for all connecticut teachers

and their students

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
URGENT MESSAGE FOR CT'S YOUNG WRITERS & THEIR TEACHERS
If this information could be shared with Connecticut teachers, it would be greatly appreciated.
DEADLINE FEBRUARY 1st! POSTMARK
The Connecticut State University System and IMPAC Control Systems Inc. present the annual Young Writers competition, for students ages 13-18 during the school year.Contestants are encouraged to submit any prose or poetry to IMPAC-CSUS Young Writers 2008. The young writers competition in Connecticut has given more than $150,000 to Connecticut's best young writers since 1998. About 4,000 young writers have participated in the program.Poets and writers in each of Connecticut's eight counties win $1,000 prizes annually, awarded during ceremonies at the four CSU System campuses. Public, private or home school teachers must sign the form and nominate the poets and writers. About a dozen finalists in prose and poetry from each county are invited to the regional ceremonies.
News Release At Governor Rell's Site
Link To Web Site With More Information:
Link To Entry Form:
Young Writer Melanie Lieberman, Rockville High, Talks With WTIC's Ray & DianeThank you very much!
via andy thibault at cool justice

is it just me?

shouldn't chris shays be MORE concerned with bringing our men and women home from afghanistan and iraq (at LEAST in ONE piece) and NOT so very worried about kazillionaires taking steroids? what the f**k is WRONG with that picture? our men and women are being severely wounded AND killed and our lawmakers are meeting over major league baseball (and now perhaps the effing rap industry). am i mad? YOU BET I'M MAD

hey chris shays WAKE THE HELL UP AND SAVE THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY NEED SAVING. at LEAST be concerned with RETURNING VETERANS WELFARE.

Risk Firing, Strike To Get Drugs Out, Shays Tells Selig
By DANIELLE SESSA And SCOTT SOSHNICK Bloomberg News
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig must rid the sport of steroids even if it leads to his firing or provokes a players' strike, a Connecticut member of the congressional committee holding hearings on the issue said.U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4th District, also said Congress will step in if widespread use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball continues.Shays is a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which next week will examine the findings from former Sen. George Mitchell's report on drugs in baseball that named more than 80 players, including seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens..........

both of THESE 'men' should be in a cage

for the rest of their lives. this is one of THE worst cases i have ever heard about.

Plainville animal cruelty
by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke
Plainville (WTNH) _ Two brothers are charged in a horrifying case of animal abuse. This comes after a pet pit bull bites a young boy's arm.
A very disturbing case in Plainville. Police say, a little boy was taken to the hospital after being bitten on the arm by his uncle's pit bull. But it didn't end there. Now, that boy's father is behind bars, while his uncle is facing charges. And, the dog has been put down.
No one is home at the Farmington Avenue house in Plainville where the brothers live. Severino Cruz, 32, and 27-year-old Enrique Cruz were both arrested. This comes after a horrific crime occurred Sunday afternoon. A three-year-old pit bull, kept in a cage in the basement, got loose and bit Severino's 8-year-old son Nick.
Police say the bite was no severe but enough for him to get checked out.
"The dog bit the son Nick," Captain Peter Costanzo of the Plainville Police Department said. "At which point, Enrique took Nick to the hospital for treatment."
When the father heard about the attack, he took matters into his own hands. "Severino came home at that point in time and in a fit of rage, took a power drill and drilled the dog's head several times," Costanzo said.
The dog, back in the cage at this time, had no way to get away.
"He held the dog by his collar with his chain and drilled the holes in the dog," Costanzo noted................

i had NO idea witch hazel was a connecticut commodity

my mother, when i was a girl, touted it's benefits. i've used it all of my life. as a matter of fact, for a couple of years i STOPPED using it. i had some peeling of my skin on the sides of my nose. no matter how much i sloughed that skin on a DAILY BASIS, it just kept on peeling. the ONLY thing that helped it (and i tried EVERYTHING including prescriptions) was WITCH HAZEL.

i don't have any stock in the company. i don't work for the company. i don't know anyone that works for the company (to the best of my knowledge that is). i am not affiliated with the company in ANY way. i'm telling you all right now, GO GET SOME WITCH HAZEL AND USE IT EVERY DAY

Thursday, January 10, 2008Empire of Witch Hazel It begins with good old boys in the woods and ends with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in East Hampton that supplies the world with this time-honored potion

By Daniel D'Ambrosio

On a crisp, cold afternoon in early December, Russ Galas fired up his Stihl chainsaw and revved the engine to full throttle, undercutting a tenuously leaning snag before dropping it expertly to the forest floor in the 24,000-acre Pachaug State Forest in eastern Connecticut, the state's largest forest.
It was the kind of maneuver that could result in a nasty gash to a body part, or worse, for a less experienced hand. But Galas, 45, has spent many hours in the woods with a chainsaw over the past eight years, cutting witch hazel for his friend Mike Dzurnak.
Dzurnak, 52, whose father and grandfather both cut witch hazel in these woods before him, is one of about eight "brush cutters" in the state who harvest Connecticut's near-monopoly on the worldwide supply of this plant, prized for its qualities as a natural astringent. This year, Dzurnak will supply some 300 tons of chipped witch hazel to American Distilling & Mfg. Inc. in nearby East Hampton, cutting from November to March...........

dickinson's witch hazel

flower picture: bbc.co.uk

important request

the west hartford police (officers association) are collecting donations (of personal items) and notes for two of their own. one will be deployed to iraq (officer samuel ferrucci ) and one is in afghanistan (lieutenant daniel coppinger)

so, if you live in town, why not drop a few items off? i have adopted a few soldiers over the past few years from soldier's angels. i know how much care packages mean to someone who is deployed.
you can bring non-perishable food items (NO pork products though - beef jerky is good, powdered drink mixes, candy, etc). toiletries (deodorants, baby wipes, hand cream, etc. please put them in a ziplock bag though - just in case.......). magazines and books and puzzle, sudoku books are good. dvds and cds.how about playing cards, cribbage boards....
if you need more ideas, go to the soldier's angels website. they have a BUNCH of good ideas for care packages.

from the west hartford news:
West Hartford Police Officers Association putting together care packages

The West Hartford Police Officers Association is currently putting care packages together which will be sent to department members Officer Samuel Ferrucci and Lieutenant Daniel Coppinger who are currently serving our country overseas.Ofc. Ferrucci is being deployed to Iraq where he will be training Iraqi Citizens to be police officers and Lt. Coppinger is currently stationed in Afghanistan. The West Hartford Police Officers Association is donating the care packages of various personal items to be used by the soldiers in Lieutenant Coppinger's and Officer Ferrucci's units.Any citizen who would like to include a note of thanks for our soldiers/ West Hartford Police Officers or donate personal items is asked to send or drop them off at
the West Hartford Police Officers Association,
103 Raymond Rd.,
West Hartford, CT 0610.
Please have any notes or donations in by Jan. 15. The packages will be sent out after this date.

a few words from ned

on the presidential race. i like obama. i like edwards as well. who i REALLY want for president of course already WAS elected president. however, he decided not to run (i hope just for THIS time), al gore.

Why I'm Supporting Barack Obama

by Ned Lamont

When I decided to run for Senate, I did so because I deeply believed that the citizens of Connecticut were yearning to see fundamental changes in our politics - changes that would make government work for them again.

Today, with our Presidential primary in Connecticut less than a month away, I am announcing my support of Barack Obama for President because I am convinced that his forward-looking, progressive vision provides the best chance to enact meaningful reforms in the way Washington works.

Sen. Obama has the tone and temperament to bring out the best in our people and our nation, and to bring new coalitions together in support of the progressive policies we all want to see enacted. His campaign has already reflected this, not only by bringing hundreds of thousands of new voters of all ages to the polls, but by inspiring so many who are new to politics to become activists as well.........

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i don't get it#links#links

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i don't get it#links#links

uh oh shawn

who KNEW bar bingo (for NO monetary gain i might add) wasn't a go? (i really didn't. i KNEW you couldn't do it for money or real prizes. but shoot for a DRINK?). sometimes, i guess publicity is a BAD thing (see my posting of a day or two ago). sorry this happened. it's a great little bar: the half door. it's a great place to meet friends after work and talk. it's got a damn fine menu (shout out to matt, ty, big maria, andy, tim, little maria). so even though they took bar bingo away, you should STILL give it a try.
(also a shout out to cormac - who forwarded me the article. and where IS cormac you ask? cormac is in IRELAND. and yes, he read the article)

State Forces Half Door To End Its Bingo Nights
By JESSE LEAVENWORTH Courant Staff Writer
Bingo nights at a Hartford tavern have been scratched after state officials informed the owner he was breaking the law.A representative of the state Division of Special Revenue visited the Half Door Monday afternoon after being alerted to an article that day in The Courant, division spokesman Paul Bernstein said Tuesday. The story focused on popular bingo nights at the Sisson Avenue pub, formerly the Cool Moose.Half Door owner Shawn Skehan said he was not aware of a state law that bans for-profit businesses from running bingo games. Skehan said he immediately agreed to discontinue the games...........

please watch out for your pets

this happened in griswold, but it could happen ANYWHERE (including west hartford - where i personally HAVE SEEN a coyote)

wtnh.com/global/story.asp?s=7596872
by News Channel 8's Bob Wilson
Griswold (WTNH) _ A beloved pet's run-in with a coyote has changed one family forever. The attack came right in front of the dog's owner.
It's being called a miracle tonight. Lilly, an 8-year-old Maltese, was snapped up by a coyote in the woods behind her home. But her owners got her back and it looks like she will survive the attack.
"I've never really seen a dog with that many puncture wounds from a coyote attack before. She is one of the worst I've seen," Dr. Trisha Ross said.
Lilly's body is bandaged from head to tail, covered with more than 50 puncture wounds, some of the worst ones were around the neck. The attack happened in the back yard late Saturday night.
Sharon Hill says her husband had just taken Lilly out when he heard yelping. He grabbed a flashlight and ran after her. She was being dragged into the woods of Griswold by a coyote.
"She was actually being dragged into the woods, and my husband grabbed her and ran her inside. We called to see where we could bring her," Hill said.......

my left nutmeg

has a great posting on one of my favs. da steamin' pile we know as da liebs.

Congressman Murphy on Joe Lieberman: "I'm disappointed"


by: ctblogger
Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 17:17:42 PM EST
partial crosspost from HatCityBLOG

Back from campaigning for Chris Dodd in Iowa, Congressman Chris Murphy made an appearance on WFSB's "Face the State" and offered his views on our junior senator's endorsement of John McCain.
HOUSE: When Joe Lieberman was elected to the senate last year in 2006 he said he was going to work hard to get a Democrat back into the White House, yet he has endorsed Republican John McCain. How do you feel about that.
MURPHY: I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed.
I find it hard to believe that another four years of a Republican administration, whether it's George Bush or John McCain is the right thing for this country. I can't understand how a stay the course policy in Iraq, which John McCain espouses, is going to make this country any safer or make this country any stronger.
We all understood when Senator Lieberman got re-elected that he was going to be a different voice than he was previously, but a lot of us that think this country has to take a different direction were disappointed with his choice.
HOUSE: Should he leave the party or has he already left you think?
MURPHY: Well I think it's hard to justify that Senator Lieberman is a member of the Democratic Party any longer. ...............

a nice article in yesterday's courant

on the half door

well, their Bar Beer B-i-n-g-o
Twice-Weekly Games At Hartford Pub Draw Young Players

in particular!
(i'm never there on monday or thursday nights. it's far too late for me. i keep odd hours. while the half door is my home away from home, i've never played their bar bingo.)

By MAGDALENE PEREZ Courant Staff Writer
Bingo. The word calls to mind glitzy casinos and folks with snowy-white hairdos gathered in a church basement.At the Half Door in Hartford, it's a different scene. Every Monday and Thursday nights, patrons in their early 20s and 30s flock to this Irish pub to drink, socialize and mark those bingo cards.It's not all about winning. There's no cover charge, and the biggest prize for stringing five numbers in a row is two free drinks. Instead, it's the carefree atmosphere that keeps the clientele coming back for more. Regulars know the bartenders by first name and laugh at the bingo-caller's bad jokes. Groups of friends huddle over the numbered slips of paper in booths with worn, wooden tabletops. And when somebody yells "Bingo!" the ones who haven't won toss their cards in the air in a flurry of good-hearted catcalls and "boos."........

struffoli

i don't know if you've ever had it or not, but it is one of my all time favorites. i've made it from time to time as well. it's sticky and messy to make. a royal pain in the buttocks. it's ALL worth it though

White House enjoys city bakery's 'struff'

TONY SPINELLI tspinelli@ctpost.com

BRIDGEPORT — You know the Christmas cookies are good when there are no leftovers.
That's the case for Anita Bevaqua McBride, the Bridgeport native and chief of staff for first lady Laura Bush, who recently requested a tray of Italian Christmas cookies from Bridgeport to make her holidays a little more like home.
While she was growing up, McBridge attended Holy Rosary Catholic Church here. Her friend, the Rev. Matthew Mauriello, the pastor of Holy Rosary, brought McBride a three-pound tray of struffoli from DelPrete Bakery here, fulfilling McBride's Christmas wish.
The little fried balls of egg dough dipped in honey and coated with candy sprinkles were a holiday treat at the White House.
"I shared them with the staff. They were a hit and went fast. There weren't any left for the president and Mrs. Bush," McBride said.
Mauriello visited Washington Dec. 19 to see the White House decorations for the recent holidays and brought McBride the struffolis at her request.
"They even went through the metal detector machines, of course," Mauriello said.
He got them at Del Prete, an Italian bakery on Main Street in the Bull's Head section of the city.
"It's a Christmas specialty item," said Lou Mezzo, the bakery's owner.......

(my FAVORITE in the whole wide world you ask. easy. it was my noni's cenci. EVERY country has the same recipe. they just call them different names. my non's were THE best though. THE ABSOLUTE BEST)

picture: www.piudolci.it/.../05651.jpg (struffoli)

picture: globalcookies.blogspot.com (cenci)

please stop by andy thibault's

cool justice report to see what's going on with the infamous 'douche bag case'. well his foi portion of it.

i highly recommend his blog in general by the way. not only does he report on justice mainly in our state (OR lack thereof) but he has many postings about the arts, literary in particular

Douche Bag FOI Hearing Runs Two-Plus Hours
Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission HearingJan. 4, 200818-20 Trinity St.Hartford, CT 860-566-5682 Complaint by Andy Thibault Against Paula Schwartz, Superintendent of Schools,Regional School District #10Editor's Note: Today's hearing opened shortly after 11:30 a.m. and concluded about 2 p.m. The hearing was taped by CT-N, the Connecticut Network. The network posts its schedule at http://www.ctn.state.ct.us/ and generally broadcasts such hearings a few days later.
Connecticut Network, CT-NThe hearing officer's decision generally follows several weeks later. However, both parties have until Jan. 17 to file briefs summarizing the case and making final arguments.The hearing officer's decision will be voted on during a regular meeting of the Freedom of Information Commission.In a significant development, counsel for the Region 10 Board of Education, Atty. Christine Chinni, agreed to produce unredacted billing records from her firm for an in-camera or confidential review by the FOI Commission. This followed requests during the hearing and in prior correspondence.Outstanding issues include the question of whether the Region 10 Board of Education is using an insurance company as a front or beard to hide public records. Other issues include claims that Superintendent Schwartz failed to produce records including ballots in a timely manner as required by the FOI law. A sample write-in ballot for Avery Doninger, Secretary Elect of the Lewis Mills High School Class of 2008, was entered into the record.Prior correspondence on file at the Freedom of Information Commission -- including a request for a subpoena of Chinni -- was not allowed into the hearing record.Chinni had written to the FOI Commission on Dec. 7, 2007: "While I will be representing the respondent, Paula Schwartz, Superintendent of Regional School District No. 10, in these proceedings, my partner, Craig Meuser, will present my sworn testimony on these matters."Chinni refused to testify today. No explanation was given.Most, but not all of my following remarks were allowed into the record. I also inserted a statement a couple of times as follows: The FOI law demands that the respondents produce originals of documents in a timely manner.-- Andy Thibault.................
(more at the link above)

vodka is my drink of choice

so if you EVER need a tester mr kozub, i'm your babe (really). my friends at the the half door (well eddie in particular and shawn as well) set up a test for me a couple of years ago. i went outside and they poured i believe it was 4 or 5 little sips of vodka. i was only to tell the high end from the well. i not only did that, but i named each brand (that part most likely was luck but one never knows). my drink of choice is stoli o, and stoli in general (their elit is over the top i tell ya!). i like level, ketel one and skye is passable. i dislike with a PASSION grey goose. it tastes like mold to me. i don't know how people can drink it. it's horrid

Vodka Maker Gets His Big Shot
By ERIC GERSHON Courant Staff Writer
Paul Kozub hadn't come to the Sidewalk Cafe looking for Julie and Doreen, two Hartford schoolteachers sipping martinis on a Thursday afternoon.But they were just the sort of people he likes to meet: vodka drinkers.And once they learned who he was, the sense of good fortune was mutual. "You hit the right people," Julie Morrin told Kozub upon his offer to pour them a taste of the high-end vodka he developed in his basement in Hadley, Mass., and produces in Poland, land of his forebears."We are big vodka people," Doreen Clapis chimed in.Kozub was off and running. The 33-year-old aspiring vodka magnate had left his job as a commercial banker two years ago. Since then, he had been selling his spirits one bar and one package store at a time, building a customer base 500 strong in Massachusetts...............

pettibone tavern

UPDATE: FROM SEPTEMBER 11, 2008 SEE THIS POSTING: i've been getting a lot of hits lately..........

was damaged by a sprinkler system. it went off because of a small fire - but the sprinklers kept raining for a long time before being shut off.

it's an historic location. it's wonderful AND haunted (by abigail pettibone). years ago (before it was this incarnation of pettibone and before it was the other place, i think the chart house) when it was pettibone, i used to go there at night sometimes. it was not locked. i had friends who lived across the street. we went to explore. we never took anything or caused any damage. you could feel the stories the house held. perhaps i saw abigail as well......... i do hope they get it back to 'normal' soon

Pettibone's Tavern Damaged
Small Fire Extinguished By Sprinkler System That Runs For Hours

By LORETTA WALDMAN Courant Staff Writer

SIMSBURY — - A smoldering cigarette is being blamed for a trash can fire early Friday that left historic Pettibone's Tavern inundated with water from its sprinkler system.The flames near a second-floor bar were extinguished within minutes, fire officials said. But because no one heard the building alarm and the sprinkler system was not being monitored, the water rained down for hours — causing extensive damage to the 200-year-old wood-frame building."The fire sprinkler really did do its job," said Patrick Tourville, Simsbury's deputy fire marshal. "Unfortunately, due to the fact no alarm company was monitoring the system, the water continued until someone came in the morning.".......

a recipe i created yesterday

because i had a fennel bulb AND sweet potatoes that HAD to be used as soon as possible

Sweet Potato and Fennel (vegan)

3 Large Sweet Potatoes
1 Fennel Bulb
1 (or 2) Granny Smith Apples (or the apple of your choice)
Onion (I like onion so I used lots)
Soy Sauce (1 or 2 T)
Cornstarch (1 T)
Hoisin Sauce (1 T)
Cumin (1/2 t or to your taste)
Cayenne Pepper (1/2 t or to your taste)
Maple Syrup (1 T or to your taste)
Stevia (1 packet)


Mix the Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Cumin, Cayenne, Maple Syrup and Stevia with approximately ½ to ¾ cup of cold water. Stir in the cornstarch

Peel Sweet Potatoes, onion and Apple (you can leave the peel on the apple if you’d like) and clean and wash and trim the fennel bulb. I used a slicer to slice them all fine. If you don’t have one, slice by hand. You can either layer the ingredients in a shallow baking pan (which has either been sprayed with non-stick oil or greased with a little oil) or mix the ingredients and dump them into the baking pan which is what I did since it’s way easier. Pour over ½ of the liquid mixture (stir to make sure the cornstarch is blended) cover and bake at 400 degrees for ½ hour. Turn the heat to 350, uncover, pour the rest of the liquid over the vegetables and bake another ½ hour or until the sweet potatoes are done/tender

(I served mine with a dollop of vegan sour crème)

please DO keep fighting chris

i like MOST of what you do and have done (i think impeachment SHOULD be on the table and i think you SHOULD support that. i also think you SHOULD be doing more to bring our men and women home from the middle east). but i do admire you. i do like you. i do thank you

Sen. Dodd Drops Presidential Bid

By BETH FOUHY The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut abandoned his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Thursday after a poor showing in Iowa's precinct caucuses.
"Tonight I am withdrawing from the presidential race but let me assure you, we are not ending this race with our heads hanging but with our heads held high," Dodd told about 100 supporters here.
"I am not going anywhere," he added, to loud cheers. "I will be fighting for the United States."
Some of Dodd's supporters wiped away tears as he spoke. ............

john durham; crimebuster

i don't know too awfully much about mr durham. the little i did hear was rather positive. i wish mr durham very much luck in his new investigation. i want to believe something will come of this. something MUST come of this. i know what happened when our king promised he would make whoever was responsible for OUTING A COVERT CIA AGENT, pay. they 'convicted' a lesser peon but the king let him walk anyway.

i WANT to believe people who commit crimes against humanity (i.e. king george and the big dick et al) AND those who ignore the geneva convention will be properly punished. i have my fingers crossed here.

much luck to you mr durham.

Leader Chosen In CIA Probe
Attorney General Names Prosecutor From Connecticut
By EDMUND H. MAHONY And LYNNE TUOHY Courant Staff Writers

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday named John Durham, a veteran mob-buster and public corruption prosecutor from New Haven, to lead a politically charged investigation into the destruction of CIA videotapes documenting the interrogation of al-Qaida terror suspects.Longtime colleagues of Durham, who recently concluded another bruising, special investigation of FBI corruption in Boston, said the appointment by Attorney General Michael Mukasey signals a willingness by Justice to conduct an unbiased probe into the destruction of the tapes. "He is ethical and has an incredible work ethic, and if anyone can get to the bottom on these facts, it is him," said Michael Clark, a retired FBI supervisor who worked closely with Durham on high-profile political corruption cases in Connecticut. "He will take the politics out of it and get to the bottom of it."Durham's appointment comes just weeks after the White House named Connecticut U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor associate U.S. attorney general, the third-ranking post at Justice. O'Connor, who is awaiting confirmation, said he had high praise for Durham during discussions of his possible appointment in the CIA case.......

a dios

LA PALOMA SABANERA

it closes tomorrow. i didn't know about that until i read this story. i SHOULD have seen it coming.

my office was just down the street from la paloma. however, we moved from hartford to windsor and i've not been in the old hood in a bit.

if you can, why don't you stop and say goodbye (AND more importantly THANK YOU)

A Place For Everyone
La Paloma Sabanera Will Be Missed

By SUSAN CAMPBELL Courant Staff Writer

La Paloma Sabanera, which closes Friday, was a lot of things, but it was never your regular coffeehouse/bookstore.It wasn't that the staff — led by affable co-owner Luis Edgardo Cotto — knew your favorite coffee. Nor was it the public art that decorated the walls inside and out, or the jazz concerts, movie nights, poetry readings and open mikes.La Paloma — ironically, named for an endangered pigeon found in Puerto Rico — was one of the few places in Hartford — maybe in all of Connecticut — where the clientele was mixed. Opened in mid-2004 by the Cottos — Luis and his sisters, Carmen, Cinthia, Leticia and Melanie — the small shop was home to neighborhood children doing homework in the lending library upstairs, city activists intent on changing the status quo, city politicos intent on preserving it, and a rabble of others who found the Yauco Selecto coffee strong, the music bracing and the company challenging.....

picture: LA PALOMA SABANERA owner Luis Cotto (center, in T-shirt), says goodbye to, from left, Glenn Geathers, state Rep. Kevin Roldan and Jose Rodriguez. (SHANA SURECK / December 24, 2007)

merry christmas

i collect ornaments. i love ornaments. here are some of them. lots are blown glass and wonderfully tacky - take for example the christmas mermaid (you can't see her tail from the angle but she's the pink and green one)! i had a blue space man that was my favorite but he's not on the tree this year (my sister decorated and i didn't feel like going to find him). the one with the carrot and moon also has the little bell in the picture. that bell ornament is as old as i am. it's beat up but it's special. my grinch (glass) and my ostrich and my purple moon pictures didn't come out. perhaps next year.

anyway, please have a merry christmas, joyous holiday season and safe and prosperous upcoming new year

it's the headline alone

that got to me. who needs to read the rest of the article?
(it's actually a GOOD story)
Nuns leave their brains to science

By Stephanie Reitz
WILTON, Conn.—When Sister Kathleen Treanor's soul ascends to heaven, her brain will go to a less ethereal realm: a medical lab in Kentucky. Two decades ago, Sister Treanor and 677 other members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame granted a young researcher's request to test them each year in order to track the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other age-related brain disorders.
more stories like this
The 61 surviving nuns recently completed their last round of intellectual and physical tests for the Nun Study, one of the world's most comprehensive neurological research projects.
One final sacrifice remains: When they die, their brains will be taken for further study, joining a collection of hundreds of other brains donated by the the nuns who died before them.
Sister Treanor, a 93-year-old former school principal who is one of the last of the volunteers at a Wilton convent, looks at her participation as service, not sacrifice...........

i had surgery a few years back

it was a five hour procedure (give or take) and it was on (well in) my neck. my surgeon said i would be in the hospital overnight. he wanted me there to monitor me. my insurer said NO, i wasn't to stay overnight. THEY reviewed my case and THEY decided i DID NOT have to stay overnight. so my surgeon said he wanted me there, THEY said no. my surgeon DID come up with a plan to keep me overnight (he'd just leave me in 'recovery' overnight) so all was well (my surgery was at 6 am and i ended up leaving the same night at about 7 pm. MY decision and i cleared it with my doc and he thought it was fine as long as someone was with me for that night and the next day). i cannot imagine needing a liver and being told NO. it's one thing to be booted out of the hospital for one night, another thing to be denied an ORGAN
Teen Dies; CIGNA Blamed
Refusal To Fund Transplant Debated
By MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES - — The case of a Los Angeles teenager taken off life support just as her insurance company reversed itself and agreed to pay for a liver transplant is highlighting tensions among physicians, patients and insurers over the definition of "experimental" procedures.Nataline Sarkisyan's family blames their insurance company, Bloomfield, Conn.-based CIGNA HealthCare, for the teenager's death Thursday. A leukemia patient, Nataline, 17, had been in intensive care at UCLA Medical Center about three weeks after complications set in following a successful bone marrow transplant Nov. 21, relatives said. She was covered under the policy of her mother, a real estate agent.Doctors treating Nataline told the family and CIGNA in a letter that patients in similar situations have a 65 percent chance of living six months if they receive a liver transplant.................

(i didn't name the insurer who denied me an overnight stay because i have forgotten who my carrier was that year. i'm just not sure, otherwise i WOULD have named them. i DO work in the insurance/financial industry but my company does NOT do medical)

what the hell is going on at ccsu?

first a 'satirical' piece on rape being fun (especially if you're ugly), then a 'cartoon' featuring a 14 year old grrrl LOCKED IN A CLOSET and urinated on (well they talked about urinating on her) and now this? is everyone going to say this is a harmless joke too, just like the other two 'jokes'?
Black Stick Figure Draws CCSU Campus Fury
While students at Central Connecticut State University headed home for winter break, campus police hoped they could catch a break and find the person or persons responsible for a hate crime.
It was in a bathroom at Barrows Hall where someone found a drawing clearly depicting a black stick figure being hanged. There is no tolerance at CCSU for such a blatant act of racism.
"I don't believe in it myself but we have 10,000 students here. There would have to be some of which are racist,"Rob Lamere, CCSU junior, said...........

now THIS is wicked cool

check out the video at the link. it makes sense, looks like it is much less of a burden than regular shoveling.

Snow removal is just wovel-ly

ROB VARNON rvarnon@ctpost.com

BRIDGEPORT — A crew of utility workers took a break from replacing a street light Friday to gawk as Greenwich resident Hank Pohl cleared some sidewalks of snow with his Wovel.
Pohl wasn't on some sort of court-ordered clean up. He's the vice president of marketing and one of the owners of New Canaan-based Structured Solutions II, the maker of the Wovel (wheeled shovel). The Wovel does warrant a double take. It looks like some sort of antique iron snow shovel attached to a wheel. Some have compared it to antique bicycles, but it also looks like the wheels on old sewing machines. Despite the look the Wovel is pretty light; the wheel is made of space-age plastic and rubber and the handle is steel. It weighs about 26 pounds. "Am I going ............

picture: Vice President of Structured Solutions II, and maker of the Wovel, "the snow shovel on a wheel," Hank Pohl, demonstrates how the invention works in Bridgeport on Friday as he puts on the wheel. (Whitney Kidder-Alvarez/Connecticut Post)

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: we have two senators in connecticut

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: we have two senators in connecticut

da liebs

lyin' weasel? well we'll just have to wait until later this morning

Lieberman's New Kiss of Death


Sun Dec 16, 7:05 PM ET
The Nation -- Senator Joe Lieberman will finally come clean on Monday, unleashing his inner-Republican to endorse the struggling campaign of Senator John McCain, according to several news reports. It is a bittersweet alliance for both men. Lieberman's move confirms his critics' longtime argument that he is a "Democrat in Name Only," while McCain looks desperate by leaning on backers beyond the G.O.P. base in the homestretch of a partisan primary. ..........

During his 2006 reelection campaign, Lieberman emphasized that he would support Democratic candidates in 2008. "I want Democrats to be back in the majority in Washington and elect a Democratic president in 2008," he said during a televised debate in July. Lieberman promptly backtracked after his reelection, announcing this January that he was "open" to supporting a Republican or Democrat for president, depending "on a whole range of issues." By not even waiting to see who the Democrats nominate, now Lieberman is revealing that the issues aren't important to him, either.

thank you for serving Sgt. Brian Johnston

and thank you

homes for our troops

Soldier gets a home for the holidays
by News Channel 8's Crystal Haynes
Coventry (WTNH) _ A Connecticut soldier got the keys to his dream house today and it's all due to the kindness of strangers and one non-profit group.
Last summer this construction project was barely house for wounded Marine Sgt. Brian Johnston.
Today, it's not only a house, built by hundreds of homes for our troops volunteers; it's a home just in time for the holidays.
"I knew it was going to be a surprise. I just didn't know what I was going to be surprised with," said veteran Sgt. Johnston.
To help him move in, his mother Vera Herron-Morrey flew in from Utah, a surprise courtesy of volunteers Sharon and Pete Robbins.
"I just cried. I don't get to see him very often and I'm just so proud of him," said Herron-Morrey..........

snow

shout out to todd m. myers

west hartford cop, simsbury volunteer firefighter AND HERO

as i've mentioned before, i have a friend who was in the horrific avon mountain accident. mark was injured so badly, he was lifestar-ed out. he's writing a book (i was privileged enough to be allowed to read the first four AMAZING chapters) about it. oh, and he's NOT writing it for profit (for himself that is). a shout out to mark as well! mark told me a few things about officer myers that were never mentioned in any of the articles written about him. let's just say he MORE than deserves this national honor. congratulations to you officer myers

President Bush Honors West Hartford Officer
Man Risked Life At Crash Scene
By FULVIO CATIVO Courant Staff Writer

President Bush honored West Hartford police officer and Simsbury resident Todd M. Myers Wednesday for risking his life to rescue victims of the horrific July 2005 crash at the foot of Avon Mountain.At an Oval Office ceremony Wednesday, Bush described as "heroic" the efforts of Myers and the four other recipients of the 2005-06 Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. The four other honorees — two firefighters, a police officer and a highway patrolman — hail from Virginia and California."They will tell you they were just doing their job; I'm telling you they did their job with extraordinary courage," Bush said. "And so it's been an honor to award them this precious medal. And I want to thank you all very much for joining us. Proud to call you fellow citizens."..........

picture: President Bush and U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey pose for photos with recipients of the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007, in the Oval Office. From left are: Officer Kevin Howland of Sacramento; Officer Todd Myers of West Hartford, Conn.; Attorney General Mukasey; President Bush, Sgt. Kirk Van Orsdel of Hemet, Calif., and David Loving, a firefighter from Richmond, Va.

if you're in the new haven area tomorrow

from: justin goodman
Foxes in the Henhouse: Animals, Agribusiness, and the Law
Thursday, December 13, 6:10 PM , Room 122, Yale Law School , 127 Wall St .
Free and open to all. Refreshments will be served.
David Wolfson will present a lecture on the state of legal protection for farmed animals in the United States . Most state anti-cruelty laws exempt "customary farming practices." Wolfson will examine how these exemptions made it into the statutes and the dampening effect they have on courts' ability to hear even cases of egregious animal cruelty.
Wolfson is a partner in the Global Corporate Group at Milbank, Tweed , Hadley & McCloy LLP. He teaches animal law at Columbia Law School and NYU Law School , where he is currently an adjunct professor. He has represented several animal protection organizations—including the Humane Society of the United States , Farm Sanctuary, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund—and has written extensively in the area. Recent works include a chapter in Animal Rights (edited by Martha Nussbaum and Cass Sunstein) and a forthcoming article in Law and Contemporary Problems.

CONNECTICUT FOR ANIMALS
connecticut for animals

www.uchckillsmonkeys.com

some incredibly disturbing news

from the brass file by john murry (who did a great reporting job on this)
(via andy thibault the cool justice report who has written many great articles on this)

(to the smolinskis, i am constantly keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, i am speechless. i am greatly disturbed about this. i am in disbelief about this. i am wondering what sort of attorney took her case? i am wondering how these people sleep at night. i had better stop now )
December 2007 - A Punch In The Face
In A Bizarre Twist, Billy Smolinski's ex-girlfriend, Madeleine Gleason, sues the Smolinski family, and The Waterbury ObserverColumn By John Murray
How much abuse can Janice and Bill Smolinski take?The Waterbury Police Department failed them, the political process is messing with their heads, and now they find themselves trapped in a lawsuit filed by their son’s ex-girlfriend that amounts to legalized extortion. This extraordinary story began three years ago when Janice and Bill’s 31-year-old son disappeared in Waterbury. The Smolinskis were unable to get local authorities to treat the situation seriously, and their own efforts to find Billy have been thwarted by sloppy police work, bungled science, and a national missing person network with holes large enough for a herd of elephants to stampede through.Everywhere they turned for help they crashed into a wall of incompetence. Their faith in the system is shattered.“ Everything that could go wrong in this case has gone wrong,” Janice Smolinski said. “Everything.”..........

hey st. francis, 'prompt and fair'

would have been to actually DO SOMETHING (other than slap his wrist) YEARS ago when you were FIRST AWARE of the inner workings of reardon. you (st. francis) are personally VERY LUCKY i was not a victim of reardon's at the hospital. if i was, i would do everything in my power to make you pay

(i wouldn't have been angry at the hospital if they didn't know. really, i wouldn't have. but after the complaints started coming in, ALL they did was dismiss him. they also DISCOURAGED a further investigation into reardon by the authorities)

St. Francis Places Ad Regarding Child Pornography Case
St. Francis Hospital placed a full-page ad in a newspaper offering a phone number for victims in a West Hartford child pornography case.
A few weeks ago, more than 50,000 images of child pornography were found in a prominent doctor’s former home.................
.................In the ad, St. Francis said they have created a dedicated, confidential phone number for individuals and families who felt like they were victims of Reardon’s behavior. That number is 877-288-5774.
They also said in the ad, “We will be exploring alternatives to resolving this matter in a way that will be prompt and fair to all parties and consistent with our mission of providing superior care that is always above ethical reproach.” ..........

my other postings on reardon/st. francis
more on the monster
i lived rather close to griswold drive

to the families and friends of

Zachoriah Williams and Michael Zebrowski i am very sorry for your loss. what a tragic loss of two lives.

EH National Guardsman died trying to help fellow serviceman on highway
By:Jenna N. Carlesso, Journal Inquirer
Two servicemen, one from East Hartford, were killed Sunday during the ice storm in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 84 in Hartford after one got out of his car to help the other.
Zachoriah Williams, 21, of East Hartford, a National Guardsman, lost his life after he pulled over to help the other motorist, a young serviceman like himself who would die with him. ......

if anyone has seen this 8 week old pup

please call Puppy Patch 860-417-6018 or 203-768-2481.

Puppy Stolen From Watertown Store

ice

because the world does NOT need another

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

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

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

By RINKER BUCK Courant Staff Writer

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

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

more on the monster

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

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

a shout out to the builders association of eastern connecticut

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

my thoughts and prayers go out to

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

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

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

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

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

i lived rather close to griswold drive

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

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

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

why bother?

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

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

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

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

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

operation elf

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


Norwich Armory
38 Stott Avenue
Norwich, CT 06360

i personally am ALL FOR

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

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

person of the day

dave rozza, volunteering for food not bombs

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

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

By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ Courant Staff Writer

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

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

whew, he's free!!!

Young humpback whale rescued off Rhode Island

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

picture: mark bullinger/mystic aquarium

a shout out to wesleyan

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