There probably aren’t many Connecticut citizens who still support the war in Iraq without question or reservation — and then there’s our senior United States senator.No one, not even the Republican presidential hopefuls, moved as swiftly as Joe Lieberman to condemn President Obama’s decision to pull the remaining American troops out of Iraq by the end of this year. It was a decision originally made by Obama’s predecessor and Lieberman’s fellow Middle East warrior, George W. Bush, something Lieberman — and the candidates — fail to talk about. (When I refer to the candidates, I should exempt Ron Paul, who’s against the war but for all the wrong, isolationist reasons.)Lieberman was “profoundly” disappointed that “after all America and Iraq have been through together, [the leaders of Iraq and the U.S.] could not find the will or the way to reach agreement ... under which a small U.S. force could remain after this year.” After all America and Iraq have been through together? Is he kidding? In his profound disappointment, Lieberman makes Iraq seem like an abandoned ally, rather than a defeated, occupied nation. It is a version of history he shares with very few, other than the neoconservatives who conned a hurting nation into seeking revenge on the wrong country after 9/11 and began a nine-year war.Remember, it all began when the United States launched a bombardment of 300 missiles a day on Baghdad that was designed to destroy the Iraqi army’s willingness to fight. The people who pick catchy names for these acts of war called it “shock and awe.” The tactic’s developers at the National Defense University wrote in 1996 it would disrupt “means of communication, transportation, food production, water supply and infrastructure.” It achieved these goals but did not destroy the enemy’s will to fight, and ultimately required the United States and its few allies to resort to the old fashioned concept of troops on the ground in a long war. This resulted in large numbers of dead Iraqi citizens, long after the army was defeated and dispersed. Small wonder then that the people of the ravaged nation, where the means of transportation, food production, water supply and the rest have never been fully restored, is not enthusiastic about the occupiers remaining. More than 4,000 U.S. military gave their lives, but we never kept an accurate body count of Iraqis. Estimates range from hundreds of thousands to more than a million, which leaves what we have been through together somewhat out of balance. Credible estimates also place the cost to our economically distressed nation in the $800 billion to $1 trillion range. I can find no estimate of Iraqi financial losses.Lieberman said every military leader has told him no fewer than 10,000 troops would have to remain in Iraq to keep the peace and “complete our mission in Iraq,” whatever that might be, beyond eliminating Saddam Hussein. That was the mission accomplished, wasn’t it? These are not the same military leaders who told President Bush, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and Lieberman that shock and awe would do the job in days or weeks. They are long gone, supplanted by new leaders in whom Lieberman apparently retains complete confidence. According to Lieberman, it is vital that several thousand American troops stay in Iraq and continue to be the targets of incendiary devices and car bombs “to safeguard our hard won gains,” again, whatever they may be. I can think of little more than the elimination of a dictator, something other countries in the region have managed without the sacrifice of American lives. “The fact that they will not [remain in Iraq] is deeply worrisome for America’s national security and will be deeply thrilling and encouraging to the fanatical regime that controls Iran, seeks to control Iraq and threatens us all,” according to Lieberman. I don’t know how deeply thrilling and encouraging it will be for the Iranians with the Fifth Fleet in nearby Bahrain and American troops down the road in Kuwait and Qatar. Lieberman didn’t mention that, either.But he’s also been quick to oppose the Obama legislation aimed at jobs, saying we have to stop spending money we don’t have, except in the Middle East. That’s the Lieberman doctrine. Billions for war, not one cent for jobs. Simsbury resident Dick Ahles is a retired journalist. Email him at dahles@hotmail.com.
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Greg Fricke and James Boehmer, co-owners of Peggy Mercury in Kent, recently launched their first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts.”
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Fricke and Boehmer are not there to stock their shelves with the same products customers find at standard makeup retailers. They’re there to help customers find what works for them. That usually means asking customers about themselves and learning about their beauty habits, skin, style and the way they like to present themselves. Fricke and Boehmer believe it’s their job to help customers bring out the qualities that suit them and determine what works best for their look.
So much of the Peggy Mercury world is about emboldening people to become more creative, and possibly bolder, versions of themselves. Some of this comes through the store’s creative collaborations with artists, designers and stylists.
It’s part of an ethos that encourages them and their friends to use the shop as a kind of laboratory, trying out new creative experiments without knowing how they might turn out. Whether in fashion, painting, fiber arts or photography, the projects almost always turn out marvelously.
A line of sterling silver charms they sell started as a small project by their friend Nolan Percival. In the beginning, the pieces were for close friends and loved ones. But Boehmer and Fricke encouraged Percival to get a little more serious about the project and create a whole line for the store. Today, it’s one of their top-selling collections.
Classic styles, bold colors, and creative concerts make up the “Imaginary Concerts” line at Peggy Mercury.Provided
“Imaginary Concerts” has the duo taking their own advice.
The project started as a way for Boehmer to connect with his mother, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Taking old concert shirts from his own collection, Boehmer and his mother began cutting out the graphics with the idea that they would make a quilt together. Unfortunately, she died before they could complete the project in 2025. The pieces, which were ready for production, were put on the back burner as Boehmer and Fricke dealt with their loss and the whirlwind of projects that never seemed to cease at Peggy Mercury.
But the harsh winter of 2026 presented an opportunity to take some time and focus on themselves. Part of that meant revisiting and redefining the concert T-shirt project. This time, instead of looking to the warmth and comfort of a quilt, they turned to another passion — fashion.
Taking a page from their own book, they wanted to create something that felt comfortable to them. They took two disparate loves — one rooted in simple preppy style, with clean lines and classic silhouettes, and the other in the nitty gritty worlds of punk rock and pop — and blended them together to create something entirely new. Pulling from the staples of vintage Brooks Brothers and Charvet collections, they applied the graphic elements with bold stitching reminiscent of punk jackets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but with a much more sophisticated air.
But the remixing isn’t just the pairing of prep and punk. The pieces are not canon. They take liberties with the realities of concert tours, combining one band’s dates with another band’s logos, mixing them all up until the reality is lost and imagination is the only truth.
Shirts from Peggy Mercury’s first fashion line, “Imaginary Concerts,” hang on display.Provided
Adding to the mix is an element of perpetual creativity. Art can be messy, both figuratively and literally, and many of Fricke and Boehmer’s artist friends carry evidence of their work on them at all times. As a nod to these tireless creatives, the duo added haphazard splashes of bright color, giving the line an even more distinctive feel.
For them, “Imaginary Concerts” passes the “Peggy Test.” The mythical Peggy Mercury is a fictional figurehead for the company, a character who thrives on creativity and change. The name, much like the clothing line, is a mixture of interests: Mercury is a planet, a deity and an elusive, transformative element, while Peggy is the wonderfully stylish and boundary-pushing Peggy Guggenheim.
Everything Fricke and Boehmer put in their store has to pass this test: Would Peggy Mercury approve? For their first collection, the answer is a resounding yes.
Peggy Mercury is at 9 Maple St., Unit 2, Kent.
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