i'm hunkered down

have my coffee, my smokes, my snacks and NO TV. i'm going to work from home (NO, i didn't start yet), then read a bit then knit a bit.

ok ok ok, i may watch season 5 of lost on hulu so i can start watching the new season (but i'm unsure if that is the direction i'm going to take)

Snow Heads Toward Connecticut

this is some very sad news

i'm old enough to remember when the central was a REAL theater. i remember how the center USED to be. i want it back like that now. i hate most of what it has become.

i loved the bookworm though. since i no longer GO to the center (no real need, my yarn store sit-n-knit moved to bloomfield. my florist lane and lenge has moved to park road). so NO need.
most of the restaurants are ok. i DO think a couple of them are excellent. it's NOT worth it to me to have to deal with the suv driving, walking the designer dog, see and be seen crowd.

don't EVEN get me started on black and blue square.....
(here's a test for you. go to the whole foods near black and blue and then drive the one or two miles to the whole foods in bishops corner. TELL me you don't notice a difference* and i'll tell you you're either lying or high on crack.)

i WILL miss the bookworm

Bookworm to Close

Bookworm, the independent bookstore that has been a fixture in town since 1973 will close by the end of the month and leave its Farmington Avenue store, founder and owner Sarah Bedell said Monday.

Bedell, 67, said concerns about her health, and not the faltering economy, prompted her recently to decide to retire after nearly 37 years in the business she said she still loves...............


*the difference being the people are NICER in bishops corner. they're more aware of their surroundings in bishops corner and NOT simply SELF aware as they are in the center.

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i heard about this by cnn flashing a breaking news alert

on my itouch (i was in a place with wi fi). the first thing i did was call my boss to make sure his family was ok (it was). we put on one of the tvs to wtnh (channel 8) and just watched silently. how devestating and i am so very sorry for the loss of lives and the injuries.

Five dead in Middletown explosion
Five people were killed, and at least a dozen injured Sunday in an explosion at the Kleen Energy power plant under construction in Middletown, Connecticut. Authorities continue searching for anyone who may be trapped in rubble.

At an evening news conference, held at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Middletown, Mayor Sebastian Giuliano confirmed the number of fatalities. He said it was unclear exactly how many people were working at the site Sunday but that they are working to compile an exact number.

Mayor Giuliano said they have to get lists from multiple contractors who are working on the plant.

"We're just trying to get a count of the persons involved," Lt. Governor Michael Fedele said.

One of the confirmed deceased, Ray Dobratz, 58, of Old Saybrook, was a plumber and member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 777. ...........

Middletown Power Plant Explosion: Search Goes Through The Night For More Victims
By EDMUND MAHONY, ERIC GERSHON and DANIELA ALTIMARI The Hartford Courant
MIDDLETOWN — - A devastating explosion that was heard and felt for miles destroyed a power plant Sunday morning as workers purged a natural gas piping system, killing at least five and injuring many more, emergency response officers said.

Homeowners miles away said the explosion, reported shortly after 11 a.m. at the Kleen Energy Systems power plant under construction on River Road, created a shock wave so intense that some mistakenly thought the central part of the state had experienced an earthquake.

A team of investigators from the federal government's Chemical Safety Board, charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents, was scheduled to arrive at the plant today. A board spokesman said the team will look for the cause of the explosion, with particular emphasis on the procedure used at the Kleen Energy plant to purge, or clear, the gas piping system.........

pic: Aerial Photo Of The Middletown Power Plant Explosion (BETTINA HANSEN / HARTFORD COURANT)

At Least 5 Dead In Middletown Explosion
Shoreline Residents Report Feeling Shaking From Explosion

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- An explosion at the Kleen Energy plant on River Road in Middletown on Sunday morning destroyed much of the plant, killing at least five people and injured at least 12.At a press conference on Sunday evening, Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano stressed there was no threat to public safety and officials had ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack. Giuliano said five to seven fire crews remained on scene, as well as the urban search and rescue team looking for people who may be trapped under the rubble. He said it was difficult to say how many people were in the plant at the time of the explosion because many different contractors were working with their own employee lists.On Sunday, Gov. Jodi Rell activated the Emergency Operations Center. The Emergency Operations Center in Hartford was being staffed by the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, the Department of Public Health, the National Guard and Connecticut State Police.............

MORE INFO

• Video: UNCUT: Aerial View Of Kleen Energy Plant Explosion Site
• Video: Search & Rescue Teams Dig For Survivors
• Video: Residents Across State Report Feeling Ground Move
• Video: Hospitals Across Conn. Respond To Middletown Explosion
• Video: Emergency Operations Center Opens In Hartford
• Video: Plant Explosion Felt As Far As Mystic
• Video: Plant Completing 'Test' At Time Of Explosion
• Video: Power Plant Explosion Kills At Least 2, Injures 250
• Slideshow: Explosion At Middletown Power Plant
• 
  

here's a link to a facebook page for condolences

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ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: my friend beth knows about my ketchup addiction

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: my friend beth knows about my ketchup addiction

if this man trapped animals (illegally, BUT i don't care either way, it's

OBSCENE to me to trap animals) i want him punished to the FULL extent of the law. people like this (ones that can trap wild animals in leg hold traps or snare traps) HAVE NO EFFING SOUL (he's NOT been found guilty. i'm saying IF a person in general does this)

they can hurt an animal they can hurt a person. that's what i say and that's what i mean and that's what i KNOW

remember it could be YOUR dog or YOUR cat in one of those traps

Pet Gets Caught In Illegal Trap In Avon


— Christine Dempsey
AVON — - Police have charged a Plainville man with illegal trapping after a dog got caught in one of the traps, the state's environmental agency said today.

The incident happened on Jan. 31, when a citizen was walking his dog on a trail along the Farmington River in Avon, according to a press release from the state Department of Environmental Protection. His dog got caught in a snare trap, which are illegal. The pet was not injured.

DEP police officers investigated the complaint and on Feb. 2 found more illegal traps, including snare traps and unpadded leghold traps, the agency said. The traps were set up along the river..............

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i'm not going to talk about my feelings and beliefs

zoo-wise here. i'm just going to link to a couple of stories.

rest in peace thaao



Zoo Family Mourns Death of Oldest Living Condor in Captivity
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Andean Condor dies at a remarkable 80 years of age
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. – January 21, 2009 — Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo announced today that Thaao (pronounced TAY-OH), the oldest living Andean condor in captivity, has died at nearly 80 years of age. Thaao came to the Zoo in 1993, after living most of his life at the Pittsburgh Zoo. He was the only endangered animal at the Zoo that was actually born in the wild. An autopsy was conducted and has proved inconclusive.

“We were extremely lucky to have had Thaao with us for as long as we did,” shared Gregg Dancho, Zoo Director. “He was not a cuddly, lovable guy but we were happy to give him a good home for his twilight years. He will be missed.”

When Thaao was born in 1930, Herbert Hoover was president of the United States. As such, he was the oldest living condor in captivity and most likely the oldest condor in the world. The average lifespan of an Andean condor is approximately 50 years of age. With a stud book number of four, it is believed that Thaao was one of the original animals to have been tracked using the system. A stud book, also called a breed registry, is a list of all of the known individual animals in a breed.

Because Andean condors are an endangered species, the Zoo worked closely with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA’s) Species Survival Program (SSP) to ensure that the proper autopsy protocols were followed, enabling valuable scientific information to be collected and recorded. Biologists estimate that there are only a few thousand of these birds left in the wild. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo also has been supporting the wild population of Andean Condors through the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group of which Dancho is Vice Chair............

Beardsley Zoo's Andean condor, world's oldest, dead at 80

By John Burgeson, STAFF WRITER

BRIDGEPORT ---- Thaao was born the same year that Mickey Mouse made his debut, John Dillinger escaped from prison, Mahatma Gandhi walked 200 miles to protest the British salt monopoly and Hostess Twinkees were invented.

Thaao, an Andean condor and resident of Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo for 17 years, died at the age of 80 on Jan. 6, it was announced Tuesday.

He was the oldest living condor in captivity, and most likely the oldest condor in the world, zoo officials said. In the wild, condors don't usually live past 50.

Pronounced "Tay-oh," the feathered octogenarian came to Bridgeport in 1993; he spent most of his life at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Despite all the care he received over the course of his life, he wasn't the sort of creature that enjoyed the company of humans.

"Thaao wasn't the sort of animal who would cuddle up to you," zoo director Gregg Dancho said. "He's a top-of-the-line predator and scavenger, and he'd never shy away from protecting his turf."............

pic: Thaao, the Andean condor who lived at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo, in Bridgeport, Conn., seen here in 2005, passed away on Jan. 6th. At 80, Thaao was believed to be the oldest condor in captivity in the world. Photo: Phil Noel / Connecticut Post |

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baby steps but man, at least it's SOMETHING

this is VERY good news. our great state of connecticut is taking a step in the right direction. the

New Tool To Capture Domestic Violence Crimes

By DIANA PEREZ

New Haven police are getting proactive about domestic violence. From now on dozen of patrols will have special kits to help properly collect evidence.

Police say the domestic violence kits could revolutionize the way they investigate and solve cases thanks to one main item, a digital camera. In cases where the victim is sometimes afraid to come forward a picture is worth a thousand words.

“Sometimes the victim changes their mind within hours and sometimes having the photographs and if the investigation is done properly, it gives an impact,” says Lt. Patricia Helliger.

Connecticut’s Chief States Attorney Office sent out 400 special domestic violence kits to departments around the state, New Haven received 44..........

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i know he's 78

but with a history of dui and now (allegedly) breaking into a bank WITH A GUN, while intoxicated....well ALL of those things are deadly (including the cars). i was just informed someone i knew for years and years died in a car accident on thursday morning at about 1:30 am. she was only 27 years old. she wasn't wearing a seatbelt (she was the passenger) and police believe alcohol may be involved. the driver lived but i think he's still in the hospital. i'm not saying she caused her death. of course she didn't. if alcohol WAS involved, she never should have gotten into that car (is all i'm saying). she was beautiful and bright and a hard worker and had one hell of a personality. now, she no longer exists. poof. at any rate i digress. 21 or 80, you CANNOT allow someone with a history of dui to continue to operate cars AND to continue to own guns. if proven guilty they damn well better take mr torn's guns away FOR GOOD (do i feel badly about ranting and raving about rip torn? not when deadly weapons such as cars and guns are involved). by the way, i think he's one hell of an actor. he was absolutely brilliant on the larry sanders show. this is an ap article so if you want to read it, click on the link

Police: Actor Rip Torn Charged With Breaking Into Bank

this one is reuters...

Actor Rip Torn arrested drunk, armed in Conn. bank

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Emmy award winning actor Rip Torn, who has had a recurring role in the NBC hit "30 Rock," has been arrested after police found him intoxicated and armed inside a Connecticut bank at the weekend.

Torn, 78, was being held on $100,000 bond after state police responded to an alarm at the Litchfield Bank in Salisbury, the Connecticut town where the actor lives, and found him inside the closed bank "with a loaded revolver" and "highly intoxicated," according to a police report issued on Saturday.

He was charged with burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief and weapons charges.........

pic: an older mug shot.

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ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: some very sad news

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman: some very sad news

more on the west hartford shooting BUT...

let's make one thing PERFECTLY CLEAR. it started ACROSS THE LINE IN HARTFORD

(yeah, as long as we understand, 'it' was from HARTFORD and NOT WEST hartford. we can all sleep more comfortably now)

not only do i live within walking distance of the incident, there are TONS OF KIDS who live in that area. gunshots entered homes. we've very lucky no one else was hit. it appears buildings were, but not people other than the two original men.

at any rate, all satire aside, i am so very sorry someone has been murdered in my town (or anywhere for that matter). i very much want the shooters caught, tried and brought to justice.



Victim ID'd in West Hartford Shooting



By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY The Hartford Courant
WEST HARTFORD — - The shooting that killed Christian Torres, injured a second man and put bullet holes in Park Road businesses probably started across the city line, police said today.

"Some of the facts of the investigation lead us to believe that this incident began in Hartford," West Hartford Officer Rob Riccobon said at a press conference.

Riccobon gave very little information about the details of the investigation or about the shooting victims. But he said the shooting clearly was not random; it appears Torres and the other injured man were targeted.

Police did not identify the man who survived. He was treated at an area hospital and discharged with no permanent injuries, Riccobon said.
................



Shooting kills one in West Hartford

One person has died following a shooting Tuesday night in West Hartford.

Police tell News Channel 8 two people were shot near 90 Park Road around 9:30 p.m.

Police identified the dead victim as Christian Torres, but did not identify survivor who was treated at an area hospital and released. Police say one victim was found in a car and Torres was outside the vehicle. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police believe someone in getaway car fired the shots.

"One thing we're asking residents is it appears that in this shooting that we have some houses that were hit," Lt. Stephen Estes, West Hartford Police, said in a Tuesday night press conference. "We're asking people now, or when they wake up in the morning [to come to police], because they may in fact find their houses hit or some of their cars hit." ............

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you think....NOT in west hartford BUT....

yes, in west hartford!

and part road is such a bustling place these days.

Two People Injured In West Hartford Shooting

WEST HARTFORD - Two people were shot on Park Road tonight, possibly by the occupants of an SUV that fled toward Hartford, police said.

The victims were taken to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

Gunfire rang out about 9:30 p.m. and several people called police. Responding officers found one victim in a silver car near 91 Park Road. A second victim was located outside the vehicle, said Lt. Stephen Estes............

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oh, i'm guessing they're going to get way more

than 1,000 patients

this is sad. this is america. this is sad. this is america. this is sad. this is america. i have to keep telling myself that

For People With No Health Insurance, One Day Of Free Care

By ARIELLE LEVIN BECKER The Hartford Courant

They came by the hundreds in New Orleans, Little Rock, Kansas City and Houston, lured by the offer of free health care at a one-day clinic. For many patients, it was the first time they had seen a doctor in years. Nearly all of them had jobs, just no health insurance.

Feb. 3 will be Hartford's turn for a one-day free medical clinic for people with no health insurance. The National Association of Free Clinics, which has been hosting similar events throughout the country since September, and hundreds of volunteers will set up at the Connecticut Convention Center from noon to 7 p.m. Organizers expect to draw about 1,000 patients...................

oh honey not only is that bridge burned

it's been NUKED

Lieberman: It's 'Possible' I Could Run As 'A Good Old-Fashioned New England Moderate Republican'

Jillian Rayfield

Over the weekend, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) said it's "possible" he could run for Senate as "a good old-fashioned New England moderate Republican."

As ThinkProgress pointed out, Lieberman gave an interview to Connecticut's "Face The State," and acknowledged the possibility that he will run for Senate re-election as a Republican.

Lieberman was first asked if there he could possibly return to being a "full-fledged Democrat," or if that is a "bridge burned."

He responded: "No, I don't think it's burned," but that "I haven't really focused on it, but I'd say from the get go, any one of these...it's good, to paraphrase Mel Brooks, it's good to be an independent. It gives me latitude."..............

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from andy thibault's cool justice report

please click the link below to go to andy's blog and read the whole story. it's important

Jan Smolinski's Shocking Testimony Before Congress 1-21-10

WHERE
IS
THE
OUTRAGE?

We still couldn't get the attention of the local police department. They dismissed Billy as a voluntary runaway case ...

... Eventually we uncovered information that led us to believe Billy had been murdered in Woodbridge, Connecticut, and buried in Seymour ...

... The police were not only slow to respond, but they also didn't properly report the case. It took four years for a report to be correctly filed with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) ...

... The only person who has been arrested in this case is me. When we tried to hang missing person flyers on telephone poles in Woodbridge, the police arrested me.

Testimony by Janice Smolinski
Mother of Billy Smolinski
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security

Committee Members

H.R. 3695, the Help Find the Missing Act (Billy's Law)

Good morning and thank you Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gohmert, and Members of the Subcommittee for having the courage to tackle the tragic disconnect in our country's effort to find missing Americans.

The Help Find the Missing Act has been named "Billy's Law" in honor of our son who went missing from Waterbury, Connecticut five years ago. It is my husband Bill and my greatest hope that the legislation, so well crafted by Congressman Murphy and Congressman Poe, will be signed into law in order to help bring answers and peace to the thousands of families wrestling with the horror of having a loved one go missing.

My husband and I are uncomfortable in the spotlight, but we hope that sharing our family's story can shed light on this national nightmare and illustrate the urgent need to pass Billy's Law. With over 100,000 people missing in this country, our family's story is not a unique one.

Our son's name is William Smolinski Jr., and his whole life we called him Billy. He was funny, and a bit of a goof ball, always trying to surprise us with a joke or a trick..........

pic: don't know the credit, but it was on andy's posting

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the website is still under construction

BUT if you're in the glastonbury hood, DO stop by

dee's one smart cookie


it's a gluten free, DAIRY FREE (which generally makes it VEGAN) bakery. my boss brought in a cranberry orange coffee cake the other day and it was divine!!!

here's their facebook link

because people who speak spanish

do NOT buy stuff. well, at least NOT in THIS establishment.

so NO spanish on the floor. oh, you can speak spanish to your heart's content in the DISHWASHING area. yup. THAT'S ok. NOT where the liberal scenesters can SEE AND HEAR you though you token stupid spics

Atticus Bookstore's Management Reviewing Language Policy

By MARK SPENCER

NEW HAVEN — - Here in this liberal stronghold, the news that Atticus Bookstore and Café had imposed a policy restricting employees to speaking English in public areas has been greeted by widespread criticism.

But it took most people a beat or two to get to the harsh words.

"Atticus?" said lawyer Steven D. Jacobs in disbelief. "You're kidding me."

Especially in recent years, New Haven has gone out of its way to distinguish itself as a place welcoming to immigrants, regardless of their legal status. Atticus appeared to fit comfortably, even enthusiastically, into this mosaic.

A stalwart for more than 30 years in a rapidly changing downtown, Atticus prided itself on its quality baked goods, promoted the arts and environmental causes and fostered an air of multiculturalism at its Chapel Street location in the building that houses the Yale Center for British Art.

"A lot of people are shocked that Atticus is doing this," said Deborah Malatesta, a spokeswoman for the New Haven Workers Association, the group that publicized the policy after it was contacted by two angry Atticus employees.........

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hmmmmm

I-95 billboard 'man and bear' prompt 911 calls

By Noelle Frampton, STAFF WRITER

RIDGEPORT -- A local car dealer's unconventional billboard advertising is attracting more than passing attention from motorists.

A life-sized mannequin perched with a teddy bear atop the billboard near Interstate 95's northbound exit 26 is also prompting occasional calls to the emergency "911" number from travelers who fear the figures are about to topple off.

But dispatchers at State Police Troop G barracks tell concerned callers that the "man" isn't real -- and that he and his companion bear have been up there for a while............

pic: A mannequin and giant teddy bear sit on top of a billboard, advertising BMW of Bridgeport, near exit 26 northbound on I-95, in Bridgeport, Conn. Jan. 15th, 2010. Photo: Ned Gerard / Connecticut Post

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it's the

taste of hartford this week

and a photo gallery from the courant of the participating restaurants


pic:

The Half Door, 270 Sisson Ave., Hartford, 860-232-7827

(JOHN LONG / March 6, 2006)

i wanted to link to this

it's an important story for our state. i am NOT a proponent of the death penalty. then again MY family was not murdered. executing someone for a murder, doesn't bring the original victim back.

one never knows though if i'd change my mind. i hope to NEVER have to consider that..........

Reliving Horror in a Test for the Death Penalty

By WILLIAM GLABERSON
NEW HAVEN — More than two years later, the details still have the power to horrify.

In the middle of the night, two parolees break into a tidy clapboard house in the central Connecticut town of Cheshire. They club the father, a doctor, and tie him up.

One of them rapes and strangles the mother, the authorities say. The other molests one of the daughters, 11-year-old Michaela. The father breaks free and shouts for help. But the intruders have set a fire: The girls, Michaela and Hayley, 17, tied to their beds, die of smoke inhalation.

The triple murder on Sorghum Mill Drive — widely compared to the Kansas killings in Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” — has transfixed the state ever since. The suspects, both habitual criminals, were arrested a block from the house. The crime prompted a searching review of the state legal system that had freed them...........

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we're ready

i know there's all sorts of confusion (and i'm being kind here) in haiti. LET'S GET MEDICAL HELP IN THERE RIGHT NOW. someone, anyone, TAKE CHARGE AND GET AID WHERE'S IT'S NEEDED



CT's Mobile Hospital Ready for Possible Haiti Deployment

Gov: 100 bed transportable unit is ready to assist

By ANJULI PORTER

Should the federal government need it, Governor M. Jodi Rell says "its here." Connecticut’s mobile hospital, a state-of-the-art 100 bed transportable unit, is ready to be deployed to assist in the Haitian relief efforts if the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) needs the extra assistance.

The Ottilie W. Lundgren Memorial Field Hospital is multi-functional and complete with electricity, water, heat and air conditioning. It is deployable has a flexible configuration of 25 bed units that can be operated jointly or independently of one another.............

here's a google link to a list of charities

(see this story before considering a donation to that organization. i personally am sending my money to doctors without borders for this relief effort. please consider helping out in ANY way you can. oh, i'm also going to donate some knit items to craft hope for haiti. dang, if i can't get my knitting right, i'll just buy some stuff from the etsy shop)

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