Former Speaker of the House Jim Amann says were he in Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy’s shoes–a 21-year-old son with an assortment of legal troubles–that he’d drop out of the gubernatorial race.
Family comes first, politics second, the Bridgeport native (and himself a guber candidate) enlightens in the Hartford Courant. So, what Jimmy is saying is that anyone with a family problem should cast aside their personal ambitions, suggesting that Malloy cannot possibly attend to the issues of his adult son (under arrest for drug and robbery charges) and govern and campaign effectively.
If that’s the case everyone should quit their job when they have a family problem. Good gravy, Amann hasn’t had his share of problems the past year? If I’m advising Amann I wouldn’t touch Malloy’s issue with a 10-foot pole, political poll, or the North Pole.
You start inserting yourself into a competitor’s family issues and you set yourself up for your own familial scrutiny. Not too bright. But of course Jimmy’s the guy that decided to not seek reelection to the State House because he feared being saddled with all this budget distress while running for governor.
Instead, he tried to wire himself a six-figure legislative consulting position thinking no one was paying attention. The media outcry forced him to abandon two grand per week.
Me, I’d have done what was good for my family: take the consulting job and dump the guber run.
This is what happens when your name recognition sucks, you’re last in the polls and with no substantial message: you say stuff that can only bite you in the ass.
Amann will need something dramatic to happen to realistically put himself in play for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. As it stands, this will be a Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz/Malloy battle.
It will be difficult for Amann to engineer public support without a public platform. Meanwhile, SuBy is moving around the state using her public position to talk about jobs, economic development and education. And Malloy stays in play because he hasn’t stopped working the Democratic political process since he lost a tight gubernatorial primary in 2006.
History Jewel
I have a soft spot for the Historical Collections of the Bridgeport Public Library. I lived there for two years researching and writing the book for which this webzine is named. Looks like a tight library budget will force the Historical Collections, directed by Mary Witkowski, to be open to the public just three days per week.
That place is an information gem of facts, photos, figures and history for scribes, researchers, genealogists, lawyers and students. The budget situation for arguably the finest public library system in the state isn’t nearly as dire as last year, when the City Council restored funding that would have led to dozens of layoffs. Is there a few more bucks to keep the Historical Collections open for five days? Decision time City Council.
Funky Toons From Gallery At Black Rock
Please Join us for an Artist Reception of Ministers of Funk
Features paintings by Frank Foster Post
Opening Friday April 24th from 6 to 9 PM
Show will run through June 4th, 2009
The Gallery at Black Rock
2861 Fairfield Ave.
Bridgeport, CT. 06605Gallery hours are Thurs., Fri., Sat. from 11 AM to 5:30 PM. Hours are also available by appointment, please contact (203) 814-6856.
www.thegalleryatblackrock.comMINISTERS OF FUNK
Frank Foster Post
Frank Foster Post is an award winning artist and musician He has exhibited in NYC and Ct. As a musician, he has performed extensively in the United States and Europe.
Beginning his art career as a photo realist, his work has been stripped down and evolved into what he calls “toon”. He uses original cartoon-like imagery to convey the human experience. The universal experience. Post says,” My gauge for a decent piece of art is whether a person, no matter where they live, can identify with the piece.” The “toon” paintings are bright, colorful and seem to tap into a collective energy that people of all ages respond to.
The exhibit at The Gallery At Black Rock is divided into two rooms. The first room has paintings of “Angel-o,” Post’s alter ego, as well as other related images. The second room is a universe of characters that are funny and compelling – “Ministers of Funk.”
WOULD I BE the first person to say gubernatorial candidate Amann doesn’t stand a prayer?
Can Bridgeporters handle the struggle of seeing the fantastic Historical Collection just three days a week?
Can you dig my “toon”, man?
www .toofunnyjokes.com/images/funny-pictures-toons/funny-toon-pic001.jpg < --
Amann is clearly no Ab-Original thinker and should run for political cover into the Outback. He’s looking more like a Bloomin’ Idiot than a Bloomin’ Onion.
I’m looking forward to getting Funked Up with those Ministers of Funk.
This guy is turning into or maybe he already was a jerk. Who amongst us did not or do not have family problems of one sort or another? The tenor of a person is a willingness to stick by family members and try to get them back on track.
To throw aside a family member for a political run is just plain cowardice.
Here is a guy that does not have the balls to run for reelection because he wants to escape the political bag of a tax increase. Here is a guy that has his political friends in Hartford create a 6-figure bullshit job for him, talk about a loose cannon.
Here is a guy that did not support the party candidate for mayor and now will attempt to secure the TC nomination. Not a chance. He is just another gutless politician.
I’ll be honest: I’m a funkaholic. In Bridgeport, funky dudes stay clear of art galleries. We perform on the street. We bring our message of unity and hope directly to the people! Our foot-stomping style means we leave footprints in the concrete and smiles on the children’s faces. It’s all part of “funkmaster nation”. Join today!
We challenge the pretenders to a funk smackdown where we promise to out-funk the funk-less.
Here’s my photo from the early days … (wink)
blackgrooves.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/florida_funk.jpg < -- FunkMeisters unite!
When dudes, funky or otherwise, stay clear of art galleries, art galleries cease to exist. When art galleries cease to exist, visual artists fail to make a living, and art ceases to exist.
When art in your town ceases to exist, your town’s soul decays into a ghostland of brown fields and vacant stores and industrial space where art could flourish and help to bring back the soul of a town still living in the past glories of a failed manufacturing economy that died years before most residents where born. It’s one of those “for the want of a nail” domino situations.
Sound like any town you know?
The Gallery at Black Rock is a living example of how to keep the artistic spirit of a town alive. Every show gets better and better. I, for one, wouldn’t miss the Ministers of Funk opening this Friday. Trust me, I am one nasty motherfunker, and I’ll be there.
Yesterday’s City Lights Gallery rent party proved conclusively that many in this town aren’t quite ready to accept the death of another important Bridgeport art venue. The turnout was great … and not just the usual free food and wine suspects that make it to most gallery openings. The crowd actually took money from their pockets and put it where their mouth is.
A great time was had by all. Major kudos to the funky and talented Suzanne Kachner for a rent party well done!
And the crowd was also relatively funky and talented. Sometimes the street extends into the art gallery.
Although I do also believe that art has a very important place on the streets, whether it comes out of a boombox or from a piece of chalk spelling out a greeting message on a downtown Bridgeport street.
PT
Mr. Barnum’s Bridgeport To Nowhere
bridgeportintheknow.com
After reading much of the comments from yesterdays Blog, I just gotta laugh.
The City of Bridgeport is in a real shit storm, and we cannot seem to get out of our own way. However, all of the real thinkers here would like to pontificate that with a tweak here, and an ass kiss there, we can solve the economic, social and political issues throughout the Hemisphere.
Oh, and if that doesn’t work–here’s an obligatory insult to make you feel scared or unimportant or … something?
Ha.
This place is funny.
Keep on keepin’ on …
*** Nice to see someone digesting all the “real” important priceless personal opinions that are blogged on OIB from time to time! *** Ha! ***
I am appalled and disgusted by Amann’s comments. That line of thinking makes me believe he is not fit to hold any political office.
Also, as to public financing from yesterday … Sly, I am glad you said something. I would not have run without the public funding either. I will not run again without it. Also, the $100.00 maximum prevents the politician from being beholden to anyone.
Listening to Connecticut politicians makes me want to smoke crack. Amann ought to tend his own business. Making “What I’d do if I were him” comments is just so much hot gas. He ISN’T Dan Malloy and so he ought to refrain from telling the rest of us what he would do if he WERE Dan Malloy (and trying to make cheap political capital out of a potential rival’s personal problems).
*** (T.B.K.) Well said & written on Amann’s comments concerning Malloy’s personal laundry; maybe Amann feels Malloy could be an easy target to politically go after, should Malloy become a real Dem. threat in the future! Time will tell. ***
When art galleries cease to exist, visual artists fail to make a living, and art ceases to exist. < -- more swill from PT. When visual artists can't make a living, they hopefully redeploy their creative juices in other ways but their talent remains. Galleries come and go but the creativity lingers. Extracting a dollar out of today's economy is the ultimate act of creativity. Art doesn't exist in some sterile form in a building where it can be examined and discussed, it happens in ways that are sometimes spoken, written or involve a specific act. It can't always be seen. And one more thing: OIB bloggers do not live in a soulless world!
“When visual artists can’t make a living, they hopefully redeploy their creative juices in other ways but their talent remains. Galleries come and go but the creativity lingers.”
Making money is not art. Survival requires making money. Survival requires creativity.
Art is not created in an art gallery. Art is shown and hopefully SOLD in an art gallery. Discussion over free cheese and wine is a nice artist’s ego perk, but does NOT pay an artist’s or gallery owner’s bills. I’ve yet to meet a gallery owner who was in it for the money. It tends to be a business of passion rather than profit.
It is certainly not required to purchase art to be enriched or challenged by it, but it certainly helps keep art alive. Art exists in the creation and experience of art. Artists continue to survive with the support of their efforts as surely as an accountant or laborer survives with the support of his or her skilled efforts.
“it happens in ways that are sometimes spoken, written or involve a specific act. It can’t always be seen.”
Please stop quoting “The Joy of Sex”. The ’60s is over. Wrap it up.
VISUAL art that cannot be seen cannot be sold. A distribution network is required of all products. Sound and written art have other venues to promote sales.
You may have heard of some of these. They are often referred to as STORES. If you have no opportunity to read an author’s written work, or hear a musician’s music, you will not buy it.
“And one more thing: OIB bloggers do not live in a soulless world!”
The last refuge of a scoundrel is kissing the imaginary asses of others. Several of the OIB bloggers were at the City Lights rent party, so they certainly weren’t in a “soulless” world yesterday. I guess you didn’t get the secret field trip memo. And you attribute “soulless” words to me I never typed.
As always, your eyesight may be local, but your blindness is global. A horse with blinders mentality is surely one of Bridgeport’s greatest long-term afflictions.
Reply or don’t. Get the picture or not. Your myopia never interests me enough for that to matter.
And of course, my personal favorite …
“more swill from PT.”
In the words of the great Delman Mangrove from his essential “The Layman’s Guide to Perspicacity”:
“Pearls before pigs, swill before swine. It’s all bacon to me.”–from the essay “It Must Be Jelly, ‘Cause Pork Don’t Shake Like That”.
Jackson Pollack was the real Funkmeister General. Everything else is just spilled paint.
PT
Mr. Barnum’s Bridgeport To Nowhere
bridgeporttonowhere.com/wordpress
So, moo … jo I do agree with you $15,000 is enough to run a city council campaign. We could do away with the public funding, and have every candidate give Mario $5,000 and everyone makes out. You try to project yourself as a fair-minded logical person, but just like half of the other idiots you have your head up the midget’s butt. He’s starting to remind me of Tom Thumb.
*** How did Mario get in my blog to start with & I see you have a new handle; however you’re already on the logical list of wannabes! *** Passgas ***
*** Also, there was never a mention of doing away with public funding, maybe tweaking the “$” amounts depending on the seat you’re running for, etc. *** What do you project by throwing stones & living in a glass house yourself? *** You remind me of everything that’s wrong with this site forum. ***
*** “Password” for tomorrow is, “don’t ask, don’t tell!” ***
D-u-u-u-u-u-d-e, just because you have an opinion doesn’t mean you’re creative …