HatCityBLOG (the television show): EPISODE 3

TOPIC: Meeting with Senator Chris Dodd





You can watch HatCityBLOG (the television show) WEDNESDAY EVENINGS at 6PM and THURSDAY MORNING at 11AM on Comcast 23.

Shopping @ Serena & Lily

When I was designing the nursery, I fell in love with the elegant and pretty crib sheet sets at Serena & Lily. But lately, their more adult accessories are really catching my eye. They have a real feminine West Elm meets debutante kind of feel. Look at these lovely mirrors and sheets and lamps. And that melon coloured bookcase -- *swoon*!!


They also have an online bazaar section with some unique finds from around the world. But act fast if you see something you like... this unique vintage chalkboard map is one of the ones that got away :(

The campaign against City Clerk Jean Natale is coming...

...and it's not gonna be pretty!

Avoiding free and open debates is nothing new for Boughton

Boughton on avoiding open debates: October 2007

During her closing statements, [Helena] Abrantes challenged Boughton to three debates that would be open to the public and held at night or on weekend when more people could attend.

Boughton said Wednesday that he hasn't decided on Abrantes challenge but said he would try and see what will fit in his schedule.

"We'll look at any request." he said, pointing out that he will attend upcoming candidate forums held by the PTO and volunteer firefighters. "Beyond that, we'll have to look at the dates and see what we can squeeze in."

Boughton on avoiding open debates: September 20 2009

As for other debates in the mayoral race, Goncalves said he has agreed to participate in an event sponsored later next month by the League of Women Voters of Danbury.

Boughton, however, said he had not yet received an invitation to the event.

"There are already several events planned for next month," he said. "Anything beyond that may be difficult to fit into our schedule."

Boughton on avoiding open debates: September 25 2009

Goncalves said it was "slap in the face to the voters" and a "display of arrogance" when Boughton said last week that he likely couldn't attend a debate being offered by the League of Women Voters of the Danbury Area.

"As a Danbury resident and taxpayer who was born, raised and educated in Danbury, I consider the mayor's response that he had not seen the invitation, that his schedule was filling up and that enough other forums were scheduled, totally unacceptable," Goncalves said during an outdoor press conference.

Goncalves, who made reference to a debate being held next week before the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $45 per person, added that residents have a "right to hear the opposing viewpoints of the candidates in an open and no-cost forum."

In response Boughton said he only received the invitation to the league debate late last week and he will evaluate whether he can attend the event.

"It's already late in the (election) cycle and we do have a full schedule of events," he said. "I also have a responsibility to run the city of Danbury."

Avoiding open debates is nothing new for Mayor Mark Boughton...just ask 2007 Democratic mayoral candidate Helena Abrantes.



Citing the concerns Gary Goncalves has with the chamber of commerce luncheon/forum (not free to the public, held during a time when most of the public would be unable to attend, etc), throughout her campaign two years ago, several times Abrantes called upon Boughton to agree to an open forum in which the public would have an opportunity to hear the two candidates debate the issues.

Unfortunately, the public never had an opportunity to see the two candidates debate each other in an open forum.

Earlier this week, I caught up with Abrantes and talked to her about the similarities between Boughton's refusing to open debates with her back in 2007 and his refusal to open debates now.

Election ballot selection process 101

Bethel municipal ballot lottery
Bethel Municipal Center

Several readers emailed and questioned me about how the election ballot selection process works.

Rather than explaining the process, I thought it would be better if I showed the ballot process in action.

Form Bethel, here's footage of their municipal election ballot lottery (including an explanation behind the ballot selection positioning process).

About us

Here's more info on the League of Women Voters...and why their highly respected when it comes to political debates.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, has fought since 1920 to improve our systems of government and impact public policies through citizen education and advocacy. The League's enduring vitality and resonance comes from its unique decentralized structure. The League is a grassroots organization, working at the national, state and local levels.

There are Leagues in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong, in addition to the hundreds of local Leagues nationwide. The League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund operate at the national level with grassroots support from state and local Leagues.

The League of Women Voters is strictly nonpartisan; it neither supports nor opposes candidates for office at any level of government. At the same time, the League is wholeheartedly political and works to influence policy through advocacy. It is the original grassroots citizen network, directed by the consensus of its members nationwide. The 900 state and local Leagues – comprising a vast grassroots lobby corps that can be mobilized when necessary.

Over time, the League’s legislative priorities change to reflect the needs of society and critical issues of concern. The organization remains true to its basic purpose: to make democracy work for all citizens. The League of Women Voters makes a difference in the lives of citizens because of the energy and passion of thousands of members committed to our principles.

Our Mission Statement

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

When it comes to debates, I'd take more credit from questions from the LWV as oposed to any other group.

Water coolers?

With eight years of tax increases, a budget that's ballooned from 149 million in 2001 to 202 million, and city debt going through the roof, this is how Mark Boughton responds to Gary Goncalves' criticism regarding the way he's governed the city.

Boughton said they even saved $13,000 a year by eliminating water coolers in City Hall...

...a budget that's over 200 million dollars (10+ million of which goes towards debt) and he's talking about water coolers savings?

With remarkable comments like this, it's no wonder Danbury's last honest man is doing everything in his power to avoid going toe to toe with Goncalves in an free and open public debate.

Bethel First Selectman case moved till after the election

Just found out that the court case for First Selectman Bob Burke has been moved from tomorrow morning, to Nov 6th, which is three days after the election.

Burke is facing second degree harassment charges stemming from alleged phone calls the first selectman made to a person who, according to court records, he had a personal relationship with.

UPDATE: The News-Times has more...

Burke's attorney Thomas Beecher said the change was at his request, but had no comment about why it was postponed until after the Nov. 3 municipal election.

Making Memories

HandyMan and I were out at the Aberfoyle Antique Fair this weekend. I had hoped to meet up with Chris from Just Beachy blog, but we were both caught up trying to find some deals before the rain came in. Lucky Chris, she scooped some great buys! I bought one little thing, but its really cute - a little cross-stitch for Chloe's room. I'll reframe it before I add it to her gallery wall. But this purchase got me to thinking - why do I spend so much effort decorating her room? I mean, she's only 5 months old and doesn't even have 20/20 vision yet. Does she care whether the fabrics on her curtains coordinate with her bedding? Can she even see the blue ceiling and sparkly chandelier? Would she even appreciate the time it took to build her closet or the thought that went into picking soft carpeting for her baby knees? I'm sure she will - someday.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of our house. It was the early 1970's... we had wood panelling in the living room, flocked damask wallpaper in the entry, and a vinyl orange banquette in the kitchen. My room was a pale pink. My bed was covered in floral sheets and I had a large Raggedy Ann doll made out of yarn hanging on the wall. I loved that room. I loved lying on the bed, reading my Encyclopedia Brown books, hearing the birds chirp in the tree outside my window.

Why is that I can barely remember my string of rental apartments from the 1990's but I can remember that old house in Georgetown with a striking clarity? I can remember how the sunlight came in through the bathroom window, setting the yellow room aglow. Or how on Saturday mornings I would turn on the record player in the den, hop on the teak coffee table and do my imitation of the Bay City Rollers (S-A-T-U-R, T-U-R-Tonight! Okay, I know the lyrics are wrong. But that's what they sounded like to my 6-year old ears). And how much I loved doing somersaults in my parents round bed, the one covered in an itchy polyester white shag duvet.

I believe that memories of our childhood homes are the most memorable because they literally shaped our world. They teach us about colour and texture and feel. They educate us about style, on how furnishings and objects are put together. They show us the value of things - family photos displayed prominently, or Grandma's vintage crystal, safely tucked away. Layer that with memories of playing hide and seek in the basement, cooking with mom in the kitchen, and hosting make-believe tea parties in your bedroom... no wonder they are indelible!

I want Chloe to have the same kind of memories. I want her to understand that home is a haven, and a decorated home is a well-loved one. I want her to have that feeling of rushing home just so she can plop down on her bed, and revel in her own space. And so that is why we will continue to spend Saturdays in hardware stores or fabric shops or antique fairs, because every little purchase helps us into making this a Home Sweet Home.

Friendly Folks

One thing I love about the internet is how it can bring you in contact with some wonderful people. Whether it be through chatting on a forum, blogging, or just emailing people about their products or services, I've been able to meet some great people - virtually. I love it when little things happen to remind you that on the other end, behind the computer screen, is another human being. Here's a little thank you post to some of those nice folks who have made my day:

Lindsay at Penny People was kind enough to send me this print for Chloe's room when I helped her with some reno questions. How thoughtful! Lindsay is a fab renovator and DIYer herself - you should check out her desk transformation!


Ariamamma is a lovely etsy seller. I bought a leash from her shop for Chloe's Sophie the Giraffe toy! But (blame it on the mommy-brain), we lost the leash so I ordered another one. Ariamamma sent one + a spare! And she sent this supercute hair clip which holds tight even in Chloe's babyfine hair. Visit her shop if you're looking for cute baby accessories.


And Liz at Wallpaper sent me this pretty album when I won her first giveaway. It was just what I needed - see, I've already filled it up with 200 photos! Liz is a stylish gal so I'm always peeking in on her blog to see her latest find.


So thank you, kind people. A virtual hug is coming your way!

Goncalves blasts Boughton over not agreeing to open debates

Democratic Mayoral candidate Gary Goncalves is joined by City Clerk candidate Eileen Coladarci and 3rd ward candidate Barbara Carey at his afternoon press conference
City Hall 09.25.09

On Friday afternoon, Democratic mayoral candidate Gary Goncalves held a press conference to address Mayor Boughton's refusal to hold open debates recently proposed by the League of Women Voters (LWV).

As stated in an earlier post, Goncalves announced last week that he's accepted the LWV's invitation to a mayoral debate and called upon Boughton to also accept the offer.

Responding in a recent News-Times article, the mayor claimed that fitting a open debate by the LWV would be difficult given his "busy" schedule next month.

As for other debates in the mayoral race, Goncalves said he has agreed to participate in an event sponsored later next month by the League of Women Voters of Danbury.

Boughton, however, said he had not yet received an invitation to the event.

"There are already several events planned for next month," he said. "Anything beyond that may be difficult to fit into our schedule."

Noting that the mayor's comments are reminiscent to the one he gave Helena Abrantes when she made the identical request back in 2007, Goncalves called Boughton's response "unacceptable" and shows a "display of arrogance and power by the Mayor to the voters and taxpayers of Danbury who have a right to hear the opposing views of the candidates in an open and no-cost forum."

...the excuses offered by the Mayor were a flagrant slight to the League of Women voters, a storied organization whose trademark is all about fair play in our Democracy, and to the Portuguese Cultural Center, who has offered their facilities to the voters of Danbury free of charge for the debate.

Citing increases in taxes, increase in long term debt, failing grades in some of the school in the area, and the uncertain status of lawsuits against the city, Goncavles further stated that Boughton is giving the impression that he's afraid to have an open debate regarding issues in the city.

...hmm, I think it's safe to say that we're in campaign season now.

After Goncalves gave his formal remarks, he took a wide range of questions from the media in attendance (WLAD, Tribuna, and yours truly).

Here in its entirety, is video footage from Goncalves' presser at City Hall.

News-Times to Topix: You're FIRED

After years of complaints, the Hearst Newspaper Corporation (Connecticut Post, Danbury News-Times, Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate) finally pulled the plug on the comment service.

We’ve heard you.

Time and again, the most consistent complaint about our sites we’ve heard from our users has been, to paraphrase, “The comments on your stories are horrible.”

“They’re filled with vile garbage.”

“They do nothing to add to a healthy conversation.”

“They’re extremely offensive.”

Our response has been equally steadfast: “We agree with you.”

Nobody cares more passionately about the freedom of speech than the members of our industry. I wouldn’t be doing what I do today if I didn’t believe strongly in the rights promised in the First Amendment.

In that sense, I’m not alone in thinking that users should be able to post comments on the stories that we write. I also think they should be able to post comments that I personally disagree with.

What I don’t believe, though, is that people should be allowed to anonymously post racist, threatening, homophobic comments on our site on a daily basis. And we’ve never allowed them to. Whenever that kind of garbage has been reported to us, we have deleted it as promptly as we could.

The problem with our story commenting system, which was administrated on a partnership with Topix.com, was that it made such anonymous postings all too easy to write.

I still believe it was an extremely vocal minority that ruined the concept for everyone else. But it’s a moot point: They were way out of hand.

Out of hand is an understatement...for a look back at some of that garbage from the past, click on any of the links below.

Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6, Link 7, Link 8

As you know, I've LONG advocated that the News-Times part ways with Topix and establish a new comment system which requires registration (with a valid email address). Thankfully, the paper took the first step in the right direction.

...goodbye TOPIX, trust me, you won't be missed.

---

UPDATE: What was life like before Topix?

People have emailed me questioning how people commented on the News-Times before Topix.

Well, there were two ways...let me explain (I'm hoping I get this right).

The original way people communicated on the News-Times site was via the Online Forums. Here's a sample of what it looked like back in 2005 (via the Wayback Machine).



With the Online Forum, you had to register in order to post a comment (I think with a valid email address...it's been awhile). You can click here to view a sample of a comment thread from the old Online Forum from 2006 (or just look below).



Unlike the wild world of the Topix service, the Online Forums didn't generate much traffic. This was mainly because back then, the forums were a separate entity on this site and wasn't linked to articles. Think of the old forums as the old school
BBS (Bulletin Board System) that was popular in the 80s (yes, there was a form of computer communication BEFORE the internet).

I think in either 06 or 07, the News-Times first experimented with allowing readers to post comments along side articles. Click here for a sample of an article with the original comments section from April 2007 (or...just look below).



Unlike the online forums (which were still around at this point), the News-Times' original comment section allowed people to post messages anonymously. Add that with the xenophobia that was on the rise during that time and...well, lets say all hell broke loose and soon comments at the News-Times got out of control.

...and then came the conversion to Topix.

Believe it or now, when it came to posting comments, Topix was a step in the right direction. It gave readers a way to flag offensive comments which would be removed...the problem stemmed mainly from the amount of time an offensive comment would stay on Topix.

Also, another MAJOR problem with Topix was, unlike the original Online Forums, one could post a comment without registering an account. To this day, I don't understand why the owners of Topix resist incorporating a registration feature into their service. With Hearst Newspaper dropping Topix, I'm almost certain the new comment service will include some type of registration (which hopefully will decrease the amount of racist/homophobic nonsense that readers endured for the last two years).

letterlicious

alphabet by bookhou

Ooh, I love typography. This would be perfect in a nursery, right Kathleen?

HatCityBLOG (the television show) EPISODE 2

TOPIC: Health Care reform vigil, highlights from Congressman Chris Murphy open forum.





You can watch HatCityBLOG (the television show) TONIGHT at 6PM and tomorrow morning at 11AM on Comcast 23.

Republican-style vandalism gone wild

It seems like the "People over Politics" team is really showing their true colors...and it's not pretty.

Let me explain.

Gary Goncalves placed a 4X8 campaign sign over on Clapboard Ridge Rd (location of the sign is mark in blue on the map).



On Sunday, this sign appeared at the same location...take note of what happened to Goncalves' sign.





It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the people who were behind this bullshit (here's a hint, it wasn't members of the Democratic Town Committee).

Did I mention that this guy was spotted driving his truck and placing 4X8 signs around town this weekend?

...connecting the dots yet?

Look, signs are expensive...and 4X8 professional signs are VERY expensive. Given the fact that this isn't the first 4X8 Goncalves sign that's been damaged in recent days, in my opinion, either the chairman of the Danbury Republican Town Committee should call off his goon squad, or the police should get involved in this matter (which would be rather embarrassing for the last honest man in Danbury).

...like I said, so much for "People over Politics."

The sexual assault case against John McGowan day two: Excuses, excuses…

Oh where do I begin?

Well day two of the rape trial against John McGowan has concluded and as expected, the former Danbury mayoral candidate, former vice president of the Elise Marciano's anti-immigration hate group, and leading figure in the local xenophobic movement was full of surprises.

For those who aren't following score, McGowan was arrested and charged with first degree sexual assault stemming from a incident last year which the victim (a person McGowan was romantically involved with) accused him of the following:

...Oct. 20, 2008, after attending a meeting at McGowan's church, he assaulted her anally at a house he was building on Juniper Road in New Milford.

The woman told police she said, "What are you doing?" and "Stop," but McGowan instead "put his right arm around her neck and put her in a headlock," according to the affidavit.

Unfortunately, this morning, I was caught in a traffic nightmare on Route 7 so I was late to the courthouse and missed all the festivities but the News-Times John Pirro filled in the blanks:

A Superior Court judge on Tuesday gave former Danbury mayoral candidate John McGowan more time to get a psychiatric examination that will determine whether he is capable of standing trial for first-degree sexual assault.

[...]

"If it's not done by the next court date, it's going to be a different story," Ginocchio said.

Ginocchio ordered the exam during McGowan's first appearance in Litchfield Superior Court, on Sept. 1, when the anti-immigration activist and cable television call-in show host refused to enter a plea and made numerous statements indicating he didn't consider himself subject to the court's jurisdiction.

Ginocchio said at the time that McGowan "appeared unable to answer the charges with any semblance of coherence" and that a psychiatric evaluation was needed to determine if McGowan could understand the charge and assist in his own defense.

I don't' know what was more shocking, the fact that McGowan received a three week extension to get a psychiatric examination done, or McGowan's excuse in not getting the examination done when ordered by the court on Sept 1st.

I'll let Pirro explain:

On Tuesday, McGowan claimed lack of transportation and issues involving the health of his father prevented him from getting the exam immediately after that day's court session, as requested by the prosecutor.

Now, lets skip the thing about his father because there's no way to prove if McGowan is LYING or now...but when it comes to his "lack of transportation," well lets just say that I think McGowan is full of shit.

Let me explain.

---

ITEM 1: What does McGowan do after being slapped with a court order? He hangs out at a bar!

After his September 1st court appearance, in which McGowan acted like a complete nutcase, that night, I went to TKs American Cafe for the usual Tuesday night wings. Now, at some point during the night (somewhere around 10-11) who seen sitting at a booth laughing it up and having a goo lo' time with his friend (and fellow cable access co-host) Kevin Gallagher…no other than McGowan.

Unfortunately, it was too dark in the bar for me to get a picture of the two but here's a pic that shows where they were seated (marked in blue).



Again, this was the same day when, just hours earlier, McGowan was ordered to get a psychiatric examination to determine if he was mentally capable to stand trial.
McGowan and Gallagher are having a great time until they notice that I'm also at the bar looking right at them…at which point, they quickly pay up their tab, bolt out of the place, and drive away.

...oh, did I forget to mention that McGowan was DRIVING A CAR when he left the bar?

How can McGowan find the time to DRIVE to a bar on the same day he was ORDERED get a psychiatric examination?

From what I saw that night, he was mentally capable to have a good time at a bar after his court appearance.

ITEM 2: McGowan's local access show continues without a hitch.

Days after he's ordered by the court to get a psychiatric examination, you'd think the last thing on McGowan's mind would involve planning, producing, and broadcasting a live call-in show.

...guess again.

On Friday September 4th and 11th, McGowan (with Gallagher as his co-host) did his weekly local access show without a hitch (snapshots of the show are below).



Things to take into consideration, 1.) McGowan lives in BETHEL miles away from Comcast Cable studios and 2.) it's known that co-host Gallagher most likely gets a ride to the studio from McGowan because most of the time (if not all of the time) he doesn't drive.

How can McGowan plan, produce, host a cable access show for TWO weeks straight LIVE (as well as get to the studio) and not find the time to get a psychiatric examination and/or have transportation problems?

ITEM 3: The Black Gold Oil encounter

I was on the road the morning on SEPTEMBER19th when I saw John McGowan drive his Black Gold Oil truck down the street (McGowan owns a oil business...how is this possible I have no idea).

While at a red light, I took a moment to snap this quick photo of the back of McGowan's truck.



Now, if McGowan had transportation problems, how is he able to get to and from his business? I hardly think he's walking from his house to his business.

Are you getting the picture?

I think Assistant State's Attorney Dawn Gallo said it best when she said the following:

"He has transportation, and he owns an oil company," Gallo said. "This is merely an attempt to manipulate the court."

BINGO.

To wrap things up, Pirro outlines even more bizarre behavior from Elise Marciano's BFF.

If his courtroom demeanor was low-key, that same description couldn't be applied to the sheaves of bizarre papers he has filed in connection with the case.
The thick stack of documents claim to be "powers of attorney" and attachments on various land records, but according to a court clerk are comprised of "legal terms that are strung together but have no legal meaning."

And to add insult to injury...

In some of the papers, McGowan identifies by name the woman who accused him of rape, as well as giving her address and the names of family members, Gallo said.

[...]

Gallo asked the judge for a protective order preventing McGowan from including that information on any documents he files.

Good grief!

Now, remember, if convicted, McGowan is facing up to 20 YEARS in jail and from my point of view, it doesn't seem like this guy is taking the case seriously. I have a feeling that if McGowan keeps screwing around, he'll get a reality check from the judge.

...to be continued.

---

RELATED POSTS:

McGowan arrested, charged with first-degree sexual assault

Court trial day one: Strange behavior, disturbing arrest warrant affidavit

LOCAL ACCESS VIDEO: Progressive Soup Sept 16 2009 broadcast

TOPIC: Health care

Shop Spotlight: Frontier Sales

It seems HandyMan and I can't get enough of antique hunting these days. I'm on the lookout for a hutch for the living room. We found a great reproduction piece at Cornerstone but I'm sure with a little patience we can find something more authentic and at a better price. This weekend, we dropped by Frontier Sales, a treasure trove of a store filled to the brim with an eclectic mix of old and used furniture.

There were quite a few things that caught my eye. Like this cabinet. I love the oval handles and the trimwork in the glass doors. If I didn't already have a dozen half-finished projects sitting around the house, I might have scooped it up and painted it a la Eddie Ross.


This set of six rattan chairs was calling to me too. I like the interesting pattern of the backs. White paint is great for bringing out features like that. Pair it with some graphic fabric on the seat (like elements of style did with her dining chairs), and you have a some real standout seating.


If I were redoing the nursery, I would have scooped up these next two pieces. See that orange chair... solid wood construction, smooth rocking motion, sturdy foam, and comfortable... all for $45! Recover it in a pretty fabric like we did for our nursery glider and you'd have a perfect place to rock baby to sleep. The dresser would be a sweet piece in a little girl's room. I loved the curlicue details and the ring drawer pulls. For this, I'd paint it a robin's egg blue or pale pink and put some fun wrapping paper to line the drawers. Or you could paint the drawers like The Stamford Wife did with her dresser makeover.



When I saw this room divider, I immediately thought of this headboard featured in Canadian House & Home. I think a high lacquer black would really bring out the intricate details of this piece. Its a nice ethnic piece... mix it with rustic and modern pieces and white walls to make a statement.



Love these two headboards. The caning on the first piece isn't something you see often on a headboard. Such a nice, delicate look. I love the curves on the peach headboard. The velour fabric needs replacing, maybe with something dramatic, like the popular Chiang Mai fabric from Schumacher.



We didn't find the hutch we were looking for, but its always fun visiting stores like this to get ideas and the creative juices flowing! We're off to the Aberfoyle Fall Antique Show this weekend so fingers crossed we find something we like there.

Gary Goncalves releases new TV ad

Today, the Gary Goncalves campaign released a new TV ad which will be broadcasted on Comcast cable...

LOCAL ACCESS VIDEO: Ideas at Work and Beyond 09.17.09 broadcast

GUESTS: Dan Gaita, Bethel First Selectman Robert Burke Treasurer
State Sen./Republican 4th CD candidate Dan Debicella

Having problems viewing content on the site?

I was talking this morning with someone who will remain nameless (you know who you are and I KNOW you're reading this now) who told me that he/she is having problems viewing videos on the site.

In fact he/she can't seem to get any of the videos to work.

This made me realize that I haven't done my friendly reminder to everyone to make sure you update your flash software. In order to see video content correctly on this (or any) site, you need to make sure your computer is running the latest version of Adobe Flash.

Click here to go to Adobe's homepage, click on the "Get Adobe Flash Player" button to update your system and everything should be fine.

HatCityBLOG "semi" EXCLUSIVE: Common Council Ad-hoc Committee, 2010 CT Film Festival

From Sept 15, here's video footage of the Common Council ad-hoc committee meeting regarding future funding of the CT Film Festival.

NOTE 1: I missed the first five minutes of the meeting where it was discussed that the person who was to provide the council with the figures from the '09 festival was unable to attend the meeting. For that reason, this committee will meet again when the individual is available to present the numbers.

NOTE 2: This is a "semi" exclusive because John Neumeiller "from Danbury Live" was on-hand to videotape the meeting also...I just beat him to the punch in showing the meeting to the public :-)

NOTE 3: I'm designing a special section of HatCityBLOG that will be dedicated to everything surrounding the CT Film Festival. This includes video footage of EVERY meeting that centered on the funding of the film festival as well as the release of my footage of this year's festival (including the complete audio of the New Media Frontiers panel which I and Fairfield County Weekly reporter Dave Bonan participated on.

Okay, enough typing...here's the video.

How I Learnt to Stop Worrying and Love the Mullah

(NOTE: There are some truly historical pictures here, and I don't just mean the old Dawn images. I would highly recommend right-clicking and viewing them in full. i lack the tech know how to get them to fit within the margins.)

a pakistani born in the 1980s, and beyond, lives with an acute delusion.

it is not his fault. the country he grew up in had a monolithic response to his questions about history.

we are muslims.
we have always been muslims.
muslims are the best.
we hate india.
indians=hindus=non-muslims=evil bastards.
we are muslims.

this ethos made it the gospel truth that our entire culture, language, history, experience, knowledge has always been proudly muslim, proudly pious and proudly righteous, and nothing else.

thus when the average pakistani confronts questions about his past that seem to make no sense with the monolithic view - such as why was bangladesh created, or why ghalib was an alcoholic - his brain is confronted with nothingness.

nothing that he has been taught accounts for such questions. so he is left with a blank, inoperative mind which he inevitably fills up with delusions.

i used to blame this phenomenon on having just one tv channel, lack of education, lack of access to alternate opinions and a reactionary megalomanic dictator poisoning the country. but the advent of a smorgasbord of news channels, liberal and illiberal politicos, democrats and dictators and even the fucking internet has done jack all in countering these delusions. in fact, it has made monolithic view even stronger, thanks to constant repetition, and shame.

salman rushdie had it right - we are a nation built out of, on, around, within and comprised of shame. i guess the terror we feel of a vengeful god ready to obliterate our sinful asses makes us so ashamed of any action we commit that even if we felt it was ok, we repent it anyways.

one of the joys of being young of course, is that you can get away with not giving a fuck about doing things which you might feel ashamed of later. one of the sorrows of being old is that you often have to face up to the actions of your youth, and try and deal with them.

if you are equipped with a sound knowledge of yourself, of what you believe and your place in the world, you can perhaps deal with such things. if you are someone who has no tangible idea of their identity, and suffers from shame, guilt and amnesia, you become...

a middle aged former pakistani rock star.

exhibit A, of course, is JJ aka Junaid Jamshed. Tazeen has done a great job of ripping into him of late, and as such there is little need to do so here. but JJ, for those of you not in the know, was pakistan's first pop music superstar.

i mean the chicks loved him like he was paul AND john rolled into one. he sang songs about how it was an era for white chicks, how dark chicks were hotter, how his name was written with yours in some random jungle on a tree. he had his hair long, his eyes wide, and fame all around.

then he became fundo. but not just any fundo. he arrived as the messiah of the "Ashamed" - those who live immorally, have acquired wealth immorally, treat their daughters and their wives and their servants immorally yet want to feel like they're good people.

anyone in pakistan who has money, and access to the internet, has immoral stuff going on. like me - my household practices child labor. my ability to speak english gives me access to opportunities others with the same skills minus english speaking ability are barred from. the AC i run, the car i drive, the text messages i send are a massive waste and misallocation of resources, as the inequities in my country are so vast.

the Ashamed are just like me. we suffer from massive delusions. we wish to have something to make sense of their lives, to have an identity. unlike me, the Ashamed find this identity most conveniently in what passes off as religion in this country.

now the prophet, whose ankle lengths, mustache designs, ittar brands and holding-hands-during-prayer examples you all love to mimc was also a dude who roamed around in tattered clothes and lived in a hovel. which can be a bit problematic because we love our AC and our cars and our big house and our servants and our designer clothes and our imported accents.

so what do you do?

you turn to your Messiah. you say, look at him, he is rich, he runs his own boutique of overpriced, ugly clothing. he rakes in the cash for trumpeting potato chips as holy. and yet, he lives the life of the pious. i mean, he must be pious - fucking look at him. he has a beard and he sings naats right before iftar time on geo. that's proper pious. and if he says that being wealthy, and not giving a fuck about the poor, and using charity drives to cleanse your guilt is ok, then it's fucking ok, ok?

ironically, JJ himself turned to this life when confronted with nothingness in his mind. according to NFP, once the signs had become massive, JJ started getting lonely, confused and directionless. it didn't stop him from milking his fame for all it was worth, but you know, he was lost.

He went about as a man tormented by a sense of burdensome guilt; a guilt about something no-one, not even himself was able to define

and perhaps when he grew older, and felt ashamed at his sexual liaisons, his youthful abandon, his lack of responsibilities, he felt the need to make up for it. if he was normal, he might have done something worthwhile. instead he became who he is.

and he's not alone.

exhibit B, najam shiraz is a proper skitzo - at one time he was making videos showing severed penises, then he became a spokesperson for the vaguely cultish Ar-Rehman-Ar-Rahim. then he became a musician again. then a mullah. then sang a shit song whose melodramatic video tamely discussed rape and incest.

then there's Ali Haider, whose entire career was based on songs which had the gravitas of a sugar-free souffle. all his songs had him doing vaguely suggestive dance moves and singing about vaguely suggestive romantic dalliances. it was enough to get him laid, and little else.

when he grew up, he felt ashamed of the absolute shit he had put out in the world. had he been from somewhere else, he would have sought to redress it with better artistic output. in the land of shame, he came on alim-online to announce he was now a mullah.

so what does it mean? all pakistani rock stars, and all pakistanis, are doomed to being born again muslims who are at the cutting edge of hypocrisy.

NO.

there has been one badass mothafucker who has been rocking out ever since this whole shit began. he fronted the greatest paki band ever. and then when it became shit, he reinvented himself as a solo artist who actually put out music that was good.

ali azmat fucked them models, snorted that coke, spewed the bullshit, acted like a dick, took the money and ran - but he always kept rocking, and he never sold out.

wait a minute.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!