When I get a comment from a person about something I posted on this blog (website), as most of you know by now it does not automatically get posted. The comment has to meet with my approval. Believe it or not, most people do not want their comments posted. I think it is because they don’t want to be seen on Undergroundtownhall!!! Whatever.

But there is quite a dialogue between myself and several people “underground” if you will. That is fine. And for those who are wondering, when I got rid of the splash page and the photo and video pages, I eliminated “For Members Only.” So now you see everything. I am still attempting to update my masthead, but as I stated several posts ago, the new design my son came up with was too graphics rich for Internet Explorer 6 which I know many of you have at work, especially the Town of Cheshire.

People have been asking me about a few videos I have run lately. The first video was by “Visage” entitled “Fade to Grey.” This video was made around 1981 believe it or not and was labeled “romantic-new wave.”

I loved a lot of the new wave music. So I will continue to feature New Wave artists, some of whom I know many of you have never heard of like the video “Fade to Grey” featuring Steve Strange.

Steve Strange also appeared in David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes. I really liked Visage. Their videos were semi-Dadaism if you will.

I am now featuring a video piece by Surrealist/Dadaist German artist Max Ernst.

I also just featured a Dadaism video by Man Ray, entitled “Emak-Bakia” (leave me alone). This was shot around 1926 which was at the end of the Dadaism movement. This artistic movement began right after World War I as a protest to that war and Bourgeois living. The artists used non-sequitor sequences and portrayed things as they saw them. They used their subconscience as their guide and defied traditional thinking of that time.  Did you get that Mr. 500?

Undergroundtownhall is just not about issues or complaining or getting things off one’s chest which is a good thing at times. I also tried to make in an artistic expression and involve my children as much as possible with this blog.

I did receive many good comments about Cheshire “Then and Now” I hope to be putting in more photos. If you have any or any ideas, please let me know. It doesn’t matter what I think about a town official or department, when it comes to my art, I can put that all aside. I also got many compliments from the photo shoot “Cruizin for a Cause.” Thank you very much. It was a pleasure to put that together (thanks also to my son who assisted). I also am re-running by request the “Greek and Roman Gallery” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art which was put together last April.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Dadaism movement, here is a link:

Dadaism

I am also featuring Max Ernst a German Dadaist/Surrealist who caused quite a stir back in 1926 with this painting. Caution: this may still be offensive to some people.

The Virgin Spanking the Christ Child

Now to change subjects for a bit. It seems as if many people in the collegiate community are having a change of heart about the 21 year old drinking age. There seems to be a “movement” of sorts among some College and University officials to lower the drinking age to 18 again as it was 25 years ago.

These people seem to feel the lower age will cut down on college binge drinking. Please, come with me to Montreal on a Friday night around 2 a.m. The entire town smells like vomit!!! Now, I don’t know if reducing the age to 18 will cut down on this.

I do know that when my son first went to Montreal when he was 18, he could legally drink. He told me he never got carded. In fact, the only time he did get carded was when I went to visit him and he wanted a drink. I let him have one and you could see the waitress got nervous and asked for ID. I know and he knows that was the one and only time.

It is a fact that many college age-under 21 students go to Montreal to drink. The basic rule there is do what you want, as long as you do not bother anyone. But do NOT bother anyone or you are toast in plain English. The Montreal Police will crack down hard on you, so don’t step over the line. Some people there told me they could not figure out what the big deal was with the drinking and why the U.S. legal limit was 21. In fact, when my son went on a bus trip with his college, they SERVED BEER ON THE BUS!!

I remember when I was in Rome and people there could drink at age 16. In fact, there are something like 600 bars in Rome. They are open all the time from early morning to late late night. When I told some Romans that the drinking age in the U.S. was 21 but one could drive when one was 16 they were shocked. Not about the 21 drinking age, but that people could actually drive a car at 16!!! Their driving age is 18, I believe, my memory is starting to fade on that. So you see, their credo is drink early drive late!! Maybe that is the answer. I don’t know. All I know is I think the lower drinking age now in the U.S. will be a disaster in plain English. I really believe it is different now. Kids are a lot more spoiled than we were. Plus we knew if we got out of line and our parents (who were paying for our college found out) we would get our backsides whipped, because back then, parents could still dish out corporal punishment, and we would have ended our college career. I mean we drank, but I think we all knew there was a line not to be crossed. That is not the case today.

This new cry for a lower drinking age reminds me of all the work the Town, especially the police department has been trying to do to curb underage drinking. In fact, I believe just after the Town of Cheshire unveiled its new “underage drinking grant” the news came about about the push to lower the drinking age. Talk about a kick in the proverbial crotch!!

Also, I happened to read about a man was starting some sort of charity in Connecticut but was found to have a criminal record in Kansas where he used to live. The man said Kansas was strict. He was right!!

People in Kansas don’t play-especially law enforcement. They look you in the eye and tell it like it is. I know when I go to Kansas, I keep my mouth SHUT PEOPLE!! When the speed limit says 25 MPH, Cindy GOES 25 MPH!!! They are tough people, but good and FAIR. That is why I respect the people and the law enforcement there. I spent many hours when I was editor of the Kansas State Collegian one summer with the Riley County Police Department.  Riley County, as I think I alluded to once before, is the size of Connecticut so these people have a lot of ground to cover.

Now speaking of law enforcement, I am making it no secret as I like to do. My husband will be writing the Town Managers office asking to be put on the agenda for the September Town Council meeting to discuss this ticket issue. Remember, the Ordinance Committee told me there was no need for a Police Commission in Cheshire, because the Town Council IS THE POLICE COMMISSION. OK. Let us see how they keep their word.

Bye for now.