Retraction and some cool news

That must sting almost as much as crushed civil liberties and rampant corruption does!

First, yesterday Silvio Berlusconi was struck in the face during a rally in Milan!  Here’s a NYT article about the incident and a brief primer on Berlusconi’s evils, here’s a disappointingly chaotic video of the attack, and here’s my view: that jerk had it coming.  Ok, yeah, yeah sure it’s bad when citizens illustrate such little respect for institutions and actors of the state that they will hit them in the face with souvenir statues of Milan’s cathedral.  But Silvio Berlusconi is a rat, a liar, and a cheat.  He is the scum between my toes.  He makes George W. Bush look honest and forthcoming!  That said, I would like it if Italians expressed their civic malaise through more peaceful avenues like, say, a ballot box…

Is it really that tilty? New England geography baffles me.

And now, for something completely different, we will exalt the greatness of Connecticut.  One very attentive reader noticed my dig at Connecticut in my last post, and quickly jumped to her home’s defense.  As a proud Texan and a dedicated DC lover, I understand and admire her pride.  So, dear readers, please give Connecticut a second look through Rebecca Reichardt’s loving eyes.   I made the text UCONN blue just to get into the spirit of things!

“I couldn’t help but notice that you once thought of Connecticut as “a place that once seemed boring and undesirable.” While I am very happy that your Florentine experience has fostered a desire to visit my beloved native land, I fear that after visiting Storrs, the home of the great UCONN Huskies, your original opinion of the state may be confirmed. Thus I have taken it upon myself to compile a list for you of cool shit about Connecticut.

1. The Hamburger was invented at Lou’s lunch in New Haven.
2. The Frisbee was also invented in New Haven.
3. America’s first theme park is Lake Compounce in Bristol. It’s actually kind of lame (it’s fun peaked during my 8th grade class trip), but it’s still cool that it’s there.
4. Bristol is home to the Carousel Museum AND ESPN.
5. Captain Kidd [I didn't know who this was, but I'm impressed after looking him up!] allegedly buried his treasure in the Thimble Islands off the coast of Branford.
6. Our state mammal is the Sperm Whale. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think that’s pretty cool. Also, the state song in Yankee Doodle.
7. Whiffle balls and PEZ candies are made in Shelton and Orange respectively. Thus, Connecticut is probs responsible for at least 6.54% of childhood fun.
8. The dude who discovered the Titanic has his home base at the aquarium in Mystic.
9. During Thanksgiving time, Gozzi’s turkey farm in Guilford dies its turkeys turkeys bright colors.
10. Seth MacFarlane and the guy who plays Mac (like in the Mac commercials) are both from Connecticut.
11. The UCONN Huskies are the best basketball team in the history of the world.
12. East Haven has more Italians per capita than any other town in the United States of America. Pizza in Connecticut is NO joke.”