LEGACIES

Drove by a small apple orchard during the back-and-forth of life today.  This time of year, with the apples hanging from the branches, I like to slow down when I pass an orchard.  Maybe even stop.  There’s a little family history there.  My grandfather once owned a small orchard in Massachusetts, and even though he’s been gone [...]

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THE LIVING AND THE DEAD

I’m trying to give the “new” Courant some time before revisiting the subject, but is anyone else amused that they moved the obituaries to the CTLIVING section? 
And right behind the comics, no less.

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WALL STREET BLUES

There was reporting on NBC Nightly News Monday that certain members of Congress heard from constituents on the bailout and voted no, because, as Brian Williams put it, those constituents “didn’t want taxpayer money going after bad money in a home mortgage meltdown.”
In other words, “you rich twits screwed up, and we’re not bailing out [...]

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THE “NEW” COURANT

That’s it?
Make the masthead vertical, and throw “CT” in front of the names of the sections?  I guess I expected something more after the three month buildup to this “relaunch.”
Today’s paper comes with a lot of “directions” on how to use it, and what’s in it, and what’s going to be in it, and what’s [...]

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PAUL NEWMAN

This was not unexpected, but it’s still a sad day, especially for Connecticut. Paul Newman was great, and he did good.
He was a true movie star…among the last of a breed that women wanted to love and men wanted to be. 
I will leave it to my friend Jeffrey Lyons of WNBC to talk about Mr. [...]

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KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE

I seldom write about the inner workings of my job because (a) it’s not that interesting, and (b) you could probably do my job before I could do yours. 
But there are times I think I really earn my pay, and Friday night’s 11pm news is a fair example.  I had to read a story on elderly [...]

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SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT…

With everything that’s going on…home sales and durable orders goods down…our parent company, General Electric, cutting its profit forecast…the government frantically trying to push through a 700-billion dollar bailout of the country’s financial system…
WE’RE NOT IN A RECESSION???
Or are we?

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HOGAN A HERO

Well, maybe not a hero, but I couldn’t pass on the headline.
Still, these days it’s pretty heroic for anyone to pass on a $100,000 performance bonus, and that’s what UConn President Michael Hogan just did. 
Yes, he makes more than a half-million dollars a year.  Yes, he gets a house and a car and a bunch of other goodies [...]

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WE HAVE A WINNER!

Good or bad, I enjoy perusing the viewer email.  Some of it is enlightening, some of it is endearing, some of it is perplexing, and some of it is rude.  That’s the way it is.  The internet has helped make television a more communal affair than ever.  It’s a good thing.
But this may be my [...]

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AU COURANT

If you’re interested in what the “new” Hartford Courant will look like starting Sunday…click here.

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