garden

may 13 2009

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i just saw star trek

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: i just saw star trek

update on the alleged murderer of Johanna Justin-Jinich

this man (allegedly. all of this is allegedly although we know, don't we?) was stalking her for years. this man had threatened her life. this man wrote evil things in his journal (it is no crime to write evil things in one's journal. it just goes to cause is why i'm saying it). a vibrant, innocent young woman's life was taken. there is NO allegedly about that

Suspect In Wesleyan Slaying Turns Himself In

By DAVE ALTIMARI, HILDA MUÑOZ And DAVID OWENS |The Hartford Courant

MIDDLETOWN - The massive hunt for the gunman accused of killing a Wesleyan University junior is over.

Stephen Morgan, wanted by Middletown police in the killing Wednesday of 21-year-old Johanna Justin-Jinich, was arrested shortly after 9 Thursday night after surrendering to police in Meriden.

Morgan, the subject of a nationwide manhunt, walked into the Cumberland Farms store on Old Colony Road in Meriden about 9 p.m. and bought a Smoothie. He told the clerk, Sonia Rodriguez, that he needed to call police and she gave him a phone.

Morgan had trouble dialing, so she dialed Meriden police for him and handed him the phone. After talking briefly on the phone, he walked outside and was grabbed within minutes by police officers........

Man charged in student's slaying
Manhunt ends with arrest in slaying of university student

By John Christoffersen
and Katie Nelson
...................

When police confiscated Morgan's car they found a journal in which he spelled out a plan to rape and kill Justin-Jinich before going on a campus shooting spree, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is under investigation.

Wesleyan officials said that police told them that Morgan targeted Wesleyan students and Jews in his journals. Justin-Jinich, of Timnath, Colo., came from a Jewish family, and her grandmother was a Holocaust survivor................

i thought it was very important to link to the following: ms justin-jinich was MORE than just a student working at a bookstore. most articles about her only mentioned that. jezebel did a tiny bit of digging and found out a bit more

Women's Rights Advocate Murdered At Wesleyan

By Margaret,

.........

Friends described Justin-Jinich as witty, smart, and popular and told the Courant that her passions included writing, her work in public health, and women's issues. She had volunteered at various Planned Parenthood offices in Colorado and Connecticut and had a summer internship lined up on Capitol Hill with a women's organization.

Justin-Jinich's friend Leah Lucid, who has known her since freshmen year and was planning to room with her next year, said she had been up past midnight talking in her dorm room the night before. "She's a really loyal friend; a really loving, passionate person about life and about her friends and family," Lucid said. "She was the most giving and loving person I have ever known. I'll remember her loyalty and her warm smile whenever I saw her and her very funny voices she would make with me."................

previous posting and another posting

the connecticut post also has an article about

the shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinish. as i said, what a tragedy. what a horror.

even though there is a surveillance photo of stephen morgan with a gun, we have to say 'alleged' when we call him (an alleged) murderer.

the 'alleged' murderer is still on the loose as of 2:16 am. there is nothing in the local media to suggest otherwise

to the family and friends of ms justin-jinish, i am so sorry for your loss

Wesleyan student fatally shot at bookstore
Junior shot in bookstore by man dressed in disguise
By Rob Varnon
STAFF WRITER

MIDDLETOWN -- A manhunt was under way Wednesday after a Wesleyan University junior was fatally shot inside the university's off-campus bookstore, sending shock waves through this central Connecticut college community as authorities warned residents and students to stay inside.

Johanna Justin-Jinich, 21 of Timnath, Colo., was working behind the cash register at the Black and Red Cafe at 45 Broad St. near the Wesleyan campus when a man wearing a disguise came in and shot her several times.

"We're requesting people to be vigilant," Middletown police Lt. Margaret Liseo said during a news conference. "The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous."

Police late Wednesday identified the suspect, saying they're looking for 29-year-old Stephen Morgan. It's unclear where he lives. A Wesleyan spokesman says he has no known connection to the university.

Police wearing camouflage and armed with assault rifles swarmed area streets with dogs as they searched for the gunman while Wesleyan officials urged students and staff to remain indoors.

The shooting comes as a national debate rages over the issue of guns on campus, which was underscored by a 2007 rampage at Virginia Tech University that left 32 students and faculty members dead. Against this backdrop of heightened security, Wesleyan officials responded quickly to the incident.......

freedom states alliance working to end gun violence in america

i was at work yesterday when the news first came out

i read a quick news brief or two online. i could have SWORN the briefs said the person shot was only wounded AND she said she did not know her attacker.

now, we find out she has died. how horrible. how beyond horrible. to the friends, family and student community who knew Johanna Justin-Jinich, my most heartfelt sympathy to you. my thoughts and prayers are with you
Police Identify Man Sought In Wesleyan Slaying
The Hartford Courant

MIDDLETOWN - Middletown police said Wednesday night they want to talk to 29-year-old Stephen Morgan, the man they say they believe shot and killed a 22-year-old Wesleyan University junior at a neighborhood cafe Wednesday afternoon.

Morgan, who police said has no certain address, is suspected of fatally shooting Johanna Justin-Jinich, of Timnath, Colo., at the Red and Black Café inside Broad Street Books. Police say Morgan was captured by a surveillance camera with a gun in his right hand inside the bookstore Wednesday afternoon.

Morgan fled on foot after the shooting and remains at large, police said.

They are investigating whether Justin-Jinich and Morgan knew each other.
Wesleyan officials identified Justin-Jinich as the victim in an email to the campus about 6:15 p.m...........

afternoon.

• Photo of Johanna Justin-Jinich
• Security Update: Voice Message Alert Sent To Wesleyan Students
• Fatal Shooting Near Wesleyan

picture: Police hold a surveillance camera photo of Stephen Morgan, 29, the man they say they believe shot and killed Wesleyan student Johanna Justin-Jinich on Wednesday. Police said Morgan has no certain address. (GEORGE RUHE / AP / May 6, 2009)


freedom states alliance, working to reduce gun violence in america

i scanned the article at work

UPDATE, WILCOX WAS SENTENCED JUNE 24, 2009: read it and see it here


and emailed it to myself at work, then emailed it to me at home. the article (in pdf form) didn't come through. i'll try to scan it and email it directly home today.

at any rate, i wanted to put this out there. it's an email (i edited it a bit for this blog) i sent out to my team yesterday

Subject: Smoke Fire and Angels - PLEASE READ (thanks)
Importance: High

I did NOT intentionally exclude anyone from this distribution. Please DO forward this on. The more people that know about the forthcoming book, the better

Mark Robinson who works in our Internal Communications department is writing a book. "A book about what?" you ask. Well, I'll tell you. Mark happened to be a survivor of the horrible Avon Mountain crash almost four years ago. He's writing a book about that. It goes well beyond just the accident though.

This subject is especially close to not only me (because I am lucky enough to consider Mark a friend of mine), but to Joe as well. Joe's cousin, Chip was killed in this tragedy. Chip had a loving family including a mom and siblings, a wife and FIVE very young daughters.

Here's a copy of an article in the current issue of the Valley Press (Farmington Valley paper). I would be remiss if I didn't mention Mark is not entirely happy with everything in the article. The header under the title for one thing (Mark doesn't necessarily feel he was 'spared' while others were taken. No one knows why one is here and another is not). Mark would also immediately tell you, the police officer's name is NOT Mango. It is Rob MAGAO. There are other things Mark would like to correct but I'll leave that for another time and place.

<> the missing pdf file IS HERE (again, i'll try to get it)

Mark is someone who is very special indeed. I'm not saying that lightly either. Both Joe and I were privileged to read some of the book (I believe it was the first six chapters). I can't even tell you the amount of research that was put into it. I can't tell you how many people and police and firefighters and lawyers and survivors and families Mark has spoken with. He has talked to some of Chip's family, to the father of the man who was driving the dump truck, to the daughter of the man who was driving the bus (who also later died) to the passers by who just happened to put their OWN lives at risk by helping others who couldn't help themselves. He's even spoken to David Wilcox the owner of the UNINSURED and in the state of DISREPAIR dump truck that caused this horror.

Please stop by the website (I believe it's still under construction). There are some amazing pictures (the photographer donated his services by the way) of some who were in the accident (good pic of Joe's aunt and cousins Lorie, Bobbie and Johnny) and their angels as well as the families of some who didn't survive. If you click on one of the pictures, it will bring you to another page of the site


smoke fire and angels

click on 'inquires' and it brings you to an incredible brochure about the upcoming book

Oh, did I forget to mention the PROCEEDS FROM THE BOOK ARE BEING DONATED TO A FUND FOR THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES

(according to the website, Mark would like to have the book finished and available by July 29th, the 4th anniversary of the crash)

i LOVE this theater

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

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

By SUSAN DUNNE |The Hartford Courant

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

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

the vote was 31 to 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

you go grrrls!

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

Huskies Get Presidential Honors

By LEANNE GENDREAU

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

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

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

water ban lifted for a few towns but NOT west hartford

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



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

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


the world of copepods
pic:

Copepods (U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY)

pic:

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

Water Alert Lifted in 5 Towns

by MONICA BUCHANAN and DEBRA BOGSTIE

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

if you're in one of these ten towns

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


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

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

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

oh this is a good idea

NOT

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

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

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

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

Student Groups Divided On Right To Carry Guns On Campus

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

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

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

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


students for gun free schools

from the talk of west hartford blog

we have the west hartford pot hole users guide

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

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

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

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

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

didn't know a west hartfordite

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

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

Conn. crewman reconsiders job after pirate attack

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

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

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

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

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

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

since i avoid going to the center at ALL costs

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

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

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

West Hartford's Parking Meters Accept Special Debit Card

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

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

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

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

congratulations!

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

UConn Women Achieve Perfection

By JOHN ALTAVILLA |The Hartford Courant

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

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

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

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

(pic:

NCAA Championship Game: UConn vs. Louisville

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

Perfect Ending! UConn Women Win Sixth Title

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

a great courant editorial

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

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

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

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

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

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

some west hartford news

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

West Hartford Union Agrees To Wage Freeze

By BILL LEUKHARDT |The Hartford Courant

April 4, 2009

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

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

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

wow, that's some gift

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

$50 Million Gift To Create International Studies Institute At Yale

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

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

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

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

i saw what you did

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

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

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


(there IS hope and there IS good)

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

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

the email follows:

Press Release Press Release Press Release


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


For Immediate Release



Date: Monday, March 30, 2009



Grassroots Group Stimulates Economy With “Lotto Sales Receipt” Proposal

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

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

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

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

she's not done yet

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

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

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

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

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

i think he got it right

he just needs an suv and a designer dog

i just got the following email:

BurnBrite

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here for the Crushing Pennies Facebook Page.

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

a shout out to the police department

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

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

(note: no ticket either time but warnings)

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

you rock

i've written about this before

the avon mountain crash AND one of the people i know who was in this horror. my friend mark robinson is writing a book about this day. i have been privileged to read the first six chapters. mark also showed me some of the photographs he's using for the book. oh, the photos i saw were NOT of the crash at all (although i've seen many of those). these photos were new ones. the ones of the survivors AND their angels. stunning portraits. (mark told me this weekend he may be having his portrait taken along with HIS personal angel. i hope that comes to fruition. he was saved by a very young man who just happened to forget his own life was on the line and dug mark out of his twisted wreck of a car smashed by concrete slabs, while a huge bus was either going to soon catch fire OR come lurching at them. oh, this young man was NOT a firefighter or a police officer or an emt. he worked at avon old farms and just happened to run out when the accident occurred). i can tell you with all honesty what i read of the book was astounding. the amount of time and effort and research mark put in was phenomenal. i can also tell you with all my heart and soul, when this book comes out (this summer) every one of us MUST buy a copy of it. buy it you say? oh, did i mention THE PROCEEDS ARE GOING TO BENEFIT THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES?

mark also doesn't forget to mention david wilcox either. lots of exhaustive research went into that path too. wilcox will be (hopefully) sentenced this summer. mark hopes to have the book ready VERY shortly thereafter. mark has shared many stories with me (although he still doesn't remember the accident itself at all) from the lives saved and the lives lost that day, to what the familes and victims have gone through to meeting up with mr naafi's father last week when they were at the courthouse in hartford being informed wilcox was going to plead (instead of trial).

mark makes me cry a LOT by the way

so again, when this book SMOKE, FIRE & ANGELS comes out, i will be forcing everyone i know to buy a copy


Crash Survivor Hopes His Book Can Help Promote Healing
By SHAWN R. BEALS | The Hartford Courant
The heartbreaking saga of the 2005 Avon Mountain crash drew plenty of attention Monday after David Wilcox, 73, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and assault charges.

Behind the scenes, however, the story's human side is getting much more consideration.

The crash is the subject of a book by survivor Mark Robinson, a Canton resident who was severely injured in the crash. The book is called "Smoke, fire & angels," and he's hoping to have it completed in time for the fourth anniversary of the crash in July.

"I just may have a 175-page statement to put on Judge [David P.] Gold's desk in June," Robinson said.
Wilcox is scheduled to be sentenced June 24, and victims will have the opportunity to make a statement in court that day or submit one to the judge.

Robinson was waiting at a traffic light on his way to work in Hartford when the dump truck owned by Wilcox and his company, American Crushing & Recycling, slammed into traffic after its brakes failed as it traveled westbound down the hill......

happy birthday beth-y

funny (and i'm being sarcastic here)

why this appeared on the front page of the wapo (web edition) and yet i didn't see it on the front page of the courant. the MEN are all over the place, but the women weren't to be found (easily that is).

thanks to wapo though. THEY mentioned (in a place easy to find) the unconn women (i'm NOT a college basketball fan, but i'm making a point). congratulations to uconn women (and sure the men as well but MOSTLY the women).

uconn. where men are men and WOMEN ARE CHAMPIONS!!!

U-Conn. Earns No.1 Overall Seed for Women's Tournament
By DOUG FEINBERG
The Associated Press
Connecticut's quest for the fifth perfect season in NCAA history will begin at home.
The undefeated Huskies earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament Monday night and will open against Vermont at Storrs.

Nine teams have entered the NCAA tournament unbeaten; only four have emerged unscathed. UConn and coach Geno Auriemma were the last in 2002.

Auriemma said he's not worried about the bulls-eye on his team's back.......

reminder: tomorrow is the hartford st patrick's day parade

the half door will be open at 8:00 am with a limited brunch menu (full brunch menu commences at their usual weekend brunch open time of 11:00 am). so stop on down BEFORE, AFTER OR DURING the parade!

is this april fool's day?

mmmmmmmmmmm no. not quite yet. well if it's NOT, then wat up wit dis?

ah, could da LIEbs be worried about what's going to happen in two years? hmmmm methinks, yes, he IS worried. tough shite da LIEbs. you're OUT on your bony ass (did anyon think da LIEbs had this many stones? i know i didn't. rather surprising)

Conn. senator Lieberman an Obama supporter
WASHINGTON—Sen. Joe Lieberman has changed his tune on President Barack Obama.

After campaigning across the country for Republican Sen. John McCain in 2008 and attacking Obama as naive, untested and unwilling to take on powerful special interests, Lieberman now showers praise on the popular new Democratic president.

"He's shown real leadership," Lieberman told The Associated Press in an interview. "Bottom line: I think Barack Obama, president of the United States, is off to a very good start."

The Connecticut independent, who faces re-election in 2012 in a state where Obama is popular, is eager to mend fences with Democrats still fuming over his criticism of Obama during the general election campaign.

Lieberman has applauded Obama's national security team. He gushed over Obama's "inspirational and unifying" inaugural. Lieberman even played a key role helping Obama win Senate passage of the economic stimulus plan.........

crushing pennies

is an independent film written and directed by (LOCAL) ryan casey. i think it's IMPORTANT to support local artists!

here's the facebook page for crushing pennies. why not become a fan?

it's been a while

since we've had a stupid connecticut (alleged) criminal posting. well this sure will make up for it!

Conn. man accused of
stealing gum
Fairfield (AP) - Fairfield police have arrested a man on theft charges who they say is apparently obsessed with stealing Orbit gum.

Kenneth McManus, 21, of Stratford, has been charged with stealing hundreds of packs of the chewing gum.

Police say McManus turned himself in Thursday and is facing larceny charges for similar thefts in Bridgeport and Stratford.

McManus is accused of stealing 175 packs of gum worth more than $500 from a Shaw's supermarket in Fairfield in January.............

whole foods at bishops corner

(where i shop by the way. it's far less intrusive and abusive than the west hartford center store. i'm talking CUSTOMERS here. i have no issues with the staff of either store) will be no more

Whole Foods Ordered To Sell West Hartford Store
The Hartford Courant
Whole Foods will have to sell its Bishop's Corner supermarket in West Hartford as part of a federal antitrust settlement announced today.

The store, one of two Whole Foods locations in West Hartford, had been a Wild Oats store until Whole FoodsMarket Inc. bought Wild Oats Markets Inc. in 2007. It is one of 13 stores -- 12 former Wild Oats locations and one that was a Whole Foods before the merger -- that Whole Foods must sell within six months, under the company's settlement with the Federal Trade Commission.

Separately, Whole Foods has agreed to sell the Wild Oats trademarks and other non-tangible assets connected with Wild Oats, including the leases of 19 former Wild Oats stores that were closed.................

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: my state capital

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: my state capital

please do stop by

andy thibault's blog; the cool justice report for an update on the billy smolinski case. it really IS just getting weirder and weirder. i think of billy's family and my heart goes out to them. NO closure. well, not just that but bungling and ineptness everywhere. let's hope they get answers SOON

More Bizarre Twists & Leads In Smolinski Case

Why Do-Nothing Cops
Must Be Held Accountable
And Ordered To Do Their Jobs,
Especially When They Drop The Ball
On Missing Persons Reports

Some Details Related
To The Trail
Of Dead Bodies

A TIME FOR GOOD COPS TO STAND UP

This Is The Backdrop For CT Legislative Hearing Tuesday

Legislative Hearing Tuesday On Bill Resulting From Smolinski Case.......

Support Courageous State Rep. Vickie Nardello,
Who Is Standing Up For Missing Persons
And Their Loved Ones Everywhere

By ANDY THIBAULT
The Cool Justice Report
www.cooljustice.blogspot.com
March 2, 2009

EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com

Billy Smolinski -- the missing man forsaken by management of the Waterbury, CT Police Department and presumed murdered - could have a legacy that will help save the lives of other missing persons.

The level of police ineptitude and callousness in the Smolinski case was so startling that politicians are actually doing something about it........
justice 4 billy
(please click the more bizarre link above for the full story at andy's blog)

the headline says it ALL

"Jerry Springer" Among Three Talk Shows NBC May Move To Stamford
By ERIC GERSHON | The Hartford Courant

'i've never withheld anything'

stop on by my left nutmeg

Video: Governor Rell's Budget Gameshow

by: hardcoreD

i guess my head was in the sand once again

i had not heard one PEEP about this until i stopped by the cool justice report. andy had a great posting on it and a ton of links (and how cool is it andy was mentioned in the ny times

here's the start of andy's posting. click the link to read the WHOLE thing. i do think everyone is missing the greatest point here. NO ONE and i mean NO ONE says ANYTHING bad about uconn SACRED basketball (p.s. i don't think it's sacred. ALMOST EVERYONE else in this state sure does. it's not like they're the SOX or anything)

CALHOUN NUMBERS SHOCKER

Fuzzy Math 101
By ANDY THIBAULT
The Cool Justice Report
www.cooljustice.blogspot.com
Feb. 23, 2009

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com

First, thanks to Cool Justice readers for all the great tips.

Maybe UConn basketball coach Jim Calhoun wasn't thinking straight when he tried to shout down reporter Ken Krayeske and talk about facts at the same time.

Practice what you scream, coach.

It certainly looks like men's basketball brought in only $7.33 million instead of the $12 million Calhoun claimed........