Hey guys. Winter is settling in, and that means everything’s slowing down, right? I wish. There’s plenty of activity in the community, thankfully, and we’re there to show it.

We mix up the Out & Abouts a bit to showcase a nonprofit, the Imperial Sovereign Court of All Connecticut, and their recent event for the New Haven Animal Shelter. The event raised over $500 in one night for the shelter. Can’t go wrong there. Coincidentally, they’ll be honored as a Dorothy Awards winner next month at the event, hosted by the New Haven Pride Center, and of which Metroline is a sponsor. I attended the event last year and had a blast.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we’ve got an interesting mix of content. Wayne Besen examines the crossing paths of religion and sports, and doesn’t buy it. Josh seems smitten with the second CD released by Corinne Bailey Rae. Terri has mixed feelings about a new Elton John book, which can’t pass up the title “The Bitch is Back.”

Don & Tony review the latest Bushnell production, “In the Heights,” which they loved. We also have a review of Spirit of Broadway’s show “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” but this issue was so crammed we just couldn’t fit it, so we’ve posted it online. Be sure to check out www.metroline-online.com to read it.

And speaking of Internet endeavors, be sure to check our our new fan page on Facebook - it’s also listed as metroline-online.com. It’s another way to check out what we’re up to, and we’ll alert you when new content goes up on the site.

Sometimes we have extra articles, and most times we have extra Out & About photos, so there’s always something new to see. The archives of older content is also growing, so if you miss an issue, you’ll be sure to find it there. We’ll be continuing to add old stories and photos as time permits; many are still enjoyable even now.

Finally, I shouldn’t let this issue pass without mentioning the unfortunate disaster unfolding in Haiti. I encourage all of you to make a donation to organizations like the Red Cross if you can spare a few dollars; the absolute best way to do that is online at their Web site, www.redcross.org. Many of you have probably already heard you can text message the word Haiti to number 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross, but Josh uncovered some articles as we went to press that noted the donations can take as long as 90 days to reach the Red Cross, which seems like an awfully long time to wait to help those in Haiti who really need it. The Red Cross says it will replenish their bank when the time comes, but I feel it’s better for the money to reach them now, when it’s needed most. Give if you can, and I’ll see you Out & About.