Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, whatever

All the best to anyone reading. Let’s hope the peace and joy of this season extends into 2008!

Gambling needs more attention

Is there anything that’s a greater waste of money than gambling?

When I see those old ladies pumping money into the slots at Foxwoods or the crowds playing roulette at Mohegan Sun, I just feel sick.

But I think I feel even worse that gamblers are increasingly turning to online casinos such as this one that touts itself as the top poker room where they’re pissing away their money in the dark of their own rooms.

It’s a travesty, a sickness, and one that our government doesn’t do nearly enough to combat.

Lieberman backs McCain

Here in West Hartford, we kinda like Joe Lieberman. It’s not just that he reminds us of a guy we might run into at Waldbaum’s after work. It’s that he’s kind of sweet personally and not all pumped up with his own grandeur.

Of course, he’s a steaming mad nutcase when it comes to foreign policy, but we figure there’s a State Department and the Joint Chiefs to keep him from making much of a difference there.

Even so, it’s kind of strange to see Lieberman endorsing John McCain. McCain’s our kind of Republican, of course, since he’s not anyone else’s kind of Republican.

It’s just odd to see a guy who won the vice presidency in 2000 on the Democratic ticket — though five justices made sure he never got to serve — is now endorsing a has-been GOP contender for the nation’s top office.

What’s in it for Lieberman? A few minutes on C-Span?

I wonder sometimes if Lieberman needs to come home. Perhaps it’s Washington that’s making him lose his mind.

Snowing already…

I’m worn out from shoveling.

It didn’t help, of course, that after wearily putting away the shovels last night, I woke up to find that the plows had inundated my driveway and sidewalks.

Of course, I knew it would happen. It always does.

I can’t really fault the town. The snow has to go somewhere, of course, and it’s probably unrealistic for the drivers can put it all in front of that house up the street where that guy I don’t like lives.

But still.

And to hear on the radio when I finally got done that another storm is heading our way Saturday night or Sunday, well, that’s why I should have popped in Springsteen’s new Magic CD and left the news to those who are stronger than I am.

I’m too tired for winter.

$500K coming for Science Center move

From this week’s State Bond Commission agenda: 

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT-IN-AID TO THE TOWN OF WEST HARTFORD, FOR SITE ACQUISITION AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE SCIENCE CENTER OF CONNECTICUT

REQUESTED: An Allocation and Bond Authorization (to agency) $500,000

FROM: Sec. 32 (j)(20) Acct. No. 12052-ECD46000-43090

Total Earmarking $500,000

Previous Allocations – 0 –

Balance Unallocated $500,000

REASON FOR REQUEST:

These funds are requested to provide a grant-in-aid to the Town of West Hartford for site acquisition, and necessary renovations and improvements to allow for the relocation of the Children’s Museum formerly known as the Science Center of Connecticut into the Elmwood section of the town.

Total Grant-in-Aid, This Request $500,000