Thomas Hunt

(Originally written in 2008.)    I've noticed that our holidays have opposites or anti-holidays. It is sometimes difficult to identify an anti-holiday, as the opposition between holidays can be hidden somewhere beneath their apparent purposes. I'll save you the trouble by outlining the holiday opposite-pairs below.    The most obvious holiday - anti-holiday pair is Memorial Day and Labor Day . I know that Memorial Day is primarily set aside for honoring the great sacrifice of our fallen service men and women and that Labor Day is set aside for recognizing the pains of childbirth. (That was a joke. OK?) There's nothing in those stated purposes that makes them opposites.    However, the holidays have secondary purposes that are indeed polar opposites. Memorial Day is the day we take off from work in order to open up our swimming pools for the summer. Labor Day is the day we take off from work in order to close up our swimming pools for the winter. ...

The Hartford Courant reported today that University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst earns far more than the median U.S. salary for her position. Herbst may be an obscure figure around much of the country, but she is certainly well known in Connecticut and throughout New England. She is well regarded in her state for her guidance of UConn, and apparently she is well compensated for that role. She earned $525,000 in base pay in 2014 and another $50,000 in deferred compensation, and she secured a handsome raise at the end of the year. Across the country, university presidents earn a median of $428,000, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education quoted in the Courant article. In addition to a lot of money, Herbst also receives a lot of attention from the press in Connecticut. I've noticed stories about her initiatives at UConn, her contract extension (which this past December brought her a raise of more than 20% ) , her investments, her role with the AAC... But I have...

Terrible misunderstanding.  The country has been in an uproar over Indiana's new law, which says in part: "A governmental entity may not substantially burden a person's exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability." It seems to many that the  law was primarily intended to permit discrimination against gay and lesbian citizens by those who read an anti-gay message into their Bibles. After some investigation, I am assured that the law's intent was merely to guarantee that Indianans could ignore the highway toll while driving to church. (BTW, it seems Indiana now needs to keep an eye out for any new religions that consider armed robbery to be a sacrament.)

New York Times : FDA says gene-altered potatoes, apples are safe GMO potatoes won't bruise, and they produce fewer cancer causing chemicals when fried. Wait a minute. French fries that are LESS likely to cause cancer? Has there been a breakdown in the secret evil alliance between the Big Agriculture-GMO conspiracy and the Big Pharmaceutical conspiracy? Or is FDA cleverly manipulating us to eat more French fries?  (Hmm. I wonder if it is possible for us to eat MORE French fries?)

Some early childhood memories have been popping into my head with increasing frequency. Given the current situation, I guess that's to be expected. But these memories seem to be focused on family gatherings where, despite my young age and incredible cuteness, I was not a significant participant nor even entirely welcome. Prisco-Mangione kitchen during a meal. The gatherings, as best I can recall, occurred fairly often within cramped kitchens of a number of Bronx apartments after family meal times. The kitchens, with roughly the same dimensions as a large shoebox, included the usual sink, stove, fridge and cabinets, along with a steam-heat pipe or radiator, and a table engulfed by skinny chairs. Despite tight quarters, there always seemed to be plenty of room around the table for my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, whoever happened to stop by. Somewhat miraculously, it seemed every adult human I knew in the world at that time could find a way to squeeze in around the ...

Patrick J. Hunt, 73, of Brookfield, CT, died Saturday evening, Aug. 30, at Danbury Hospital following a long illness. A devoted husband, father and grandfather, he is remembered for his genial nature and his hearty laugh. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. His hobbies included golf, bowling, art, woodworking, crossword puzzles and stamp collecting. Patrick was born in New York City on March 8, 1941, the second child of the late Patrick and Mary (Foley) Hunt, immigrants from Ireland. As a boy, he traveled twice to Ireland in the company of his mother. He graduated in 1959 from Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, New York. He received a bachelor's degree in Math from Manhattan College in 1963. He and his childhood sweetheart, Concetta M. Prisco, were married at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Lucy in the Bronx on Jan. 26, 1963. He was a longtime resident of the Bronx and parishioner of the Church of St. Lucy, where he served as lector. He and his family subseq...