CBS Suggests A Gift Idea For The Special Woman In Your Life

Yes, the headline is true but, there are no guarantees that she won’t dump you as a result of receiving this gift.

If you haven’t seen them already, CBS Cares public service announcements are suggesting that scheduling a pap smear for your significant other is the perfect holiday gift idea.

I understand that many people are cutting back on gifts this year, but seriously?! I could barely believe these were real public service announcements.

First of all, the spin of the PSA is that giving or getting a pap smear as a gift is something sexy.

There is nothing sexy about a pap smear. Nothing.

I understand that cervical cancer is a serious problem and should be given the needed attention it deserves. I just don’t think that suggesting a pap smear as a gift is the most effective way to create awareness. Not that I’m saying I’d prefer a more morbid message like the “Make sure this holiday isn’t your last – don’t drink and drive,” campaign.

And did they really have to throw in the Jewish puns too? So corny!

Maybe a pap smear is “the gift that even Santa can’t deliver,” but it is one that any gynecologist can and the woman in your life has most likely been getting one yearly since she was 18. It’s a standard practice at yearly gynecological visits. So, lets face it: even if this was an acceptable gift idea, it is in no way creative or even necessary. We all know there’s nothing worse than getting some one a gift they’ve received in the past.

You’d probably be better off just buying her a package of tampons. At least she needs those periodically, unless she’s already gone through menopause. The pap smear she’s most likely taken care of. However, in the off-chance that she hasn’t the issue is more likely that she has never seen a gynecologist, in which case you should get out of that relationship fast!

So with all that said, CBS, let me just say this. Your PSAs create more laughter than awareness. Better luck next year. Oh, and Happy Holidays! =)

States Lead The Way On Climate Legislation

State Sen. Ed Meyer, D-Guilford

Only days before world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss an international agreement on global warming, the “America on the Move” report, concluded that states are already leading the way to creating a solution.

The report, issued by the Environment America Research and Policy Center, reviewed more than 100 policies adopted by states and projected the emission reduction that will result from those actions.

According to the report, state policies will reduce global warming pollution by approximately 536 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2020.

“When it comes to America’s response to global warming, what happens on capital hill is really only half of the story,” Nancy Pyne, field associate at Environment Connecticut, said. “States have great power to reduce global warming within their boarders and many states are already using that power to implement clean energy policies that rival those elsewhere in the world.”

Continue Reading “States Lead The Way On Climate Legislation”

Toyland Is More Complicated Than Ever Before

This holiday season, finding the perfect gift won’t be the only concern for hurried parents scouring the aisles of every toy store.

They will also have to consider whether the Vtech Bright Lights Phone they just put in their cart could cause hearing loss in their child.

The Bright Lights Phone is just one of the toys that made it onto this year’s Unsafe Toy List released by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group as a part of their Trouble in Toyland report.

Continue Reading “Toyland Is More Complicated Than Ever Before”

Can you network with God?

Don’t get scared away by the headline. I know many people immediately run  from anything that might be remotely religious, but I assure you no one is attempting to indoctrinate you with this post.

Networking with God was a curious idea that popped into my head Saturday night while setting my alarm clock to wake up for church the next morning.

As I have mentioned before, networking is incredibly important in job searching. You need to talk to as many people as possible and get them to help you find more people you can talk with.

Sometimes I feel like I have come to a dead end when it comes to networking because I’ve practically run out of new people to talk to. It seems like half of the East Coast is on a mission to find me more networking opportunities, however none of us are having much success.

Walking into my parents’ bedroom to say goodnight, I jokingly posed the idea of networking with God to my mother.

“Do you think I could  network with God tomorrow at church?” I asked her.

“I don’t see why not,” she said. She clearly didn’t pick up on my joke that I had thought was so creative.

It wasn’t until the next day, as the congregation talked after the service, that I realized what I had come up with really wasn’t a joke after all.

The truth that I came to discover was that a church community, or any religious community, is just another group of people. Religious communities in particular tend to be very supportive and full of people who want to help others out. People who want to help you out are exactly the ones you want to network with.

While talking with old high school friends home from college for Thanksgiving break, I ended up talking to a woman who had been an advisor on many of our youth group’s Habitat for Humanity trips. She reminded me about someone she had mentioned before who works in the publishing industry who she said she would get me in touch with. Handing me a name tag sticker with her email address on it, she instructed me to send her a copy of my resume.

I thanked her profusely and told her I’d email her right away.

“Huh,” I thought to myself. “I’m not exactly networking with God, but I’m certainly networking in his house.”

After finally making it out to the car, my mother sent me back into the church to drop off a bag of food into a donation box. On my way out I was stopped by Reverend Allen, fondly referred to as “The Rev” by myself and other friends who grew up going to the same youth group.

The Rev asked me how my job hunt was going to which I gave my standard reply.

“It’s going,” I said with a smile.

We talked more about how I want to write and that reminded him of someone who was a year ahead of me in high school who is writing for the Connecticut section of The New York Times. He said he’d try to get me in touch with her and to send along my email address and resume.

Getting back into the car with my mom, I turned to her and told her about my networking success that morning. I was excited and my hunt felt rejuvenated.

Perhaps what I was joking about the night before was the idea that I would sit down and say, “God, I’m looking for opportunities in the publishing industry, particularly New York City. Do you know anyone who I might be able to talk to?”

This idea seemed funny to me.

Instead of having a conversation with God, I had a conversation with many members of the congregation, God’s people if you will. These conversations led to more suggestions of other people I should get in touch with. So despite not having an actual conversation with God regarding my career aspirations, I still did end up with more networking opportunities by the end of it all. So, God, you’re thank you note is in the mail.

And if you’re still bothered by the whole God idea and it’s presence in this post, just remember this as the take-away: Nowhere is off-limits when it comes to networking.

Sliimy “Music Tee” Contest!!! Enter for your chance to win!!!

Yes, you read right. Life Ink is holding it’s first EVER contest!

A few posts back, I reviewed the artist Sliimy’s “Paint Your Face” album. As mentioned in the review, Sliimy is one of many artists who are embracing a new way to distribute their music to their fans. This new distribution method is called the “Music Tee.”

Essentially, the “Music Tee” is an artist tee shirt that displays the album cover art on the front of the shirt and the album track listing on the back. The tee comes with a unique code that allows the owner to download the album from the “Music Tee” website.

So instead of having shelves of jewel cases with unappreciated album art, now you can wear that art and put it on display.

Music Tee Back

Music Tee Front

The Contest:

Sound like something you want to get your hands on? How about winning one for free?

We have two Sliimy “Music Tees” to give away and you could be one of the lucky winners!

Seventeen Magazine is also giving away Sliimy’s “Music Tee,” but entering here will give you a much better chance of winning. Plus, I won’t use your email address to spam you about subscribing to a magazine for tweens. Promise.

How to Enter:

Send your name, email address, mailing address and whether you’d prefer a small or a large to Kim.Grzybala@gmail.com with  Sliimy Contest in the subject line.

There is no limit to how many times you can enter. Please note that size preference can only be guaranteed for the first person who’s name is drawn. The second winner will receive whichever size is left.

Thanks for reading and GOOD LUCK!

Happy 6 Months Since Graduation!!!

Happy 6 Months Since Graduation!

May 17^th 2009 was the date that I and my fellow Stags graduated from Fairfield University. That was exactly 6 months ago today. Yes, believe it or not, it was half a year ago. Here’s a recap of how the “Real World” has been treating me, and others, so far.

The Facts of Post Grad Life Six Months In:

I’m still living with my parents. This isn’t that surprising considering the economy, but it’s still a fact.

I got an internship at CTNewsJunkie.com which is great for building my portfolio but not so great for starting a “real” life.

I’m not making any money, besides the occasional babysitting job. Every time they see me they say they hope that I won’t be available next time they call since it will mean I have a job.

I’m always available the next time they call.

Out of the six other girls I lived with my senior year, one has been employed since June, one recently had her job become full-time after working for a while part-time, two are unemployed and interning like myself, one has a full-time temporary job that will be ending in December and one is in graduate school.

I received a significant amount of high-fives during our Alumni Weekend as a result of our shared state of unemployment. This indicates that there are many people still in the same boat. It also indicates that unemployment is becoming a sort of exclusive member’s only club, like Greek Life.

The only fulltime job I have right now is a farmer on the Facebook application, Farmville. I’m not even that successful in the simulation job market considering I’m only level 17 and don’t have enough money to expand my farm.

With that said, please gift me more chickens. Right now I only have one in my coop that I just bought for 20,000 coins. Poor investment, I know.

I mastered a standup comedy act where I tell friends of my parents and other adults that I am a stay-at-home mom for my mom when they ask me what I’ve been up to since graduation.

The sad fact is that this is true since I run all of her errands and have even become a proxy member of a church service group that she is involved with.

Speaking of which I have to go empty the dishwasher and check on the towels in the dryer.

I also do yoga.

I’ve applied to 54 jobs, or at least those are the ones that I’ve recorded in my Excel spreadsheet. A roommate of mine applied to over a hundred and she finally got a job around lucky number 96, or there about. Guess I’ve got to get moving.

I’ve gone on several informational interviews all with no success in finding a job. I did get to have some nice conversations and get out of the house for a change though. Essentially I have expanded my network, which is good, but have seen no real results from it.

In the past six months I have only received one invitation for an interview. In fact, I am still waiting to hear back when they want me to come in.

The movie that is a mockery of my life, Post Grad, has only secured a whopping 5.4 out of 10 on Internet Movie Database, much to my elation. 

I’ve probably cooked a meal for my family only four times. Two of those times only involved only making part of the meal, Sweet Potato Fries to be exact. This is something I leave out when doing my “stay-at-home mom for mom” comedy act.

The term “fun-employed” is not part of my vocabulary anymore, or anyone’s for that matter. If the term “not-fun-employed” sounded half as witty I’d probably use that instead.

I try to get myself clean and dressed everyday like a normal person despite the fact that 50% of the time I rarely leave my house. Who needs to when applying for jobs these days involves gluing yourself to your computer chair?

I’ve probably read more books in this 6 month period than I ever did during my 4 years at college. That’s a testament to how much free time I have and also to the amount of high school friends who still live in the area, meaning very few.

Hopefully many of you can commiserate with me. If not, you are clearly on a good path and I wish you the best of luck to continue in that direction.

To the rest of us, hang in there. We are going to be such warriors after all of this gets better. It takes a lot of courage to keep going in this kind of economy when all of our lives all we had to do was enjoy the ride.

When we graduated the ease of living came to a screeching halt.  It’s obviously not going to be easy to figure out what to do next. There is no right answer and even the top CEOs don’t have the perfect solution.

This is just one giant problem solving experience. We get to do a lot of soul-searching and attempts to make things go our way.

Ultimately we’ll be better off because of it.

Or at least that’s what we have to keep on thinking.

This too shall pass, right?

Chicken Soup for the Post Grad Soul (No. 2)

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a “Chicken Soup for the Post Grad Soul.” I don’t know about you but I am in extra need of some inspiration. For that very reason you will find two helpings below instead of just one.

Today’s Spoonfuls:

“Well, for three years I didn’t work, at all, and I was running out of money. So, yeah I was really scared and I was depressed and I was all those things. But, I do believe that that’s when you do your soul searching. I think that when you have these trials that life gives you it is an opportunity to find out who you are, not just who you are when everything is great, but who are you when everything is taken away from you.”

– Ellen DeGeneres, during her recent appearance on the Oprah Show.

“E. L. Doctorow once said that ‘writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’ You don’t have to see where you’re going, you don’t have to see your destination or everything you will pass along the way. You just have to see two or three feet ahead of you. This is right up there with the best advice about writing, or life, I have ever heard.” – Anne Lamont, Bird by Bird

Merrick Memoir: Campaign Tactic or Coincidence?

Merrick Alpert, the Democrat challenging U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, is running a campaign with a striking resemblance to that of President Barack Obama having just published his memoirs, Morning Sun.

However, Alpert says that he had no intention of emulating Obama’s successful campaign because he originally started writing the memoir about six and a half years ago, long before he decided to run for office. His campaign for senate and his book promotion just happened to coincide.

Though his book was not meant as a campaign tool, it may be helpful in letting voters know more about him, a Fairfield University professor says.

Morning Sun, is the story of Alpert’s life growing up in Colchester after his father abandoned his family at a young age. His memoirs take the reader through the events of his life that lead him through college, to law school, to Bosnia, into politics, and ultimately to meeting his father in Iowa.

Alpert says his campaign is based on character and that’s how he will differentiate himself from the incumbent Dodd.

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Sliimy – (Official) Womanizer LA Hands Video

Check out the  new video for Sliimy’s cover of Britney Spears’ Womanizer. It’s a cool stop motion movie that definitely goes along with Sliimy’s unique style.

Don’t forget to check back  for more details about Life Ink’s Sliimy Contest. We’ll be giving away Sliimy Music Tees to one lucky winner!

S.E.G. Presents… A New Idea for the Music Industry

It seems like a daily occurrence for my father to watch a program on public television and shake his head at all the musical talent that is somehow slipping under the radar.

“These guys are great!” he’ll say. “Why don’t they play this on the radio instead of all that other crap?”

Of course, I never have a response that will satisfy the injustice that he sees, or hears rather. To him, the underdogs will always be forgotten in the shadows created by the others standing in the limelight.

Maybe he would feel better if I told him about S.E.G.

S.E.G., or Show Entertainment Group, is the two-and-a-half-year-old brain child of Francesco Montagnani.

Montagnani came from Bovolone, Italy to the United States in 2004 leaving behind a family heavily involved in the entertainment industry.  Both his mother and father are involved with acting and subsequently music has always been a big presence in his life.

The idea with S.E.G. was to find the best upcoming bands in New York City and help them to bring their music and their name to the next level.

“The idea to see bands that are no one on stage and help them take their name to a different audience than the one they usually have,” is what helped me to develop the concept, said Montagnani.

The group is always looking for bands with great potential that need someone to foster them. It is not uncommon to see booking agents from the group at shows handing out their cards to exceptional acts.

This idea in itself is nothing out of the ordinary. For years companies have popped up to promote local acts.

What makes S.E.G. different from all the rest is that they actually help bands make money and gain exposure, instead of using their talent for only the benefit of the company.  S.E.G. has no booking fee and gives a large percentage of show profits back to the bands.

Unlike other companies, S.E.G. has deals with the venues they work with. In the past, S.E.G. has been able to arrange door deals as good as 100% profits going to the band after the first 12 bought tickets.

“For a New York [City] standard situation door deal, it’s excellent,” said Mantagnani.

He went on to explain that, if you asked different bands, they would tell you that they only make money after they’ve sold 15 tickets and then they still only get 50% of sales. Other deals involve pre-sales where the band has to sell their own tickets beforehand, sometimes up to 30 tickets, and then they only see a small percentage of the profits after that.

All of these classic scenarios end up costing the bands money to get the exposure they need. It’s not surprising then that so many talented groups are forced to throw in the towel because they can’t afford to pay out-of-pocket to promote their band that isn’t actually bringing in any money.

Originally starting on a small-scale, S.E.G. now works with seven venues across New York City, including Bowery Electric, Parkside Lounge, and Ella Lounge.

The group also gives bands the opportunity to play at larger events such as the New York City AIDS Walk and the cream of the crop get a chance to perform in the S.E.G. showcase during the CMJ Marathon.

Other unique opportunities include in store performances which S.E.G. currently puts on with the clothing store Esprit and Best Buy. These particular shows offer a chance for bands to play live for customers coming in to the stores, expanding their audience to people who might not make it out to late night showcases.

As S.E.G. continues to grow, Montagnani has goals to continue to expand the business. He hopes that in five years or so they will be working with venues all along the east coast and possibly across the country.

Also, the group is a booking, pubic relations, and management group, but they are not currently managing a band.

 

Montagnani would love to expand the business in this direction, however they haven’t come across anyone yet that they truly feel they want to take on as a fulltime management client.

Until then, S.E.G. is satisfied with the success that they are having with booking and promotion.

Bands that S.E.G. works with, such as The Shells and The Bamboo Shoots, have been nominated for MTV Music Awards. The Bamboo Shoots have also recently been signed to Epic Records. Another artist, Reni Lane, had a song featured during the opening of the ABC Early Morning Show.

Though, none of these deals were set up directly by S.E.G., they still are a testament to the strong ear of the group and their ability to help give bands and artists a leg up in such a huge city.

Also, residents of New York have come to recognize that S.E.G. Presents always has an ear for good music.

Many people will attend S.E.G. Presents showcases because they know that we put good acts together, says Montagnani. They don’t necessarily know any of the bands but they trust that S.E.G. will have something that is going to be great.

For more information about S.E.G. visit their official website or Myspace Page.

You can also find a list of upcoming shows here and read more about what bands working with S.E.G. have to say about their experiences here.

Don’t Make Yourself Miserable

Photo by gfpeck

It’s entirely understandable that being unemployed is not a fun situation. You aren’t making any money, in fact you’re probably getting into debt,  you’re living with your parents, you’re not starting that next chapter of your life, you’re not learning anything new.  It’s just bad.

But if you’re like me, you’ve heard the following statement a fair amount of times from people who have worked now for 20+ years.

“Enjoy it while it lasts because once you start working you’ll never have as much time for yourself as you do now.”

I usually nod politely to these comments while thinking smugly to myself, “I DON’T have time to myself! All I do is look for a job 24/7!”

So, again, the argument seems to be leaning towards the fact that unemployment is just bad, with nothing beneficial about it at all.

And then comes the part where I start to understand the other perspective.

I have realized lately that these career people with 20+ years under their belts actually have a point. Being unemployed leaves you with time to do what you want. Should doing what you want be looking for a job during all waking hours, then that’s your choice and I encourage you to stand by it. However, if you’re like me, a schedule like that would result in a pretty quick burnout rate.

What I’m getting at is that life needs balance. Even in college, classwork was balanced with extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports. Who says you can’t create a campus style life in your unemployed world?

In fact, you can do even more than you did while in college because now you don’t have any homework! Think about all those different ideas you’ve had in your head about trying ice hockey or volunteering at the YMCA. Now is the time to do it.

Unemployment is like a forced leave of absence. So, you might as well take advantage of what you’ve been given. Obviously you need to keep your eye on the ultimate goal of getting a job, but you just might find that you can discover some new passions and interests along the way.

Just to get you thinking, I’m going to list some of my ideas for my unemployment explorations.

1. Join a gym – there’s no better time to get in shape when you don’t have the excuse of “I have sooo much work to do!”
2. Clean out your room – look at it as getting organized for when you move out. It helps keep you thinking positively and gets you excited for the future.
3. Visit friends – unemployment means that you’re not tied to a schedule. Take advantage of that and visit friends whenever you can. There’s nothing better than a spontaneous trip to NYC in the middle of the week.
4. Take a class – I’ve always wanted to take a self-defense class but it never fit into my schedule. Guess what I’m doing next Monday? =)
5. Get an internship – so what if you can’t get paid?! It’s great experience and they’re easier to get than jobs because of the fact that no money is being spent on you. Sure, it might feel like slave labor at times, but its better to have something to do that you’ll keep learning rather than only looking for a job. Think about how much better your answer would be if an interviewer asked you, “So, what have you been doing since you graduated?”
6. Read – I’m absolutely in love with the fact that I can read what I want to read before bed instead of modern philosophy. Take a trip to your local library and see what they’ve got to offer. My library has a free audiobooks service where you can download the books for free and then burn them to CD. It’s perfect for those many trips to visit friends that you’ll be taking.
7. Take your GREs – maybe you don’t want to go to graduate school now but you might in the future. Take advantage of your fresh brain and your free time and study up and take the test. The scores last for ten years so you’ll be set for whenever you do or don’t decide to get your  master’s.
8. Be wait staff or bar tend at a restaurant – both are definitely fun jobs and great skills to have that are transferable to many other jobs. Most importantly, anywhere you go there will be a need for wait staff or bartenders. Plus, don’t forget the tips are usually pretty nice.
9. Explore – is there any part of your town you’ve always wanted to visit but you never did just because of time? Check out your town website and see if there are any special events going on or guided tours of different parks. Frequently, you can find hidden treasures that you might have typically overlooked.
10. Network and Socialize – many areas have young professionals networking groups that you can get involved with. They’ll usually host happy hours or other events that can help you meet lots of interesting people and possibly learn about people who could help you get a job.

So, that’s only a few suggestions. Obviously, the list could go on and on depending on your interests or location. The overall message however, is that there are endless possibilities and we need to remember to not make ourselves feel miserable because we don’t have jobs. The truth is, life will continue to throw curve balls and so we need to learn how to make the best out of every situation. As “Pollyanna” as it may sound, you can always find a bright side.

So, with that, now it’s your turn. Go get a sheet of paper and a pen and start writing down everything you’ve ever wanted to do and then go and figure out how to make it happen.

I’m going to go sign up for bar tending school. =)

Giving Southington Something To Smile About

Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic in Tolland

A free dental day will be held Wednesday in Southington as a part of the local dentist association’s continued initiative to help uninsured residents maintain good oral health.

The free dental days have been held about once a month since May when Dr. Ted Zdeblick officially revived the program.

Zdeblick had originally started holding free dental days 10 years ago when Connecticut experienced its last recession. His residency at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford made him more aware of the fact that there was a need for this type of work.

Click here to continue reading Giving Southington Something To Smile About

 

Album Review: Sliimy, “Paint Your Face”

There are many audiophiles out there who only value complexity and depth in their music. Never would they be caught listening to anything that a 12-year-old would also enjoy. If you are one of those people I say this as a disclaimer: Sliimy is not an artist for you.

Sliimy , pronounced Slim-ee, is a European artist from Saint-Etienne, France whose catchy, lighthearted sounding music has officially made its way over to the US of A.

His debut album, Paint Your Face, initially released by Warner Brothers France, reached the No. 2 spot on French charts and went gold even before coming to the United States.

The album was released again digitally across the Atlantic on American soil on September 15^th from Perezcious Music, Perez Hilton’s music label under Warner Brother Records.

Sliimy, whose real name is Yanis Sahraoui, was the first artist signed to Hilton’s label. Hilton found out about Sliimy when a friend sent him Sliimy’s cover of Britney Spears’ “Womanizer.” Impressed with the rendition, Hilton first posted the video to his infamous celebrity gossip blog in December and has continued to rave about the artist ever since.

Paint Your Face, co-written by Sliimy and musical partner Feed, sounds like a combination of Mika and Lily Allen. The songs are full of cheery piano and electronic sounds. Sliimy’s voice is soft and soothing and the overall combination is familiar but unique at the same time.

Music snobs can hate on the “poppy” style all they want, but they can’t deny that this album has all the right elements for success. It’s cross-generational, fun, happy sounding music that makes you tap your toes.

I’m sure that many more of us would rather skip and dance around our  houses to this album than sit in a dark corner and contemplate the meaning of life.

Let’s be honest, we need more music like this to raise our spirits.

 

Death of the CD, Birth of the Music Tee?

Another unique element of this album is how it’s being sold. Sliimy has chosen to have the album available in the form of a Music Tee. A Music Tee is  new concept where a fan can buy a tee-shirt with the album artwork on the front and track listing on the back. The actual music can then be downloaded digitally using a special code on the tee.

As opposed to the classic digital album, this idea puts more of an emphasis on album artwork than simply having a small graphic on your iTunes. Perhaps we will see the Music Tee replace the CD booklet. If that were the case I’m pretty sure I’d end up with a stuffed closet.

 

Contest!!!

Life Ink has gotten the opportunity to give away the Sliimy music tee in its first ever contest! Check back soon for more details on how you can win the Sliimy Music Tee and digital album combo.

 

Recommended Tracks: Wake Up, Everytime, Baby

For More Info:

http://www.sliimy.net/

http://www.myspace.com/sliimy

http://twitter.com/SLIIMY

Mothers Know Best

Things you need in life (according to my wise mother):

1. Bungee Cords

2. Duct Tape

3. A tarp

Makes her sound like Survivorman doesn’t it?

CT Student Groups Attend Today’s Anti-War Rally in Boston

Reposted from CT News Junkie

http://www.ctnewsjunkie.com/iraq_at_home/student_groups_to_attend_antiw.php

Though this was originally posted on Friday to CT News Junkie, I felt the need to repost it here because I haven’t seen much coverage about the rally and let’s face it… I’m proud of my work. =)

***

On Saturday, students across Connecticut will travel to Boston to voice their dissatisfaction with the escalation of the war in Afghanistan and the deepening of the economic crisis.

The city is one of thirty locations in the country that will be hosting anti-war activities calling for the end of all United States occupations on the same date.

Denisa Jashari, Trinity Anti-War Coalition

Denisa Jashari, a senior at Trinity College and co-founder of the Trinity Anti-War Coalition is one of the many who will be attending the event to make her opinions heard.

According to Jashari, the election of Obama weakened the anti-war movement because Americans thought they could rely on him to bring peace. However, with the current escalation of the war in Afghanistan, protesters have begun to take matters back into their own hands.

“All of us are responsible for being active and participating in things that have to do with issues that affect our everyday lives,” said Jashari. “If you feel an opposition to the war then show it.”

Among these issues Jashari is concerned with is the large amount of military spending that these wars require. All this money, Jashari says, should be used to fund education, projects for youth and students, and to open up jobs.

Jeff Bartos, Iraq Veterans Against the War

Jeff Bartos, United States Army Veteran and sophomore at Central Connecticut State University, agrees that the money spent on the wars should be going elsewhere.

The main stream U.S. media constantly talks about how, “the economy is in shambles, the taxes are too high, the housing crisis, healthcare, [etcetera] when we could fund all of these if we had never gone to war with Iraq” said Bartos.

Now, the co-founder and secretary of the Connecticut Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Bartos originally supported the war and joined the Army in July of 2003.

“I thought the U.S. was doing good things in response to the events of September 11th,” said Bartos.

That all changed once he was deployed.

While serving in Iraq from 2006 to 2007, there was a two month period during which Bartos was faced with experiences that made sleep difficult, often only allowing him to get three or four hours a night.

After being honorably discharged in 2007, Bartos began a year long process where he continued to reevaluate his feelings and eventually changed his position about the war.

“I’ve taken a bit of a different look at using violence for various measures since I’ve been back” said Bartos. Now having returned, he finds no justified reason for the number of deaths that have occurred or for the many more lives to be lost.

Will Boston Be The Next Pittsburgh?

Though some similar issues will be touched upon in Boston, Bartos doesn’t expect to experience anything like the G-20 protests in Pittsburg, where he was arrested with a group of protestors while helping a journalist who had been pepper sprayed in the eyes.

“Pittsburg was a different thing” he said. “It wasn’t just challenging the war it was challenging the status quo of the group of twenty finance ministers and world leaders and their entire power base.”

The march in Boston is a permitted peaceful march, he said, which happens every six months to a year.

“This is just going to be a bunch of people carrying signs and singing songs” he said.

Jashari agrees.

“Our intentions are just to really exercise our freedom of speech and freedom of free assembly” she said.

How Students Will Get There

As a part of the effort help others voice their opinions against war, The Trinity Anti-War Coalition has organized carpools for approximately 25 people from Trinity to attend the event.

Other university groups from UConn and Eastern Connecticut State University will also be organizing transportation for those interested as well.

According to Wes Strong, a member of Connecticut Students Against the War and graduate of Central Connecticut State University, there is a full school bus going from Central Connecticut State University up to Boston. They also have more requests for seats than seats available, which he said he thinks is very encouraging.

Event Details

Starting at 1:00pm protestors will gather in Copley Square to listen to speakers and musical performances. Afterward the group will proceed to march around the square.

More information about the rally in Boston can be found by visiting http://october17.org/boston/

More information about Iraq Veterans Against the War can be found at http://www.ivaw.org/