State of New Jersey | Executive OrdersThe Flag at Half-MastWhat's wrong with this picture?

Orders and Directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Monday, January 25, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Marine Sergeant Christopher R. Hrbek.

Orders and Directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, January 29, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy Kane.

Orders and Directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, March 5, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Sergeant Marcos Gorra.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, April 16, 2010, in recognition and mourning of the passing of United States Congressman Bob Franks.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Monday, April 19, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Corporal Michael D. Jankiewicz.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Thursday, April 29, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Sergeant Ronald Alan Kubik.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Tuesday, May 11, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army 1st Lieutenant Salvatore S. Corma.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Tuesday, June 1, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Colonel John M. McHugh.

Orders the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours for one week, commencing Tuesday, June 8, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal hero, New Jersey State Trooper Marc K. Castellano, Badge 6397.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Wednesday, June 16, 2010, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Specialist Stanley J. Sokolowski, III.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Monday, August 2, 2010 in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Marine Major James M. Weis.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Specialist Carlos Javier Negron, Sr.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, September 3, 2010 in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Sergeant Jamal M. Rhett.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Army Specialist Pedro A. Millet Meletiche.

Orders and directs the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, instrumentalities and all public buildings during appropriate hours on September 11, 2010 in recognition and mourning of all of those lost in the September 11th attacks, and particularly, those lost from our home State.

The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Friday, February 17, 2012, in recognition and mourning of the passing of Whitney Houston.

The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Tuesday, February 21, 2012, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American hero, United States Marine Lance Corporal Osbrany Montes De Oca.

Equality. For all. Now.

Death Comes Home.Riverside Cemetery | Waterbury CTNational Historic Registry

Cemetery theft brings 8 years 
Southington man stole bronze statues from Riverside 
© JONATHAN SHUGARTS REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WATERBURY — A 26-year-old Southington man was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday for his role in the theft of unique bronze statues from gravesites in Riverside Cemetery.

Jonathan Leveille, of 11 E. Summer St., appeared in Waterbury Superior Court to accept the sentence as part of a plea deal that will also call for him to serve three years of probation after he's released from prison.

Leveille was at the center of a shocking theft discovered in December by a group of veterans who went to the cemetery to lay wreaths at a memorial.

They found that two bronze sculptures — a life-size figure of a woman and a hooded figure of Death — had been pried from their mounts.

Police launched an investigation into the thefts, tracking the pieces of art to Liberty Recycling in Bristol. The Death statue, which dated back to the mid-1880s, was recovered intact, but the life-size statue of the woman had been hacked into pieces using what appeared to be a reciprocating saw.

Police tracked down the thieves after they obtained the name of the seller from the Bristol scrap yard. Although the valuable statues were worth far more, they had been sold for a mere $1,500.

After his arrest, Leveille told police that he and his accomplice, Donald Petruzzi, 22, pried the statues away from their bases using a metal bar and loaded them into an old Chevrolet Beretta.

Leveille was charged with a list of crimes, but pleaded guilty to first-degree larceny and illegal possession of a gravestone, which are both felonies.

State's Attorney Maureen Platt said the representatives of the cemetery felt the theft was serious, but didn't want to be heard in connection with the pre-arranged deal.

When asked if he had anything to say before the sentence was imposed by Judge Richard Damiani, Leveille, wearing a faded orange jumpsuit, declined to comment. He kept his head down, said little else and was escorted into nearby cell blocks after the brief hearing.

Leveille's criminal record includes convictions for third-degree larceny, failing to appear in court and use of drug paraphernalia.

Leveille's sentence is the same amount of prison time assigned to another shocking theft that occurred at the cemetery in 2007. Joseph Vecchiarelli's drug addiction led him to steal gold dentures from the mouths of skulls as he ransacked three mausoleums, according to Republican-American archives.

Vecchiarelli ripped into six coffins during the theft, including one that contained an infant.

Petruzzi is still awaiting trial.

Forked TongueConservative Radio Host Leaves Gay BarHits Bouncer's Car; Caught on Video

edge NY, NY

Jason St. Amand

Web Producer / Staff Writer

Thursday Feb 16, 2012

A conservative radio talk show host was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run after leaving a popular gay bar in Houston late last month Click2Houstonreported.

T.C.’s Show Bar’s security camera caught an SUV smashing into Tuderia Bennett’s car outside the establishment, causing more than $1,500 in damage. Bennett, the bar’s bouncer, told authorities that he witnessed the accident and claims that Michael Berry, who is also a former Houston City Councilman, was responsible.

"I said, ’That’s definitely the guy.’ For sure, 100 percent," said Bennett. The bouncer saw the accident around 11 p.m. on Jan. 31 as he was standing at the bar’s door during its drag show.

Bennett wrote down the alleged assailant’s license plate number, which matched Berry’s vehicle.

"In my statement, I said there’s no question, 100 percent," Bennett told the local media. "I could line this guy up if he’s standing out here with 50 people. I could walk right up to the guy and say, ’That’s the guy who hit my car,’ "The bar’s managers gave the Houston Police Department their security footage. Officials told the television station that they confirmed that the former councilman was inside that night.

"Mr. Berry is one of those customers who has been to our establishment," reads an e-mail to the HPD. "The video in question that shows Mr. Berry in our establishment is in our possession. The local authorities have requested this same video and they are in possession to assist with their investigation."

"All the information points to you," said Bennett, referring to Berry. "There is no sort of information that makes you innocent in this. Videos don’t lie. They don’t paint pictures that don’t exist."

Local authorities said that the incident is still under investigation. For now, Berry has not been charged with a crime.

"If you’re going to stand up and say anti-gay things and be conservative and be Mr. Good Guy, and then when something happens that points you out and puts you in a place with the exact business that you aim to shut down, it kind of makes it seem like I need this to go away and I need it to go away quickly," said Bennett.

Bernard Lynch's Obituary

Bernard Lynch

Lynch, Bernard, 89, Elk River, MN, died Monday, January 30, 2012 at the Elim Care & Rehab Center, Princeton, MN. Visitation: 5-8 PM, Friday, February 10th at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home, 14264 Bank Street, Becker, MN and one hour before the service at the church. Prayer Service: 6 PM, Friday at the funeral home. Service: 11 AM, Saturday, February 11th at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 12100 Sherburne Avenue, Becker, MN. Interment: Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Cemetery, Big Lake, MN.

DEATH returns to Riverside CemeteryWaterbury CT

Why I voted for Obama once, & why I'll vote for him...again.

The Screaming Room | 2011HOSTEL IIIStraight to Video!

Actually, this movie (VOD – Amazon: $3.99; VOD – U-Verse: $5.99) was pretty good. Taking the Elite Hunting Club to Vegas (yeah, we know what they say) was a perfect setting, especially when Vegas is in the middle of nowhere, which comes in handy for part of the storyline.

There's more than a few twists here, and women are sexualized to the highest degree, themselves a piece of meat for the right price. Kinda vulgar, if that's what Vegas is about. But the "reality show" angle, the "game show" slant – pure Americana.

It was a bit low on the bloodflow, but what it lacked in blood, it made up for in intense action.

And if you think everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, well, there's an exception to every rule.

And the House sometimes looses. KA-BOOM!

Hell hath no fury like a bride-to-be scorned.

Even right in front of her groom's columbaria.

My vote? This should've been released on the big screen, and Eli Roth should have jumped on board. It was intense, different, and kept the theme going strong. Eli Roth wrote a great story, and I can see the franchise moving along, at least one more time.

Now if I can only get Eli on the phone, he'd take my story line in a dying heartbeat!

Freddie Mercury | Somebody to Love [A Capella]

Born this day in 1564 | Galileo GalileiIn honour of Galileo...

George Michael | Praying for TimeOfficial Video 1990

Entry: PhotoDistrictNews Photo Annual 2012Calendar | Bernard M Lynch JrThe Basilica of The Immaculate Conception

Interactive Entry Site Here

ART + SIN | The Black Party Posters

ART + SIN: Black Party Posters 1981 – 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
(Cocktail Reception 7:00pm – 10:00pm)
THE CENTER: 208 West 13th Street, Room 301

Photo District News Photography Annual 2012The Basilica of The Immaculate Conception

Check out my entries, online, here.

Gregory Hines | A sweetheart of a dancer b. 1945Photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe

St. Valentine Kneeling in SupplicationReceiving a Rosary from the VirginDavid Teniers III

Saint Valentine receives a rosary from the Virgin, by David Teniers III


Bishop and Martyr


Died: traditionally ca. 269[1] but see text
Honored in Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, Lutheranism, and individual Baptist churches
Feast February 14 (Roman Catholic Church)
July 30 (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Attributes birds; roses; bishop with a crippled or a child with epilepsy at his feet; bishop with a rooster nearby; bishop refusing to adore an idol; bishop being beheaded; priest bearing a sword; priest holding a sun; priest giving sight to a blind girl


Patronage affianced couples, against fainting, bee keepers, happy marriages, love, plague, epilepsy

Venus and Cupid | LottoThe Metropolitan Museum of Art

Venus and Cupid

Lorenzo Lotto  (Italian, Venice ca. 1480–1556 Loreto)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

36 3/8 x 43 7/8 in. (92.4 x 111.4 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Purchase, Mrs. Charles Wrightsman Gift, in honor of Marietta Tree, 1986

Accession Number:

1986.138

Cupid by CaravaggioAmor Vincit Omnia | Love Conquers All

Artist	Caravaggio
Year	1601–1602
Type	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	156 cm × 113 cm (61 in × 44 in)
Location	Gemäldegalerie, Berlin

CUPID by Photographer David Vance | MiamiIn the style of Caravaggio

David Vance, photographer (Miami) has a new blog! Be sure to bookmark it!
You can access his blog here.

Happy Valentine's Day!Coca-Cola Retail Display in Stop & Shop

Mashup | The Daft Beatles [The Video]Adele v EurythmicsRolling in Sweet Dreams

Mashup | The Daft BeatlesAdele v EurythmicsRolling in Sweet Dreams

Whitney Houston | The National AnthemSuper Bowl XXV