State Capitol and The Other End of a Horse

The State of Connecticut has a $3.5 billion deficit and has gone 109 days without a budget.

The governor and the legislature aren't even meeting or talking about it.

The State Capitol and the other end of a horse seem appropriate.

Ship of State

I can always count on this guy to put on a big Halloween show on his lawn.

Matt Warshauer is a history professor at Central Connecticut State University who thinks
the American ship of state is in trouble.  On every pirate ship, someone walks the plank.
On his, it is James Comey.  A DACA student is next.

The Mad King is (kind of) in charge of the ship.  He is rigged to breathe smoke, 

but not when I was there.

We Heart Local

The locavore philosophy -- favoring locally sourced foods -- has caught hold in many places.  It is especially strong in New England.  I stopped for lunch recently at The Popover Bistro and Bakery.

There was a simple menu for breakfast and lunch, featuring vegan and organic foods.  

I liked the blackboard that showed where most of their foods came from.

Tattoos

Tommy's Tattoo Convention is taking place this weekend at the Connecticut Convention Center.

I went by on Friday afternoon, before the convention began.  Sarah and Mikey were hanging out.

Sarah has numerous tattoos, some reflecting her Buddhism and others based on Goth-style

movies that she likes.  Mikey has a fascinating left arm illusion tattoo, 

with skulls that morph into human figures. 

Sarah, Emily and Mike are tattoo artists from Philadelphia.  Their tattoos don't have any specific meanings.  They just liked the art and thought the tattoos were cool.

Cory is a tattoo artist from Groton, Connecticut.  He was fine with being photographed,

but he is a man of few words and didn't want to talk about his tats.

Rehearsal

Organ music filled the empty Trinity College chapel.

An organist, Thomas Ospital, was rehearsing for a performance last evening.

Bach.  Mozart.  Fauré.  Debussy.  An original composition.  It must have been heavenly.

Thomas Ospital is organiste titulaire at Saint-Eustache Church in Paris and organist-in-residence

at Maison de la Radio (Radio France Music Hall).

Three Swans

A pair and a cygnet.  Weekend Reflections.

Overgrown

The kitchen garden behind the Pond House in Elizabeth Park is deliciously overgrown
as the end of the growing season approaches.