked if the men had called for help; one of them waved her away.But time slipped by and she still hadn't heard sirens. Finally, Melanson dialed 911.Police say the men, apparently fearful of detection by immigration officials, tried to administer their own form of first aid to an injured co-worker, who had fallen 30 feet off the steeply pitched roof late Monday morning.Ultimately, a half-hour elapsed before the injured man got the medical help he desperately needed. He was flown by helicopter to Hartford Hospital with a broken leg, dislocated shoulder and other injuries.The remaining seven workers were taken into custody by federal authorities. Five have been released and ordered to appear in immigration court; the other two are being detained by authorities.......

more on lewis

Photograph by : Associated Press
but still NO decision yet (and i hope his life is spared). ms cisero MUST NOT let lewis leave the house though. EVER

Owner faces hearing over cat
May 23, 2006
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. --Lewis the cat, whose alleged attacks have landed his owner in legal trouble, will learn his fate in court next month.
Ruth Cisero, the cat's owner, was in court Tuesday on a charge of second-degree reckless endangerment. A hearing was set for June 20 to determine whether she could get special probation and have her cat's life spared.
Cisero, a Fairfield resident, recently withdrew her bid for special probation and opted for trial because she would have had to allow Lewis to be euthanized.
"She's on pins and needles," said Eugene Riccio, attorney for Cisero and Lewis. "The animal is important to her. It's a member of her family."........

howard dean's brother backs him AND SO DO I

ned lamont

PAC run by Howard Dean's brother endorses Lamont

By Susan Haigh, AP Political Writer May 23, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. --A liberal political action committee run by the brother of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is backing U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's opponent, highlighting the displeasure some Democrats have with the moderate senator's support of the war in Iraq.
The group, Democracy for America, raised $20,000 for Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont within three hours of posting the endorsement on its Web site, executive director Tom Hughes said.
"Ned Lamont has been loud and clear about America's position in Iraq and world affairs, one of the most important concerns for voters," said Jim Dean of Fairfield, chairman of the Vermont-based PAC. "Sen. Lieberman has been a broken record for supporting broken policies.".......

passage of a GOOD bill in the house!!!

but who the hell are the 24 who voted AGAINST this bill i wonder?

By Jim Abrams, Associated Press Writer May 22, 2006


A television shot of a little boy losing his dog during Katrina rescue operations was the catalyst for House passage Monday of legislation requiring pets to be considered in future emergency preparedness plans.
"The dog was taken away from this little boy, and to watch his face was a singularly revealing and tragic experience," said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., sponsor of the Pet Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act. "This legislation was born at that moment."
The bill, which passed 349-24, requires that state and local preparedness offices take into account pet owners, household pets and service animals when drawing up evacuation plans. Offices that fail to do so would not qualify for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., with Lantos a co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus, said estimates are that some 600,000 animals either died or were left without shelter as a result of Hurricane Katrina. He added that the lack of pet rescue plans also put many pet owners in danger.
"When asked to choose between abandoning their pets or their personal safety, many pet owners chose to risk their lives," he said.
The Humane Society of the United States cited a recent Zogby International poll that found that 49 percent of adults say they would refuse to evacuate if they couldn't take their pets with them......

picture: idausa.org/hurr_nov_23.html

what's this? interesting news i must say

Dodd Poised For Possible '08 Presidential Run
10:00 PM EDT,May 22, 2006 By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Christopher J. Dodd said today he has "decided to do all the things that are necessary to prepare to seek the presidency in 2008."The Connecticut Democrat will hire staff, raise money and travel around the country in the next few months as he tries to enlist support.Like other presidential contenders, Dodd said during a lengthy interview in his Capitol Hill office that he will not formally decide until early next year whether to make his bid official. At the moment, he joins about 10 other major Democratic Party figures who are considering a run.Dodd came close to running in 2004 but never entered the race. Circumstances are different today -- he is not up for re-election to his Senate seat, and colleague Joe Lieberman is not running for president.Dodd, who turns 62 Saturday, was elected by a wide margin to a fifth Senate term in 2004. He has never lost an election, but starts his White House effort as a long shot -- invisible in most presidential preference polls..........

a great little analysis of the liebs

PAUL KRUGMAN: Talk-Show Joe

.....Friday was a bad day for Senator Joseph Lieberman. The Connecticut Democratic Party's nominating convention endorsed him, but that was a given for an incumbent with a lot of political chips to cash in. The real news was that Ned Lamont, an almost unknown challenger, received a third of the votes. This gave Mr. Lamont the right to run against Mr. Lieberman in a primary, and suggests that Mr. Lamont may even win..............

wow

it's cool they're remaining anonymous!

Couple Donates $2 Million To Restore Whaling Ship
POSTED: 12:31 pm EDT May 19, 2006

MYSTIC, Conn. -- Mystic Seaport's effort to restore the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan has received a $2 million boost.
A couple, who wish to remain anonymous, has donated the money for the work, which is expected to cost about $3.5 million.........

goodbye pat

i didn't know her, although i did meet her once. she was attempting to interview a friend of mine. he was unavailable and actually not on the premises so pat was off like a flash in search of other stories - she sure was a bundle of energy i'll say that about her! i did read her column, java, as well. my thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family

Pat Seremet 1947-2006

Longtime Hartford Courant writer Pat Seremet dies at 58

Other Voices On Knowing Pat Seremet

there WILL be a primary!

and i WILL be voting for ned lamont

Lieberman wins nomination, but Lamont forces primary

By Susan Haigh, AP Political Writer May 19, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. --U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman was nominated for a fourth term by state Democrats Friday night, but his anti-war challenger garnered enough delegates to force a primary in August.
Backers of Ned Lamont, a Greenwich businessman who has sharply criticized the moderate senator for his support of the war in Iraq, shouted with delight after learning their candidate will be the first to challenge Lieberman to a primary.
Lieberman won 1,004 of the 1,509 votes cast at the state convention, while Lamont won 505. Lamont captured 33 percent of the delegates, well more than the 15 percent he needed to force the primary.
Sean Smith, Lieberman's campaign manager, downplayed Lamont's delegate support. He said Friday's vote showed that Democrats in Connecticut still back the veteran senator, despite his support of the war.
"I think we're moving into friendlier territory," Smith said of the Aug. 8 primary. "There are 600,000 Democrats who are going to be heard from before this is over."
Lieberman worked Friday night to fend off Lamont's challenge, reminding convention delegates that he stands for more than his support for the war. He held a barbecue for delegates in the parking lot of the Connecticut Expo Center to smooth things over.
Lieberman said he has called hundreds of delegates in recent weeks, talking about the environment, his support of the U.S. Submarine Base in Groton, education and other issues.
"I'm a proud Democrat and I'm going to carry the battle forward," said Lieberman, who had to leave the convention early to observe the Jewish sabbath.
Lamont said he believes the level of support he received at the convention will send a message to Washington that people are fed up with the war.....................

yesterday (5/18/06) at about 5:30 p m

6:30 am thursday may 18th

the courant story on the mental health of our troops appeared to kick some butts into action

one of which was our OWN liebs. hey liebs instead of just asking for a federal investigation of the screening of our troop's mental health, how about BRINGING THEM ALL HOME FROM IRAQ? how about asking your good bud, your peep, king george why he LIED? huh? how about it? you serve the people of connecticut - let me speak for the people of connecticut BRING OUR MEN AND WOMEN HOME NOW

Use Of Unfit Troops Blasted Senators Criticize Military Practices
By MATTHEW KAUFFMAN And LISA CHEDEKEL Courant Staff Writers May 18 2006
U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman called Wednesday for a federal investigation of mental health screening for troops deploying to Iraq, after The Courant reported in a series that mentally ill service members are being sent to war and kept there, sometimes with tragic consequences.Also Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld expressing "disgust" at a revelation in the series that the military was sending troops with post-traumatic stress disorder back into combat."You cannot simply have doctors prescribe psychiatric drugs such as Zoloft and send these men and women back to a combat zone," Boxer wrote. "No matter what the Defense Department's recruiting shortfalls, it is absolutely immoral to send soldiers who have been diagnosed as suffering from PTSD back into a combat zone."Lieberman, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, sent letters Wednesday to the Government Accountability Office and the inspector general of the Defense Department, asking each agency to investigate the military's pre-deployment screening practices. Lieberman said he was particularly concerned by The Courant's finding that among troops who indicated a possible mental health problem, only 6.5 percent were referred to a mental health specialist before they were deemed deployable."Clearly, our soldiers are experiencing unusually high levels of stress," Lieberman wrote in his letter to the inspector general, "but if the military is doing an inadequate job of assessing the severity of mental health problems in those deploying, and then placing them in further danger, their lives are [at] greater risk." Lieberman, D-Conn., said Wednesday that he was also "exploring legislative options" to improve mental health screening for troops, which consists of one question on a self-reported questionnaire. "We put our faith in the men and women of our armed services to protect us every day; they should expect and deserve to have the same faith in us," Lieberman said. The Courant's investigation, he added, "reveals that the deployment system's faulty implementation of mental health screening has betrayed the trust of our soldiers and their families. This is unacceptable and inexcusable.".........

(oh and once again, i must congratulate the courant and the reporters who covered this story. VERY well done and i personally thank you)

ned lamont is gaining

and liebs is running scared (as he should be). ned lamont IS MY CHOICE TOO

Lamont wins women's group backing in race against Lieberman
By Stephen Singer, Associated Press Writer May 16, 2006
HARTFORD, Conn. --A women's political action group on Tuesday endorsed Democrat Ned Lamont in his bid to seize the Democratic Party's Senate nomination from Sen. Joe Lieberman.
The National Organization for Women Political Action Committee said the Greenwich businessman would go farther than the three-term incumbent to keep President Bush's nominees off the U.S. Supreme Court. NOW also rapped Lieberman for what it said was his failure to do more to help rape victims get immediate access to emergency contraception.
"There were a number of reasons they endorsed my candidacy today and I appreciate it," Lamont said.
Melody Drnach, a vice president of NOW, said her group believed Lieberman should have backed a threatened filibuster against the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito earlier this year.
Lieberman voted against the nomination and the filibuster. He is a member of the so-called "Gang of 14," a bipartisan group of senators who oppose filibusters unless there are "extraordinary" circumstances.
"We certainly feel that Ned Lamont's approach to the full range of women's rights.........

the last part of the courant's story on the mental health of our troops

5-YEAR-OLD Alexis McCabe in April holds flags planted at the gravesite of her mother. Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart, an East Haven native, who collapsed and died in June 2004 while on guard duty in Iraq. Hobart had been prescribed Celexa to ease the anxiety of being separated from her young daughter while in Baghdad. Her cause of death, the military says, is still undetermined.
(Mark Mirko)
May. 16, 2006

once again, cudos to the courant and the reporters who investigated this story. amazing! thank you for bringing it to our attention

Still Suffering, But Redeployed They have post-traumatic stress and other combat-related disorders. So what are they doing back in battle?

Story By LISA CHEDEKEL PHOTOS By Mark Mirko The Hartford Courant May 17 2006

Eight months ago, Staff Sgt. Bryce Syverson was damaged goods, so unsteady that doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center wouldn't let him wear socks or a belt.Syverson, 27, had landed in the psychiatric unit at Walter Reed after a breakdown that doctors traced to his 15-month tour in Iraq as a gunner on a Bradley tank. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and was put on a suicide watch and antidepressants, according to his family.Today, Syverson is back in the combat zone, part of a quick-reaction force in Kuwait that could be summoned to Iraq at any time. He got his deployment orders after being told he wasn't fit for duty.He got his gun back after being told he was too unstable to carry a weapon.But he hasn't quite managed to get his bearings."Nearly died on a PT test out here on a nice and really mild night because of the medication that I am taking," he wrote in a recent e-mail to his parents and brothers. "Head about to explode from the blood swelling inside, the [lightning] storm that happened in my head, the blurred vision, confusion, dizziness and a whole lot more. Not the best feeling in the entire world to have after being here for two days ... "And I ask myself what the F*** am I doing here?".....

that's what i want to know, WHAT THE EFF IS he doing with a gun and being deployed????????

ANN AND JAMES GUY visit the grave in Arlington National Cemetery of their son, Marine Pfc. Bobby Guy, on the first anniversary of the Marine's death, on April 21. The Guys did not find out until two months after his death, in a telephone conversation Ann had with a Marine official, that Bobby had committed suicide.
(Mark Mirko)
May. 16, 2006

part iii of the hartford courant story on mental health in the military

there will be one more day of reports on this subject from the courant. i think they did an incredible AND excellent job on this story (stories actually). bravo to the reporters who worked on this!

Health Chief Responds
Assistant Secretary Of Defense: `Comprehensive Process' Determines Fitness

Assistant Secretary Of Defense: `Comprehensive Process' Determines Fitness

By LISA CHEDEKEL
And MATTHEW KAUFFMAN Courant Staff Writers

May 16 2006

The Defense Department's top health official and the Army Surgeon General on Monday defended the military's screening and treatment of mentally troubled troops, saying the mental health of service members is a top priority for the Armed Forces.

Responding to a series of articles in The Courant, Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said he was satisfied that troops with serious mental illnesses are not being deployed to Iraq, and service members who develop mental problems in the war zone are receiving appropriate care.

"Our policy and our practice is to ensure that every deploying service member is fit, both physically and mentally," he said. "We have a very comprehensive process to do this.".........

Amid Patriotism, Anger And Questions

By MATTHEW KAUFFMAN
The Hartford Courant

May 16 2006

WILLARDS, Md. -- Just off the two-lane main street of this southern Maryland town, a couple doors shy of the big lumber mill that rumbles all day like thunder, Ann and Jim Guy's modest dwelling is the picture of a patriotic American home.

Out front, atop a tall white pole that dominates the postage-stamp yard, a scarlet and gold Marine Corps flag flutters in the wind, bearing the essence of the elite fighting force: eagle, globe, anchor and the venerable motto "Semper Fidelis."

Inside the house, that iconic emblem is stitched into quilts and pillows, engraved into picture frames, and printed on the only coffee mug Ann will put her lips to. "My son," the mug proclaims. "One of the few, the proud." The same Marine emblem adorns the gold ring on Jim's finger, the buckle on his belt, the watch on his wrist, the cap on his head.

And in the small living room, just above the piano laden with yet more Marine mementos, is the emotional epicenter of this home - an oversize portrait of Pfc. Robert Allen Guy in his Marine dress blues - his jaw rigid, his eyes determined.

It is a recruiting brochure fantasy of a proud, faithful military family.

But that family doesn't live here anymore.

They began to vanish at 4:15 p.m. on April 22, 2005, the precise moment Ann pulled open her front door, looked up from her wheelchair and found a somber trio of men in uniform staring back at her............

Potent Mixture: Zoloft & A Rifle

The military told Congress that medications aren't used to keep soldiers with serious mental illness in combat. But a Courant investigation reveals that drugs are increasingly being handed out.

STORY By LISA CHEDEKEL And MATTHEW KAUFFMAN
The Hartford Courant

May 16 2006

When Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark C. Warren was diagnosed with depression soon after his deployment to Iraq, a military doctor handed him a supply of the mood-altering drug Effexor.

Marine Pfc. Robert Allen Guy was given Zoloft to relieve the depression he developed in Iraq.

And Army Pfc. Melissa Hobart was dutifully taking the Celexa she was prescribed to ease the anxiety of being separated from her young daughter while in Baghdad.

All three were given antidepressants to help them make it through their tours of duty in Iraq - and all came home in coffins.

Warren, 44, and Guy, 26, committed suicide last year, according to the military; Hobart, 22, collapsed in June 2004, of a still-undetermined cause.

The three are among a growing number of mentally troubled service members who are being kept in combat and treated with potent psychotropic medications - a little-examined practice driven in part by a need to maintain troop strength.

Interviews with troops, families and medical experts, as well as autopsy and investigative reports obtained by The Courant, reveal that the emphasis on retention has had dangerous, and sometimes tragic, consequences............

part ii in the courant story about the mental health of our service people

COURANT INVESTIGATION: MENTALLY UNFIT, FORCED TO FIGHT Slipping Through The System

A Courant investigation has found that less than 1 percent of deploying troops receive an evaluation from a mental health professional, even though the military admits that more than 9 percent have a serious psychological illness.
By MATTHEW KAUFFMAN And LISA CHEDEKEL
The Hartford CourantMay 15 2006
In the 17 months after their son, Eddie, announced he was heading off to fight the war on terror, Margaret and Edward Brabazon of Bensalem, Pa., had held their breath.They were accustomed to holding their breath with the boy they had taken in as a foster child at age 3 and adopted at 12 - the boy who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and attention-deficit disorder by the time he was 10, and who had spent his early teenage years in a psychiatric hospital and group homes for the emotionally disturbed.They watched with bewildered pride as the young man they had affectionately nicknamed "Crazy Eddie" was handed a uniform and an M-4 rifle and accepted into an elite fraternity - the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment based at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. Although Margaret protested, the 18-year-old soldier also had informed his parents that he had stopped taking his psychotropic medications because he "wanted to be like everyone else," Margaret recalled."We were surprised they took him, with the kind of mental problems he had, but we figured the Army must know what they're doing," Margaret said. "We didn't think they'd send him into combat."Today, the Brabazons regret those assumptions..........

some GOOD news about a connecticut marine in iraq

on this mother's day, (well EVERY DAY) let's send our thoughts and prayers out to all of the men and women who are deployed in the middle east (and everywhere else too, what the heck!)

Hard Hat, Hard Head, Marine Saved Sniper Bullet Pierces Helmet Of Local Man Fighting In Iraq

By RACHANA RATHI, Courant Staff Writer

WESTBROOK -- A helmet was all that stood between a sniper's bullet and Marine Pfc. Fred Mitchell Linck's forehead. As it turned out, it was all he needed.
The armored helmet took the brunt of the May 5 shot, enabling Linck to casually mention the shooting in an e-mail from Iraq last week to friends and family."Things here are going decently," the e-mail read. "But I have some news for you all. I was shot in the head about two days ago..."I got some stitches, but will have a pretty big scar and a Purple Heart. ... Thank you for your love and prayers. Mitch."..............

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: this from the hartford courant

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: this from the hartford courant#links

in connecticut let's breathe a little easier!

Holding EPA's Feet To The Fire
May 12, 2006

Once again, Connecticut is joining other jurisdictions in taking up the banner of environmental responsibility, filling a vacuum created by the federal government's failed leadership.Connecticut recently joined nine states and three environmental groups, as well as Washington and New York City, in suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over the agency's steadfast refusal to regulate carbon-dioxide emissions and other pollutants, the primary cause of global warming. The central question in the lawsuit - one the plaintiffs hope the court will answer with a "yes" - is whether carbon dioxide meets the definition of a pollutant under the Clean Air Act..........

...........Yet as the world burns the Bush administration fiddles, wasting precious time by arguing that the science on global warming isn't conclusive and that the solution lies in voluntary initiatives, research and development rather than regulation - or, in this case, that the EPA can't regulate carbon dioxide because it's not a pollutant..............

this sounds wicked cool!

i'm all for ANYTHING that will help me at the dentist's office (i am PHOBIC about going)

Video device helps patient overcome fear
By Jesse D. Smolin, Record-Journal May 11, 2006
SOUTHINGTON, Conn. --As soon as Darian Dube walked into the dentists office, Bashar Betros was ready for her.
After she slid into the dentists chair, Betros, the primary dentist at Family Dental Practice of Southington, slipped what looked like a black visor and goggles onto her head before the tears started rolling.
As he predicted, as soon as Darian, 9, saw the dentist's chair she became upset. Before Betros put one instrument into her mouth, tears streamed down the child's face.
The goggles Betros put on her were connected to a VCR, which allows patients to watch movies in virtual reality. The four three-dimensional movies are intended to relax patients, including one on hot air balloon rides, traveling to Guatemala, an action movie about skiing, riding a motorcycle and scuba diving near Santa Barbara, Calif. Patients also may bring their own movies.
Betros has offered the movies to his patients since opening his practice five years ago. He bought the goggles after stumbling upon them in a dental supply catalog. The movie allows him to perform 10- to 15-minute procedures he would not otherwise be able to do.
"There are a lot of people who are scared and it helps them," he said. "It helps us, but it really helps them."...............

what's missing

i'll tell you what's missing

NO ONE FROM CONNECTICUT SIGNED THIS

Seventy two in Congress join battle against wiretaps

Filed by John Byrne
Seventy two members of Congress filed papers late Wednesday seeking to end President George W. Bush's warrantless NSA eavesdropping program, RAW STORY has learned.
The filing came just before a report Thursday in USA Today which revealed that the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program had collected call records on tens of millions of Americans through agreements with AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.
It also comes a day after lawyers looking into the NSA program abruptly closed their probe after the Bush Administration refused to grant them clearances.
The 71 Democrats and one independent filed an amicus brief in two federal courts reviewing challenges to the warrantless wiretapping program in Detroit and New York, joining the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Both suits demand the program be stopped.............

just a reminder

NEVER EVER give personal information out over the phone. EVER

Jury Duty Scam Warning

News Channel 8 May 10 2006, 1:30 PM EDTNEW HAVEN --
The U.S. Attorney has issued a warning about a jury duty scam affecting people across the state. Someone is making calls pretending to work for the court system, telling people they failed to show up for jury duty.When the person on the other end denies getting a letter, the caller attempts to verify personal information, such as Social Security number and date of birth........

scammers are getting better and better at it. making it more believable. i've seen some GREAT emailed ones that you would SWEAR were real. if there is EVER ANY QUESTION, just forward that email (NEVER CLICK ON THE LINK(S) to the company that allegedly sent it to you and they will verify if it's legitimate or not. loads of ebay and paypal type emails look so real and the links look real too BUT THEY ARE NOT. just be careful out there!~

a bible in one had and a pellet gun in the other???

the tragic shooting of a 23 year old the other day MAY NOT be murder........we shall see

Eyewitness claims religion a motive in New Haven shooting

(New Haven-WTNH, May 9, 2006 6:00 PM) _ A disagreement over religious beliefs may have sparked the deadly shooting of a student from Southern Connecticut State University.
Now, a woman has come forward saying the shooters' actions were in self defense.
by News Channel 8's Erin Cox
This witness, who didn't want to be identified, says religious differences were at the root of the deadly shooting in the plaza parking lot just a mile from the Southern Connecticut University campus.
The witness says 23-year-old Mark Stetson, a junior from New Hampshire, was holding up a Bible - arguing with an older man.
New haven police have not recovered a bible - but don't rule out what this witness says happened and school officials confirm last week stetson had to be removed from campus for creating a disturbance during a discusson of Christianity and Islam......

my left nutmeg gets a shout out in the courant!!!

my left nutmeg a favorite blog o' mine!

`Dump Joe,' Cry Liberal Bloggers Lieberman Foes Connect On Net

By ADRIAN BRUNE SPECIAL TO THE COURANT May 8 2006
As with prophets and leaders before him, U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's fall from grace, in the eyes of state Democratic Party activist Keith Crane, began with a kiss. Crane had stood by the senator, if only grudgingly, through his vice-presidential and presidential campaigns, his speeches supporting the Iraq War and even his appearances on Fox News Channel. But the peck on Lieberman's cheek from President George W. Bush after the 2005 State of the Union Address left him feeling betrayed.With the help of his brother, Crane (also known online as ctkeith) launched www.dumpjoe.com, putting the image of "The Kiss" on Page 1 of the website he hopes will help bring about Lieberman's political demise. With it, the Branford resident, who proudly wears a button bearing the photograph and passes out buttons everywhere he goes, joined what might have been a passing storm but has become a political Nor'easter threatening to tear down the house of Joe..

............Myleftnutmeg.com is not strictly an anti-Lieberman target, its slogan being: "Where Connecticut Dems Scratch That Progressive Itch." But it's packed with postings complaining about Lieberman. "My site reflects the zeitgeist as opposed to leading it," said My Left Nutmeg's founder, Kelly, who goes by first-name only. "To me, Joe Lieberman's political career is a tragedy. He started out as a hero of democratic liberalism. Now he's fallen from grace. That's a personal feeling shared by a lot of people."Unlike the other sites, My Left Nutmeg (which displays a doctored road sign reading "Connecticut Welcomes You: Birthplace of George W. Bush. We apologize.") is almost entirely for blogging. Anyone who has a beef with Lieberman, including his acceptance of money from the Hilary Clinton campaign, can sign up and make it known.................

i'm not surprised a bush MAY have been involved

(if in fact this incident happened. if it did it's DISGUSTING and EVIL. then again, i believe what goes around comes around.)

Yale's Tale Of Skull Gets New Backing

By KIM MARTINEAU
Courant Staff WriterMay 9 2006
NEW HAVEN -- A journalist has uncovered evidence that members of Yale's secretive Skull and Bones society may have robbed Geronimo's grave during World War I and brought the Apache warrior's skull and other remains back to New Haven.The plundering of Geronimo's grave in Fort Sill, Okla., has long been rumored, but now a 1918 letter, found deep in Yale University's archives, suggests there may be some validity to the story. Both Bush presidents belonged to the elite Skull and Bones society as did their father and grandfather, Prescott Bush, who by one account participated in the alleged raid on Geronimo's grave. Marc Wortman, a writer in New Haven, discovered the letter last fall while researching a book about pioneering World War I aviators from Yale. He immediately shared his find with the Yale Alumni Magazine where he had been an editor. The new details are published in the magazine's May/June issue.In the letter, Skull and Bones member Winter Mead wrote that Geronimo's skull had been unearthed and spirited away to their brownstone clubhouse on High Street in New Haven nicknamed "The Tomb." Mead's report was addressed to his fellow "Bonesman" F. Trubee Davison, who helped select new followers during the war. Charles Haffner, a new initiate, or "knight," was among a small group of military officers who allegedly joined the Fort Sill raid.........

(picture: www.straightdope.com/ art/2005/051111.gif)

let's wish coach brandon good luck, health, comfort and safety!

for his THIRD tour in iraq! please note, if you read the story you'll see he was previously wounded in iraq. he lost part of a kidney YET, he's got to go back..........

Players Say Goodbye To Coach Headed For Iraq
May 7, 2006 By Natasha Lee, Staff Writer

STAMFORD -- When Julian Bosch found out one of his favorite football coaches, Ryan Brandon, was bound for Iraq, the Stamford High School sophomore knew he couldn't leave without a proper send-off."I thought he should be recognized for his bravery and courage. Our buddy should be appreciated," said Julian, 15. "He's a phenomenal coach, but really a better friend."

More than 20 varsity football players gathered at an barbecue yesterday afternoon at Boyle Stadium to wish Brandon a safe journey as he prepares for a 10-month tour of duty with the Marine Corps as a staff sergeant.Brandon, 29, will head to Iraq on May 14 -- Mother's Day -- for his third tour."It's always a little nerve-wracking. When you're a little younger, you feel like you're invincible. Now that you get a little bit older, you realize how things can happen," he said. "But the country called on me to do a job, so I'm going to go do it.".........

should i start my own landscaping bid-nez?

my pops is 79 and still kicks ass. well up until a little while ago he did. in a week or so, he's going in for hip replacement surgery. after that it's off to rehab for a bit (we don't know how long yet). he'll be incapacitated for a while though. he can barely stand up. it hurts me to see him like this. he has always been a very active person. he walks daily (he knows EVERYONE in the hood and then some). this operation is a good thing. i am looking forward to him NOT being in constant pain. he never complains though. i remember when i was young, he went to work (he was a teamster at that time) with two broken ribs. SOOOOOOOOOOO someone has to mow his lawn! well, i already TOLD my brother in law, big bubba, HE was going to come over every weekend and mow that lawn. oh i forgot to say my pops is obsessive about his yard. he doesn't have the greenest grass or prettiest flowers BUT he is always the first one out to mow or snow blow or sand and salt or whatever. i'm not exaggerating; he IS the first one out there. friday, i stopped by his house and left him a note NOT to mow the lawn the next morning. i'd be over between 9 and 10 on saturday morning and i'd mow the lawn (well the front. we'd let the back go for another week). i arrived at 8:45 and of course as expected he was already outside doing something or other. i was barely out of the car and the FIRST thing he said to me was, 'you could have worn better shoes'. i had a pair of flip flops on. 'one can't mow the lawn in flip flops?' i thought to myself but let it go. i dragged him back in and made him a tea and myself a coffee. i needed a moment or two to collect my thoughts before the big morning of yard work. oh, there were lawn chairs he kept on his screened in porch for the winter he wanted to bring outside. i told him I WOULD DO IT. of course they were already outside when i arrived saturday. and one wonders where i got my stubbornness (and if you can imagine my mother was the stubborn one!). now i'm ready to start, we go outside and i take one of those chairs from the back yard and bring it to the front so he can supervise me mowing his lawn. he started the mower for me and showed me something about pulling this bar back that made it keep running. he showed me how to prime it and he showed me this lever to push down that made the wheels turn automatically (after i engaged those wow, what a difference. of course i didn't do it right away though, dope that i am). so i mow the front lawn going in concentric squares. i didn't do the spots around his bushes good enough of course, so he had to get up and do them himself. i had to keep glancing over at him (while he WAS in the chair) and every time i did, i just burst out laughing. you sort of had to be there, to see ME mowing a lawn with an actual lawn mower. i got specific explicit instructions on how far to mow on either side. to the edge of the neighbor's house on the left and to the line of the big tree in back for the house on the right. the mower stalled a few times and some type of height adjustment had to be made and then it was smooth sailing. i stopped the mower and looked over to the chair. he was NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. he was back in the garage bringing out his leaf blower. he blew every speck of grass off of the sidewalks and driveway. then he blew it off of tapparentlyer. apparantly that job was too complicated for me to handle or understand. hell as it turns out it got WICKED WINDY later in the day and the damn grass shards or whatever the hell they are called WOULD have blown away any damn way. just as i was about to go back in the house, he looked at my feet and said, 'see!!!'. i looked down and not only were my pink fuzzy flip flops all green (don't be sad, they were last years and on their last legs. i'll make new fuzzy ones this year) but MY FEET AND TOENAILS WERE ALL STAINED GREEN. damn the geezer was right about the shoes! we have one more weekend before he goes in for surgery. i'm calling big bubba up and telling him it's HIS turn next! i'm done, i've had it, finis!!!

(pictures: my dad's lawn that I DID SUCH A BEAUTIFUL JOB MOWING. his cat, frog and turtle and his azalea bush)

a second marine with connecticut ties has lost his life

in iraq this past week. my thoughts and prayers are with capt brian s. letendre's family and friends.

and from a couple of posts back, dealing with cpl bixler's death: the father of cpl bixler has a simple request; remember our deployed men and women and SEND A CARE PACKAGE. do it! it will make you feel SO good (not even thinking about how it will make THEM feel). i send four soldiers and airmen care packages (and this reminds me, i'm due to send the next ones). i know they share what is in those packages with their fellow mates. you don't have to spend tons of money. ANYTHING is appreciated. candy, or books or magazines. socks and tee shirts. dvds, music, puzzles, little games, batteries, hot chocolate or powdered drink mixes. you can no longer just send a package to general delivery you MUST have a soldiers (or sailors or airmens or marines) name and address. i got mine from a wonderful organization called soldier's angels


Second Marine with Connecticut ties killed in Iraq this week

By Shelley K. Wong, Associated Press Writer May 5, 2006

...........Capt. Brian S. Letendre, 27, of Woodbridge, Va., was stationed in Plainville with the 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division. He died Wednesday in combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, military officials said.
Letendre was assigned to the Marine Forces Reserves inspector and instructor staff, the Defense Department said................
............Letendre was killed when a suicide vehicle exploded near him, his family in Virginia said Friday. It was his second tour of duty in Iraq.
"He wasn't ordered to go back to Iraq for another combat tour, and his unit was not going to deploy there, but he selflessly and courageously volunteered to go help train the Iraqi forces," his family said in a prepared statement.
"Brian just didn't feel right being back here in the U.S. while other Marines were serving overseas, and wanted to get back to the front lines as soon as he could," the statement read.
Letendre was born in California and raised in Woodbridge, Va., where he graduated from Potomac High School in 1996............

the town of windsor has it RIGHT

and i want lieberman OUT OUT OUT as well!!!

Windsor Democrats want Lieberman out
By:Kym Soper , Journal Inquirer
WINDSOR - Dissatisfied with Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman's support for the Iraq war, the Democratic Town Committee voted 16-14 Thursday to endorse cable television executive Edward "Ned" Lamont for the party's U.S. Senate nomination over the incumbent Democrat.Democratic Town Chairman Leo C. Canty said the 17 delegates being sent to the party's nominating convention on May 19 and 20 aren't bound by the vote.
About 10 are leaning to or support Lamont, of Greenwich, while four are undecided and three are leaning to or committed to Lieberman, Canty said.A "spirited and thoughtful" discussion took place before the vote, Canty said. Regardless of who they supported, all those who spoke were opposed to Lieberman's position on the Iraq War, he said.Those who supported Lieberman felt that because of his tenure in the Senate he had the ability to deliver on other issues, citing his role in keeping the Groton submarine base open.Leonard Swade, a 20-year committee member, spearheaded the Lamont movement on the committee in reaction to Lieberman's unwavering support for President Bush and his policy on Iraq."There are a number of issues, but the primary concern is Joe Lieberman's stance on the war and his support of Bush in that framework," said Canty, who is personally undecided on the Senate race..........

i am sorry for your loss

the loss of stephen bixler, aged 20. my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends

(and of course with everyone deployed in the middle east). if you read the second article below, the father of cpl bixler has a simple request; remember our deployed men and women and SEND A CARE PACKAGE. do it! it will make you feel SO good (not even thinking about how it will make THEM feel). i send four soldiers and airmen care packages (and this reminds me, i'm due to send the next ones). i know they share what is in those packages with their fellow mates. you don't have to spend tons of money. ANYTHING is appreciated. candy, or books or magazines. socks and tee shirts. dvds, music, puzzles, little games, batteries, hot chocolate or powdered drink mixes. you can no longer just send a package to general delivery you MUST have a soldiers (or sailors or airmens or marines) name and address. i got mine from a wonderful organization called soldier's angels




Marine from Connecticut killed in Iraq, father says
By Shelley K. Wong, Associated Press Writer May 4, 2006

SUFFIELD, Conn. --A U.S. Marine killed in Iraq this week was remembered in his hometown Thursday as an admired young man who excelled at academics and athletics in high school and enjoyed helping others.
Stephen Bixler, 20, was killed Wednesday while on his second tour of duty in Iraq, said his father, Richard. He served both tours in the insurgency hotbed of Fallujah, his father said.
"He was on a foot patrol, that's all we know right now," Bixler said. "We were very proud of what he was doing. He would say a lot of positive things. He was totally committed to his mission."
An Eagle Scout, Bixler joined the Marines shortly after graduating from Suffield High School in 2003, his father said.
Bixler is the 30th person from Connecticut who has died since March 2002 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two of those killed were civilian workers........

Marine made family proud


By:Jennifer Hoyt , Journal Inquirer
SUFFIELD - An electric candle still glows at the home of Cpl. Stephen Bixler, 20, a Marine who was killed in Iraq on Wednesday.Bixler's mother, Linda Bixler, turned on the candle when her son was deployed, and it was meant to stay lit until he returned.
But early Thursday morning, two Marines walked past trees wrapped in yellow ribbons, and knocked on the door below the red Marine Corps flag to deliver the news all military families dread:Bixler, they said, was killed while on foot patrol in Al Anbar province. No further information was available; the family would be getting a call with more details, the Marines said. Hours later, Linda's candle glowed, because, she said, her son still hasn't come home.The yellow ribbons, the Marine Corps flag, and the candle were still there Thursday, reflecting the family's strong pride in their son."He was doing what he wanted to do," said Bixler's father, Richard Bixler, dressed in a Marine Corps T-shirt. "He was very proud of what he was doing, we are very proud of what he was doing."And then the grieving father, who was sitting below a picture of his son and Stephen's twin sister, Sandra Bixler, when they were toddlers, offered a request to those who are concerned about the family."At the same time you think of Steve, remember all the other men and women who are serving our country," Richard said. "Send them a package, tell them thank you."The Bixlers are experts at sending care packages - they sent one to Stephen every week...........

i'm NOT going to be politically correct on this one

nor am i apologizing for how i feel. ONCE a taliban ALWAYS a taliban and no one can shake that belief from me. i don't trust this man as far as i can throw him. please understand i am NOT speaking against islam or the people of the middle east. i am ONLY speaking against the taliban (here and now). not only do i think he shouldn't be allowed at yale (at all) but i think he should have NEVER been allowed to enter this country at all. i don't care to or want to better understand THOSE kinds of beliefs. i don't care if he understands 'ours' either because i don't think it possible. some people ARE capable of change. no members, current or prior or future of the taliban are in that group

Request Stokes Debate Over Yale Student With a Taliban Past

By ALAN FINDER
A student at Yale University who was once a roving ambassador for the Taliban regime in Afghanistan has applied for admission to a degree-granting program, putting new pressure on university officials in an emotionally charged political debate over his presence at Yale.
The student, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, 27, began taking courses at Yale last summer in a nondegree program for untraditional students. After an article about his experience appeared in The New York Times Magazine on Feb. 26, Yale was fiercely criticized in opinion articles in The Wall Street Journal and in other newspapers and magazines, as well as on cable news shows and Web sites.
Four alumni began a blog, Nail Yale, that questioned why someone they described as "an apologist for a brutal, misogynistic, terrorist-abetting tyranny" was being allowed to attend one of the country's most selective universities. And some families of victims of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and of American servicemen and women in Afghanistan accused the university of harboring a representative of a regime that had committed myriad crimes and repeatedly violated human rights........

this is for YOU mr shilliday

over at left of center

Hamden bakery featured in The Sopranos

(Hamden-WTNH, May 3, 2006 12:20 PM) _ A little bit of Hollywood is shining on DiSorbo's Italian Bakery in Hamden. Their prized cannolis are going to get a little prime time exposure with Tony Soprano.
by News Channel 8's Jodi Latina
If you're a fan of The Sopranos you may have already seen DiSorbo brothers Joe and Steve in a highlight promoting the next episode. Why are they hanging with the Soprano's? It's all about the holy cannoli.
DiSorbo's Italian Bakery has been whipping up delicious pastries for nearly 40 years.
"Everyone loves cannoli's ... also pronounced ga-noli which is incorrect," says Joe DiSorbo.....

the lovely and talented pissed off patricia (or as WE like to call her p o p)

has a GREAT posting Could you leave him behind as a hurricane approached?

PLEASE HELP Ask your legislators to support the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) Act today......


go on over and give her a howdy! (oh and read the posting of course)

this isn't funny anymore - lewis does NOT have to be put down!

damn, if she keeps him inside, everything will be fine! why kill the pusspuss? damn damn damn that's just not right
Fairfield's Lewis The Cat Case Going To Trial
POSTED: 8:18 am EDT May 3, 2006
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- The case involving a Fairfield, Conn., cat that's accused of viciously attacking several neighbors is going to trial.
Faced with getting probation on the condition she have Lewis the cat euthanized, Ruth Cisero has opted to go to trial to keep her cat alive.
The case of Lewis, who was ordered confined to Cisero's High Street home after he attacked several women, including an Avon lady, has attracted international attention. More than 500 "Save Lewis" T-shirts have been sold to raise funds for a defense fund for Cisero.........

the connecticut post first broke the lewis story and they have a LOT of lewis articles. here is one of them Another day in court for Lewis
there are links to others in the upper right hand corner. it's worth the read

if i was the judge, i would have made mr bracone do the time

and when mrs gets sentenced at a later date, made HER do the time as well. i'm not one of these snooty mothers who join an organization and act all hoitey toitey BUT i take seriously parents who CONDONE underage KIDS drinking in their home. i'm glad mr bracone is going to get counceling for 'alcohol abuse' BUT if he doesn't think he has a problem we all know that counceling won't do ONE DAMN BIT OF GOOD (in all fairness i don't know if he thinks he has a problem or not)

Father Avoids Prison For Teen Drinking Party
By GREGORY SEAY Courant Staff Writer May 3 2006
A Farmington father arrested with his wife after a Jan. 13 underage drinking party inside the family's million-dollar home avoided prison Tuesday by pleading to a lesser charge, but not before the prosecutor rebuked him for behavior that outraged residents."What you did went beyond bad judgment," Assistant State's Attorney Tom O'Brien, father of a teen daughter, said in Superior Court in Hartford as Paul J. Bracone stood impassively as his co-defendant, his wife, Dawn Bracone, sat behind him. "It was illegal."Prosecution of the Bracones focused attention locally and at the state level on the problem of parents allowing so-called house parties at which minors consume alcohol. The state House of Representatives passed legislation criminalizing such acts, and the Senate unanimously approved the bill Tuesday night.Bracone, 50, the owner of a Southington metal finishing company, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree reckless endangerment. Judge Wendy W. Susco sentenced him to a suspended one-year prison term and two years' probation.Bracone at first faced at least 10 years in jail. He and his wife had been charged with risk of injury to a minor and delivery of alcohol to a minor - felonies - in connection with the keg party that authorities said attracted about 150 people, including dozens of teens, to their 10,000-square-foot home in the posh Devonwood subdivision.The father of three also must undergo counseling for alcohol abuse, which, the prosecution said, is a problem in the Bracone household. He also was ordered to pay $1,000 by Sept. 15 in each year of his probation to fund underage drinking awareness education at Farmington High School........

here's my original posting on the story