mooseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Michael Carroccia, of Farmington, Conn., may have seen a lot of things in his life but the one thing he didn't expect was a moose in his backyard.

Moose Loose On Farmington, West Harford Border

do YOU want this man representing the fair state of connecticut

and it's good citizens? i sure as shite don't. i don't want someone who supports king george's unjust war based upon lies. i also don't want someone who supports hastert

da liebs new commerical has a bunch o' folk saying the world will come to an end (not in those exact words mind you) if ned lamont wins in november. i for one disagree. i think the world IS coming to an end NOW with king george and all of his supporters reigning (and yeah, that includes da liebs)

Lieberman continues attacking critics of sexual predator cover up

By David Sirota
Created Oct 5 2006 - 10:09pm
So let's see...a congressman gets exposed as a child sexual predator [1], having Internet sex with underage pages between House votes [2]. A fellow Republican congressman exposes evidence that the Speaker of the House was informed [3] of the sexual predator's behavior, and did nothing about it for months or even years. The Speaker does not deny the evidence. Yet, when lawmakers call for the Speaker to resign, what does Joe Lieberman do? He focus his major attacks not on the sexual predator, not on the Speaker who covered up the scandal - but instead, he attacks critics of the Speaker.
No really, this is not a joke. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Joe Lieberman's comments from today in Torrington [4] about the scandal, in which he reiterates his earlier attacks [5] on Ned Lamont and others for calling for Hastert's immediate resignation in the wake of the sexual predator scandal:
"Right now I’d say this thing is spinning out of control, it’s become another partisan frenzy in Washington, that’s the wrong way to go at it."
So let me get this straight: Joe Lieberman's major reaction to this awful, disgusting and horrific scandal is to berate as "partisan" those who want just a smidgeon of accountability? Of course, he never explains how it can be "partisan" when many of the loudest calls for Hastert's immediate resignation are from conservatives [6]. But even beyond the dishonesty is the sheer shamelessness of it all. These pious declarations are coming from the same man who used the consensual affair between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky to build his own name recognition by parading himself all over the Washington talk show circuit as Mr. Moral. .......

The Last Knit

if you're like me, you'll 'get' this

last rose

face for radio part ii

their premier gig last tuesday (wicked fun by the way) . they sounded pretty damn tight to me.

and a thank you for your wonderful version of 'everlong' (one of my all time favorite songs)

face for radio part i

my friend chris' (and ryan's too) band. a good time was had by ALL and i mean it!!!

rainbow-sunday, 5:20 pm from my car window

some new laws on the books

as of october 1st

Start of October brings dozens of new state laws

Hartford-AP, October 1, 2006 8:45 AM)_ The first day of October has ushered in more than 100 new state laws or sections of laws that address everything from teen drinking parties to child welfare cases. Starting today, it is illegal for someone to knowingly allow minors to possess alcohol on their private property. The legislation closes a loophole that allowed parents to hold house parties with alcohol for their teens and friends. The first offense is an infraction, but subsequent offenses carry up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $500, or both. The law also bans minors from possessing alcohol anywhere, instead of only in public places. Another new law requires the Department of Children and Families to notify a child's grandparents if the agency removes that child from parental custody. Lawmakers say the law will help keep families together. Starting today, the government will be prohibited, in most cases, from subpoenaing members of the news media to testify, produce or disclose information from confidential sources. .............

reminder-please have a mammogram

AND in addition examine your breasts at least once a month. i had my mammo last friday (it had been a while. i just forgot, but that is NO excuse).

and as a coincidence, i just ran across this little article

Women should regularly check their breasts for lumps

dpa German Press Agency Published: Sunday October 1, 2006
Munich, Germany- Women should regularly examine their breasts for lumps in addition to having checkups such as mammography screening by a gynaecologist. Monthly breast self-examinations could detect most malignant tumours early, according to the Munich-based Professional Association of Gynaecologists (BDF). Every woman should check her breasts each month beginning at about age 20. A gynaecologist can explain how to detect changes. The best time for a self-examination was during the first two weeks after the menstrual cycle started, when breast tissue was soft and generally not very sensitive to pressure. Signs of possible breast cancer are new lumps or thickening in a breast or armpit, puckering or dimpling in a breast or nipple, or an increase in the size of one breast. Other signs are changes in a breast's appearance when both arms are raised, a discharge from a nipple, or a sudden reddening of a breast or nipple................

roses from john mattia

Amateur rose grower John Mattia created this hybrid, the Elizabeth Park Centennial Rose. (JOHN MATTIA)

wow, have you seen a prettier rose than this? it's lovely!!!

A Life Of Roses John Mattia Grows Them, Creates Them, Loves Them

By WILLIAM WEIR Courant Staff Writer September 28 2006

You've spent the last six months tending to your roses. Now that it's fall, what to do?For this, we turn to John Mattia. In his 42 years of growing roses, Mattia, 68, has won about every major national award that an amateur rose grower can win. Indeed, he's the only Connecticut resident to win the American Rose Society's top prizes. He's a founder of the Connecticut Rose Society and a former board member of Elizabeth Park -- for which he developed its own "centennial rose." Even Hollywood seeks his abundant knowledge on all things roses.Now that we've established his credentials, here are his autumn suggestions:1. Cut the roses back to about waist-length.2. Clean the fallen leaves and other debris around them.........

are you surprised when da liebs votes AGAINST basic human rights

AND the law??????????

i'm not. and hey, i'm not saying give alleged (that is the KEY word here alleged) terrorists milkshakes and burgers. i'm saying GIVE THEM THE RIGHTS THE LAW ENTITLES THEM TOO. well the OLD law. now it appears we will have a NEW law

Senate passes Bush detainee bill

Filed by RAW STORY
The US Senate has passed the Detainee Treatment and Trials bill (S. 3930) by a vote of 65-34, RAW STORY has learned.
This follows the US House of Representatives passage of a similar resolution (HR 6166) yesterday, essentially scoring a significant pre-election victory for the Bush administration. Critics have denounced the bill as a suspension of the right of habeas corpus, which entitles detainees to seek release from unlawful imprisonment.
Twelve Democrats voted in favor of the Senate bill: Tom Carper (DE), Tim Johnson (SD), Mary Landrieu (LA), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Joe Lieberman (CT), Bob Menendez (NJ), Bill Nelson (FL), Ben Nelson (NE), Mark Pryor (AR), Jay Rockefeller (WV), Ken Salazar (CO), and Debbie Stabenow (MI).............

please stop by star's blog

the enigmatic paradox.

The Enigmatic Paradox has launched a "Make a Difference: Help Defeat Johnson" counter-campaign, a drive to play a song supporting her challenger, Chris Murphy, on radio throughout the district.

da liebs was just on

nbc 30. i didn't hear the beginning OR the end (notice a pattern with me???) but what i DID hear was; HE WANTS TO SEND TWO TO THREE MORE TIMES THE TROOPS TO IRAQ

IS HE INSANE? i have nothing more to add (at this time)

more on a connecticut hero; george christian

to me, HE is a real patriot. HE knows the constitution is more than a mere piece of paper

A Patriotic Act

By JUNE SANDRA NEAL September 24 2006
On Feb. 15, 2005, someone walked into a Connecticut library, sat down at a computer and used the Internet from 4 to 4:45 p.m.Five months later, two FBI agents walked into George Christian's Windsor office and handed him a letter. It demanded "any and all subscriber information, billing information and access logs of any person or entity related to" the library computer's IP address on that February day.To Christian, executive director of the Library Connection, the scene seemed a G-man version of the Odd Couple: one agent dressed nattily in a blazer and tie; the other gruff, in a knit muscle shirt.And though the atmosphere of the meeting was tense, Christian suspected the FBI's demand wasn't its Priority No. 1."It was addressed to the wrong person; it was dated May 19, 2005, and it referred to an event that had taken place six months ago."The document they handed Christian was a national security letter, a piece of the Patriot Act few people had heard of at the time.Did Christian understand, the agents asked, that he could discuss the letter with no one?"I said I did, but I would like to speak to my lawyer.""Fine, have him give me a call," one agent said, and gave Christian his business card.Even the agent apparently didn't know that the order he had handed Christian prohibited the library executive from discussing it with anyone - including his organization's board of directors, his wife or even his own attorney.Had the national security letter been issued to someone else, it might have attracted little attention or created much stir as its recipient complied with its terms. But for Christian, whose agency oversees computer and other services for a consortium of 27 libraries around the state, it was a boot on his neck.For one thing, he knew that Connecticut is one of 48 states with a statute expressly protecting the confidentiality of library users. Secondly, the letter struck at the core of Christian's definition of a library: "The nation's most democratic institution that supports a free exchange of information.".........

guess who is NOT on this luncheon's guest list?

(me and i would imagine ned too)

Bush Enters On Cat Feet

By CHRISTOPHER KEATING CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF September 24 2006
It's hard to imagine how a scheduled visit by the president of the United States could have a lower profile.Only 30 of Connecticut's most elite VIPs got invitations, not by mail but discreet phone call. The luncheon George W. Bush will attend in Greenwich Monday is so intimate that neither the White House nor state Republican Party will disclose where it will be or who is hosting it - except that it will be in a private home.But even when a fundraiser is wrapped in secrecy, the word spreads quickly among political insiders when the president is slipping into town and it'll cost $15,000 per couple to shake hands with him.Insiders say L. Scott Frantz, a 46-year-old investment banker, will host the lunch at his oceanfront estate in the Riverside section of Greenwich, a property that affords spectacular views of Long Island Sound.Frantz has contributed more than $150,000 to the GOP over the years but prides himself on being a low-key, out-of-the-spotlight fundraiser who does not flaunt his wealth............

and it's more like on WEASEL'S FEET not cat feel

superior court judge patricia harleston made a sound ruling in this case

in my most humble opinion. what these three former uconn students did was BEYOND WRONG. women are NOT objects to be used in this manner EVER

Former Student Denied Special Probation

By DAVID OWENS The Hartford Courant September 20 2006, 3:27 PM EDTVERNON -- A former University of Connecticut student charged in a bizarre incident in which he and two others are accused of ejaculating onto a female student while she slept, on Wednesday was denied a special form of probation that would have allowed him to avoid prison.Martin V. Piscottano, 20, of 72 Root Road, Somers, sought the special probation known as accelerated rehabilitation during a hearing Wednesday before Superior Court Judge Patricia Harleston. After more than 40 minutes of argument by Assistant State's Attorney Elizabeth Leaming, who opposed the probation, and Piscottano's lawyer, David Marder, Harleston ruled quickly."This is not an offense for which I can grant accelerated rehabilitation," Harleston said. "It's far too serious."For the first time, the University of Connecticut student who was ejaculated on while she slept in her dorm has made a public statement. It was read in court Wednesday during a hearing on whether one of the men, Martin Piscottano of Somers, should receive accelerated rehabilitation.In objecting to the special form of probation, the woman said, "I believe he needs to experience appropriate consequences in order to recognize the brutality of his actions and possibly prevent a similar incident in the future.…"........

mark your calendars for october 23rd

ned lamont and da liebs debate again. it will be broadcast on wtnh channel 8

Lieberman-Lamont debate sent for Oct. 23

NEW LONDON, Conn. --U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman and Democratic challenger Ned Lamont have agreed to a televised debate next month in New London, according to debate co-sponsor The Day newspaper.
The Oct. 23 debate, co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters, also will include Republican candidate Alan Schlesinger. It will be held at the Garde Arts Center and broadcast live on ABC affiliate WTNH-TV.
Lamont, a political newcomer, defeated beat Lieberman in the August Democratic primary. Lieberman, a three-term incumbent, is running as an independent............

a coyote bites a woman at a connecticut rest stop

that is VERY unusual. coyotes rarely if ever attack humans. i've seen coyotes (some in avon when i used to work there) and they sure don't stick around when they see or smell humans. (there's a little video if you click on the link)

Connecticut Coyote Bites New York Woman At Rest Stop


BRANFORD, Conn. -- A New York woman is receiving rabies shots after being bitten by a coyote at a rest stop along Interstate 95.
The animal had been hanging around the McDonald's restaurant at the rest stop and was being fed by employees, authorities said.
The bite victim, Maria Gicana, a nurse from Queens, said she was driving home from Cape Cod with her boyfriend Sunday night when they stopped at the rest area. She was walking toward the restaurant when the animal attacked her from behind, biting her on the back of her knee...........

a shout out to aaron jackson

Ex-NW Catholic Star Called Hero

Jackson Wounded In Shooting Of 5 Duquesne Basketball Players On Pittsburgh Campus
By MATT EAGAN Courant Staff Writer September 18 2006

A former All-State guard at Northwest Catholic was one of five Duquesne University basketball players shot on the school's Pittsburgh campus early Sunday.Aaron Jackson of Hartford, who was shot in the hand, was treated and released from Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, but three of his teammates remained hospitalized Sunday night, at least one in critical condition. "I don't think it's hit him yet," said John Mirabello, who coached Jackson for four years at Northwest Catholic and spoke with him by phone Sunday. "I don't think it will hit for a while."Mirabello said he heard about the shootings around noon Sunday and immediately called Duquesne coach Ron Everhart, who is entering his first season at the school."All I heard was five players shot and two in critical condition, it didn't say who," Mirabello said. "[Everhart] was great. He called me back and he said, `Aaron is a hero.'"According to information Mirabello gathered from conversations with Jackson and Everhart, Jackson covered one of his teammates while shots were still being fired. He then applied pressure - possibly turning a T-shirt into a makeshift tourniquet - to a teammate's wounds before leaving to get his car...............

someone else opened their eyes and FINALLY saw the light

there is NO denying da liebs would take us in the WRONG direction. no doubt in MY mind

Major State Union Switches To Lamont
AFSCME Council 4 Drops Lieberman, Citing Movement Toward Bush Policies
September 18, 2006 By MARK PAZNIOKAS, Courant Staff Writer

One of the state's largest labor unions has dropped its endorsement of U.S. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman and switched its support to Democratic primary winner Ned Lamont.The switch by Council 4 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees gives Lamont his biggest boost from organized labor since the primary.

Sal Luciano, the executive director of Council 4, announced the endorsement Sunday, saying that the union wants to see a congressional delegation able to stand up to the Bush administration."Since the Aug. 8 primary, we paid close attention to the remarks of both men," Luciano said. "We saw Joe Lieberman moving closer and closer to Bush, while Ned Lamont held firm in his strong opposition to the direction Bush is taking us.".........

mushrooms and a flower

guess whos car is parked in a handicapped spot at fairfield university?

this was taken from lamontblog

this says it ALL

Bloomberg to campaign for Lieberman

HARTFORD, Conn. --Republican New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will host a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman at the mayor's Upper East Side town house, Lieberman's campaign announced Sunday night.
Lieberman, who lost the Democratic primary to Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont, is running for re-election as an independent, a move that has alienated many Democrats.
Dan Gerstein, a spokesman for Lieberman's campaign, said the fundraiser will be held on Nov. 1 and will be co-chaired another Republican, New York Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, and former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch.
Bloomberg also will appear with Lieberman's wife, Hadassah, at an Oct. 25 fundraiser in Chicago and is hoping to do another appearance on Lieberman's behalf in Connecticut, Gerstein said.
"Sen. Lieberman is extremely grateful to Mayor Bloomberg for being so generous with his time," Gerstein said. "The mayor is renowned as a leader who puts people ahead of politics and gets things done for his constituents and his support and validation mean a lot to our campaign."
Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser said the mayor is looking forward to helping Lieberman.
"The mayor thinks the world of Sen. Lieberman, because he speaks his mind and does what he thinks is right," Loeser said............


of course da liebs is calling for 'unity' AND he went off on people who went off on those who opposed the war. he's just doing everything in his power to try to get more votes (well everyone running does that in all fairness). however, da liebs is punching below the belt on this one.

children

This is not a story about Matthew Costa and Justin Brady. This is a story dedicated to Justin and Matthew. I didn't know them. After reading about them, I would have liked to have known them, but now it is too late. They both died tragically in a boating accident on the Niger River in Mali. Matthew was from my home state Connecticut (and somehow his death has profoundly effected me) and Justin was from Oregon. Both young men were Peace Corps volunteers. It is evident to me both young men cared about the condition of the world and those inhabiting it. It is also evident to me if we had more Matthews and Justins we would certainly be living in a far far different and MUCH BETTER world.

So to Matthew and Justin I say thank you for your hearts and thank you for your service to the world.

What this story IS about is children. Children forced into doing such horrid things one cannot even imagine. Children forced to give up their education, their homes, their families and their lives. Children who cannot ever possibly recover from the nightmares that they have lived. CHILDREN OF WAR.

Did you know there are at least 43,000,000 children from at least 30 countries, who, because of war have been prevented from going to school? Did you know their schools have been either destroyed or commandeered and their teachers driven out OR killed? Did you know in 2003, more than half of armed conflicts had children under 15 as combatants? Did you know that in just ONE country alone, the "Democratic" Republic of the Congo, more than 5 million children between the ages of 6 and 11 are out of school and more than 6 million under the age of 17 have NEVER been to school?

War leaves 43 million children without education, study finds

Save the Children


Did you know that even when families are helped with money to assist with their children's schooling, that money sometimes doesn't get used for schooling? Oh, it's wasted on things like groceries and seeds to plant so the family can actually LIVE.

Cut Off, Gazan Economy Nears Collapse

Few here are using the United Nations grants for school. The Abu Reziqs are
carefully investing the rest of their relief money. More than $20 went straight
to the local grocer, Tamam said, as a down payment on the credit extended to the
family, which still owes more than $200. About $11 went to buy the ingredients,
including two chickens, for the couscous dish that Tamam and her daughter,
Fatma, 29, are making early this morning, kneading relief agency flour in big
aluminum bowls, pouring in relief agency oil, rubbing the flour over a screen to
get the right consistency.
The result will serve 15 people, Tamam said. “We
want to feed the people who helped us with the land,” she said, and some of
their neighbors, even worse off than they.

Did you know in Uganda (and I am imagining it as one of THE most evil places on earth) the people are willing to forgive and forget the perveyors of this evil in order to get on with their lives? Did you know children there are forced to not only pick up arms and fight against their own brothers and sisters and uncles and aunts and mothers and fathers BUT they are forced to "slice off lips and pound newborn babies to death in wooden mortars, as though they were grinding grain". Can you even fathom something like that? Did you know the leader of this mayhem, Joseph Kony has over 60 ABDUCTED child brides?

Uganda Peace Hinges on Amnesty for Brutality

"I would like you to give a message. Please do your best to tell the world what
is happening to us, the children. So that other children don't have to pass
through this violence."
The 15-year-old girl who ended an interview to
Amnesty International with this plea was forcibly abducted at night from her
home by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), an armed opposition movement fighting
the Ugandan Government. She was made to kill a boy who tried to escape. She saw
another boy being hacked to death for not raising the alarm when a friend ran
away. She was beaten when she dropped a water container and ran for cover under
gunfire. She received 35 days of military training and was sent to fight the
government army.
The use of children as soldiers has been universally
condemned as abhorrent and unacceptable. Yet over the last ten years hundreds of
thousands of children have fought and died in conflicts around the world.

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers

I could keep on linking article after article. There is no need. What there IS a need for is us putting an end to war. War here or war there. War that the United States is fighting or war in a country we have never heard of. Our children have to be protected and cherished NOT made to fear and fight. Our children should be the Matthews and Justins of the world. They did something. They cared. And as I said and as I know, thanks to Matthew and Justin the world is just a tiny bit better for their having lived in it.

pictures: terredeshommes.org, worldrevolution.org, un.org, child-soldier.org, bbc.co.uk

don't eat fresh bagged spinich

of course i had a salad yesterday at work that had fresh spinich in it.

Spinach tainted with E.coli sold in Conn.


(Washington-AP, Sept. 14, 2006 Updated 10:25 PM) _ An outbreak of E. coli in eight states has left at least one person dead and 50 others sick, federal health officials said Thursday in warning consumers nationwide not to eat bagged fresh spinach.
The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 others were made ill, said Dr. David Acheson of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The outbreak has sickened others -- eight of them seriously -- in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah.
In California, state health officials were investigating a possible case that could be linked to the outbreak and warned consumers not to eat the produce.
FDA officials do not know the source of the outbreak other than it appears to be linked to bagged fresh spinach. "We're advising people not to eat it," Acheson said. ..........

quite a gimmick these 'pastors' got goin' here

but hey, who am i to judge (you can't see me but i have a wicked smile on my lips)


Starving Jesus Hits Storrs
'Forty Days Of Nothing Tour' Inspires Christians

Gary Parkosewich
Posted: 9/12/06 J.R. Mahon has been chained to a pew for the past month without ever nibbling on a breadcrumb.The pastor of the Christian anti-pornography organization XXXChurch.com, who also brought National Porn Sunday to UConn last fall, stopped at St. Paul's Collegiate Church at Storrs on Sunday as part of the Starving Jesus Tour. The day marked the 36th of the 40-day trip touring 40 different cities nationwide.Mahon, along with fellow XXXChurch.com pastor Craig Gross, who was absent from the Storrs stopover, says they have been fasting throughout the entire ride. No food, except for a steady diet of juice and water.In the midst of this tour, Mahon has chained his ankle to a scratched-up wooden church pew, as a means to symbolize what he says is the lack of action the church takes in helping its community. The tour in Storrs also featured a short showing of Dave the Horn Guy, a recent contestant on the NBC show, "America's Got Talent."............

stop by the new britain museum of american art today september 11th

Graydon Parrish, The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001, 2001-2006, oil on canvas, 8 x 18’, Charles F. Smith Fund and the family of Scott O’Brien, a native of New Britain, who died in the attack.
and remember those lost

Art museum to host 9/11 exhibit
By: Scott Whipple , Special to Imprint Newspapers
NEW BRITAIN - New Britain native Scott O'Brien was in the World Trade Center Sept. 11, 2001. He was there to set up a computer software trade show exhibit on the 106th floor.
The last communica-tion from him was a telephone call to his wife, Kelly and his two children. He told them he was waiting to be rescued.On Sept. 9 and Sept. 11 the New Britain Museum of American Art will mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11 with events commemorating O'Brien and the attack on the World Trade Center.The museum has acquired an 8 x 18 foot oil painting on canvas, "The Cycle of Terror and Tragedy: September 11, 2001" now on view in the museum's new Chase Family Building. The painting by Graydon Parrish of Amherst, Mass. was funded by the museum and family of Scott O'Brien. The O'Brien family has been involved in the New Britain school system for years. Scott's father was a principal for 35 years; his mother, an elementary school teacher; his sister is a special ed teacher at New Britain High School; his twin brother teaches school in Hamden.Parrish will offer his personal comments about his work on Sept. 9 at 4 p.m. The painting took four years to complete. A reception follows his talk, which is free with museum admission.On Sept. 11, the museum will offer free admission to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can view the painting and reflect on the significance of the day. Normally the museum is closed Mondays...........

the new britain museum of american art

part of the title of the courant article is

marines don't cry

if they don't on the outside, i think they do on the inside


On The Ground With Charlie Company: Arlington National Cemetery Stoic In Devotion `Marines Don't Cry'
By JESSE HAMILTON Courant Staff Writer September 10 2006 ARLINGTON, Va. -- Marines don't smile.It's strength they want to show now, as they stand in this field of white marble markers. Strength for Cpl. Jordan Pierson. Strength for his family. Utterly unruffled.So they watch without expression as their friend's casket is prepared for the grave. They stand, their mirror-polished shoes on Arlington National Cemetery grass, the brass buttons on their dress blues shining, each face a solemn mask. The way they were taught."Marines don't smile," one of the Marines from Charlie Company had said that morning at the hotel.Not that there's any cause to smile here, in one of the country's most somber places, where markers bearing the names of the latest conflicts have filled new swaths of land in the five years since 9/11. The Marines stand behind a crowd from Connecticut and greet the rifle volleys with stoic faces. They don't flinch at the 24 notes of taps, which wrench a fresh round of sobs from Pierson's friends and family.Most of the Marines in the group volunteered to drive more than 300 miles for this hourlong ceremony. They didn't have to be here. But it was an easy choice. Of course they want to see this to the end. Pierson deserves it.So, these Marine reservists from the Plainville-based unit - most of them kept back from the company's deployment to Iraq for medical reasons - stand as symbols and reminders for Pierson's people. This is what Pierson was, their quiet presence shouts. He was part of something serious and had won a place in a fraternity that makes a try at transcending death.The Marines, who don't smile.But of course, they do............


connecticut's war dead

matthew costa

someone who volunteered for PEACE. i didn't know him, but i'll bet i would have liked him



Peace Corps Volunteer From Cheshire Dies In West Africa

CHESHIRE, Conn. -- A Cheshire man volunteering with the Peace Corps in West Africa has died after he was electrocuted in a boating accident there.
His funeral is scheduled to take place Sunday in Hartford.
Matthew Costa, 24, a 1999 graduate of Cheshire High School, was killed Sept. 3 while sailing on the Niger River in the nation of Mali, his family and Peace Corps officials said this week............

which do YOU like better?

Rumsfeld Handshake Proves Popular


With Defense Secretary Rumsfeld making “appeasement” the big buzzword of the month, the George Washington University’s National Security Archive notes that its single most-downloaded file is now the once-classified batch of documents, photos and video documenting Rumsfeld’s handshake and meeting with Saddam Hussein in December 1983. President Reagan had sent Rumsfeld to Baghdad to help restore diplomatic ties with Iraq and aid Baghdad in its fight against Iran

“Rumsfeld meeting Saddam has now far outpaced the previous winner, which was Elvis meeting Nixon,” says Thomas Blanton, director of the archive, which collects and posts significant declassified documents under the Freedom of Information Act............

(The National Security Archive
Saddam Hussein greets Rumsfeld in Baghdad, 1983)

i guess they didn't listen to their math teachers

who said math indeed would come into play later

1 + 1 = 2 NOT 1

U.S. count of Baghdad deaths excludes car bombs, mortar attacks

By Mark Brunswick and Zaineb Obeid McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. officials, seeking a way to measure the results of a program aimed at decreasing violence in Baghdad, aren't counting scores of dead killed in car bombings and mortar attacks as victims of the country's sectarian violence.
In a distinction previously undisclosed, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson said Friday that the United States is including in its tabulations of sectarian violence only deaths of individuals killed in drive-by shootings or by torture and execution.
That has allowed U.S. officials to boast that the number of deaths from sectarian violence in Baghdad declined by more than 52 percent in August over July.
But it eliminates from tabulation huge numbers of people whose deaths are certainly part of the ongoing conflict between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Not included, for example, are scores of people who died in a highly coordinated bombing that leveled an entire apartment building in eastern Baghdad, a stronghold of rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Johnson declined to provide an actual number for the U.S. tally of August deaths or for July, when the Baghdad city morgue counted a record 1,855 violent deaths.
Violent deaths for August, a morgue official told McClatchy Newspapers on Friday, totaled 1,526, a 17.7 percent decline from July and about the same as died violently in June. ...........

i wonder how much this senate report cost???

WE knew this all along. it was OBVIOUS. we the people have to speak out. OUST this administration, the king and his court. they are liars and profiteers who care NOTHING for the people of america. NOTHING.

Senate: Saddam saw al-Qaida as threat


By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 8, 7:48 PM ET
Saddam Hussein regarded al-Qaida as a threat rather than a possible ally, a Senate report says, contradicting assertions President Bush has used to build support for the war in Iraq.
Released Friday, the report discloses for the first time an October 2005 CIA assessment that before the war, Saddam's government "did not have a relationship, harbor or turn a blind eye toward" al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his associates.
Saddam told U.S. officials after his capture that he had not cooperated with Osama bin Laden even though he acknowledged that officials in his government had met with the al-Qaida leader, according to FBI summaries cited in the Senate report.
"Saddam only expressed negative sentiments about bin Laden," Tariq Aziz, the Iraqi leader's top aide, told the FBI.
The report also faults intelligence gathering in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion.
As recently as an Aug. 21 news conference, Bush said people should "imagine a world in which you had Saddam Hussein" with the capacity to make weapons of mass destruction and "who had relations with Zarqawi."
Democrats contended that the administration continues to use faulty intelligence, including assertions of a link between Saddam's government and the recently killed al-Zarqawi, to justify the war in Iraq.
They also said, in remarks attached to Friday's Senate Intelligence Committee document, that former CIA Director George Tenet had modified his position on the terrorist link at the request of administration policymakers..........

...............In June 2004, Bush defended Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that Saddam had "long-established ties" with al-Qaida. "Zarqawi is the best evidence of connection to al-Qaida affiliates and al-Qaida," the president said.
The report concludes that postwar findings do not support a 2002 intelligence report that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program, possessed biological weapons or had ever developed mobile facilities for producing biological warfare agents.
"The report is a devastating indictment of the Bush-Cheney administration's unrelenting, misleading and deceptive attempts to convince the American people that Saddam Hussein was linked with al-Qaida," said Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., a member of the committee. ............

douglas graveline

we're happy you are home mr gaveline!

East Hartford Marine Receives Purple Heart

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. -- A 21-year-old marine from East Hartford received a purple heart Thursday for his bravery.
Douglas Graveline was driving a tank in Fallujah on Dec. 20, when enemy forces bombed the vehicle.
He said he remembers nothing about the incident. He was knocked unconscious almost immediately and woke up in the hospital with serious injuries............................

and this previous post on the whole family........

a shout out to this family

japanalia eiko

has opened a store in back of the cvs on farmington avenue (actually it's on whitney street) in hartford. it's called japanalia on one

their grand opening was yesterday (i didn't attend) but i stopped by today early afternoon. WONDERFUL clothing, WONDERFUL bargains.

i got a denim swing jacket (i'm planning on sewing a knitted patch of some kind on the back. that will come MUCH later, the holidays are fast approaching and i have to concentrate on making things for others), a shirt AND the most wonderful cape-type thing. it is not something i can describe. it's made out of fleece (mine is deep green) and is just all slit up. i will take a picture of it soon. it's something i actually had in mind to make out of felt, but that would take forever (hand made felt of course) and cost a small fortune. the original price of the cape type object DID cost a small fortune BUT i got it marked down AND i got an additional discount for paying in cash (or check. just through tomorrow, saturday)

if you're in the hood, stop by and check them out. VERY unique clothing. very wicked cool woman working there as well

i can certainly attest to the traffic problems in hartford

due to the accident on i-84 yesterday (thursday) afternoon. i left work sometime between 2 and 2:30 and was driving west on farmington avenue. the traffic coming east on farmington avenue (diverted from the highway) was HORRENDOUS. there were all sorts of cops at intersections (sisson avenue was closed to traffic coming FROM farmington avenue, but open going ON to farmington avenue. nasty nasty nasty. tons of tractor trailers. what a MESS. i did stop at the half door for a beverage and a bowl of soup and watched all of the irate drivers on sisson.). the line of cars extended all the way from hartford into west hartford. i hear capitol avenue was no better off either. to those families and friends of the injured and killed, my thoughts go out to you. (there was also an accident on the berlin turnpike i believe)

Serious Accidents Snarl I-84, Route 15

The Hartford Courant September 7 2006, 7:06 PM EDT Police reported two major accidents Thursday afternoon - a fatal crash on Interstate 84 East in Hartford and a collision with a critical injury on Route 15 North in Berlin.Both highways were closed until the accidents were cleared.Investigators are still releasing very few details, but said a man was severely injured when he was hit by a tractor trailer around 2:15 p.m. on Route 15. Northbound traffic backed up quickly, and police advised motorists during the rush hour to take alternate routes.Traffic on Interstate 84 East in Hartford and surrounding streets was snarled for hours this afternoon after a multi-vehicle accident resulted in the closure of all lanes and claimed the life of one person, officials said.The accident was reported to authorities about noon on I-84 East between exits 46 and 48.Most of the traffic exited the highway onto Capitol, Farmington, Sisson avenues, and South Whitney Street, only to find that Hartford Police officers were controlling the traffic signals on those city streets, officials confirmed. Twelve Hartford traffic officers were directing traffic that backed up on the city streets............

what the HELL is up with this woman???

what the hell was she thinking? well i guess in this case, she wasn't thinking AT ALL

Mom Tangles With Cop At Manchester School
By JIM FARRELL The Hartford Courant September 6 2006, 3:23 PM EDT
MANCHESTER -- A police officer was injured when he tried to stop a mother who officers say refused to cooperate as she raced to drop her child off at school this morning.The woman stopped her vehicle briefly, but then rolled up her window on the policeman's arm and drove 80 feet as he ran alongside to avoid being dragged, according to a police report.Sol Marie Perez, 32, of 151 School St., faces charges including reckless endangerment, assault on a police officer, traveling too fast in a school zone and two counts of risk on injury to a minor.Her two children, ages 7 and 13, were in the car with her, according to police, who said Officer Bernie Hallums suffered bruises to his upper right bicep and abrasions to his right hand and wrist."It's unfortunate," said Troy Monroe, the principal at Illing Middle School, which on Wednesday put new traffic enforcement policies into effect because of severe congestion in the parking lot on Tuesday, which was the first day of classes. "The new policy prevents parents and guardians from entering the lot between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., with police instead directing drivers toward traffic cones designating a drop-off zone on East Middle Turnpike..........

my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Pfc. Nicholas A. Madaras

HARTFORD, Conn. --An Army private from Wilton was killed Sunday in Iraq when an explosive device blew up near his patrol, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
Pfc. Nicholas A. Madaras, 19, died in Baqubah when the bomb detonated near his patrol, which was dismounted, military officials said. He was the third member of the military from Connecticut to be killed in Iraq since Aug. 25.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered that U.S. and state flags remain at half staff to honor Madaras and Marine Lance Cpl. Philip A. Johnson, 19, of Enfield, who was also killed Sunday in Iraq.
Madaras was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Carson, Colo.
"This is a tremendously sad day for Connecticut," Rell said in a statement. "In fact, combined with our recent loss of Marine Cpl. Jordan Pierson, the past several days have been very sad ones for the people of our state."
Johnson was killed Sunday morning with one other Marine as his unit was traveling from Ramadi, family spokesman Ron Jackman said. Pierson, 21, of Milford, was killed Aug. 25. in Al Anbar province when he was shot during combat operations.
Pierson was to be buried Wednesday in Arlington National Cemetery.
Madaras' family declined to comment Tuesday. Funeral arrangements were pending...........

log cabin baby blanket (three stages so far)

i'm making for my boss and his wife. i'd best hurry, little noah was born this weekend.

i am mostly using kettle dyed malabrigo merino i got at sit-n-knit in west hartford center. the colors are wonderful and the yarn is fairly soft as well. the middle square is a lumpy bumpy mix of wool and silk. i do NOT recommend using this type of yarn for log cabin knitting. the stitches are very hard to pick up (so i'm not going to repeat it's use). i think i'm going to use some lovely noro i have to do some embroidery (chain stitch i think) where the yarns join. i think i'm also going to single crochet the noro around the completed blanket as a border.


update update update: FINISHED BLANKET

monday september 5th - shrooms and stumps

well it's tuesday now, but these were taken yesterday afternoon

just a caution if you use atm machines

(i actually use this one from time to time. not often, it's not my bank but the location is convenient to me. of course i'm only going to use atms in well lit areas with people around and ONLY during the day)

West Hartford Police Search For Robbers

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- West Hartford police are searching for two men they said tried to force people to withdraw money from an ATM at the Sovereign Bank.
They are looking for a white male, approximately 17-18 years old, about 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 6 inches tall who has short black spiked hair. He was wearing a red and white short-sleeved shirt and jeans. He had a bandana over his face. The other suspect was described as a 6-foot -ta ll black male in his early 20s with a muscular build. The suspect was described as having no facial hair, having a bald or shaven head, wearing a blank tank top, white belt, black jeans and a black winter hat on his head.
Police said they tried to force victims to withdraw money but no money was obtained

my thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Lance Cpl. Philip Alexander Johnson

Marine from Enfield killed in Iraq
September 4, 2006
ENFIELD, Conn. --A 19-year-old Marine from Enfield was killed in Iraq over the weekend, a family friend confirmed Monday night.
Lance Cpl. Philip Alexander Johnson died Sunday morning with one other Marine as his unit was traveling from Ramadi, family spokesman Ron Jackman said.
Ramadi, about 70 miles west of Baghdad, is considered one of Iraq's most dangerous cities and is patrolled by hundreds of Marines. The Marines are confined to bases during the day and return to the streets at night.
His parents, Louis and Kathy Johnson, were notified by the military Sunday night, Jackman said. Jackman said Johnson apparently was killed in a roadside attack.
A Pentagon spokesman said more information on the details of his death would be released Tuesday. The Department of Defense policy is to make details available 24 hours after the family has been notified.
Johnson is the second Marine from Connecticut to die in Iraq in just over a week. Cpl. Jordan Pierson, 21, of Milford, was killed Aug. 25. A memorial service for Pierson was held Monday. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
A 2005 graduate of Enfield High School, Johnson was fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a Marine, said those who knew him. He joined the Westover Young Marines when he was 11 and remained with the unit through high school.
"He started real early, which gave him a big heads up on everybody," Jackman said.................

senator dodd, i don't like bolton either

yet another choice by king george and his court, who is an embarrassment to the united states of america

Dodd Fights To Get Bolton Out Of U.N.

By DAVID LIGHTMAN Washington Bureau Chief September 4 2006 WASHINGTON -- John Bolton has been the public face and voice of the United States during the recent crises in the Middle East and Iran. Beginning this week, Sen. Christopher Dodd will renew his dogged campaign to get that face out of the picture.Bolton, the United States ambassador to the United Nations for the past year, has not been confirmed formally for the job by the U. S. Senate, and members will try again when they return from their summer recess today.But Dodd, who almost always goes along with administration nominees from either party, has been a fierce critic of Bolton for years, and does not plan to let up.He intends to address the Senate Democratic Caucus to make his case, make a speech to the full Senate and argue against approval by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it meets Thursday."My objection isn't that he's a bully," said Dodd, D-Conn., when Bolton appeared before the committee recently, "but that he's been an ineffective bully and can't win the day when it really counts."Mr. Bolton clearly has an aversion, in my view, to being diplomatic or to building consensus for U. S. positions," Dodd went on, "and that is deeply troubling to me."Dodd's view has strong support among Democrats and some interest groups. "I've never seen a more weird public figure than John Bolton. He is the complete ideologue," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs...........