tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125011572024-03-14T01:29:25.677-04:00The Rhode IslanderA depository of opinion, information, and pictures of the Ocean State.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-41589481325370700562017-07-09T17:03:00.001-04:002017-07-09T17:03:36.004-04:00A proper checklist of Rhode Island experiences for new arrivalsSo for Monica and Kevin, these are things it will behoove you to see, do, visit, eat, etc. while you live in Rhode Island. There's a lot in Providence, naturally, but there's far more Rhode Island outside of Providence. Here's 20 things I came up with:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Go to the beach. And try to go to a town beach instead of a state beach. Yeah, you'll have to get up early, and pay more to park than you would at a state beach. Trust me, it's worth it. I personally recommend Blue Shutters beach in Charlestown, South Shore beach in Little Compton or ...</li>
<li><a href="http://www.blockislandinfo.com/island-information">Go to Block Island</a>. You would be astounded at how many lifelong Rhode Islanders have never gone to Block Island. Try to go during a weekday, and again, getting early is a good bet for the best time and beating the crowds.</li>
<li>Have a Del's frozen lemonade. Look for the sign of the lemon! ... or at any the hundreds of mobile carts, trucks, or actual store locations (which are all seasonal - get it while it's hot out). Del's was almost the state drink but lost out to ...</li>
<li>... <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Autocrat.Coffee.Syrup">coffee milk</a>. I like Autocrat's coffee syrup, but any of them will do, and almost every real food market in RI will have it in stock 24x7. You can also buy a single in most convenience stores here, and most diners have it on the menu as well. So good, even vegans should be drinking it.</li>
<li>Hike around the lake at <a href="http://www.riparks.com/Locations/LocationLincolnWoods.html">Lincoln Woods</a>. It's 2.5 miles from start to finish, and goes through some very attractive woods and lakeside beachfront.</li>
<li>America's most prestigious and expensive art school <a href="http://risdmuseum.org/">has a pretty good museum</a>.</li>
<li>The Ivy League's safety school for kids who can't get into Yale or Harvard has a<a href="https://www.brown.edu/research/facilities/haffenreffer-museum/"> pretty good museum too.</a></li>
<li>Get out to the east bay - not just Newport, but Bristol, Tiverton and Little Compton especially.</li>
<li>While in Little Compton, see <a href="http://quahog.org/attractions/index.php?id=61">the monument to the chicken that made Rhode Island famous</a>.</li>
<li>Hike out to the <a href="http://www.beavertaillight.org/">lighthouse at Beavertail state park</a> in Jamestown - spectacular ocean views await that will remind you guys of home.</li>
<li>Drive through the heart of the Narragansett Indian reservation on route 2.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_Terrace_Park">Overlook Providence</a> with Roger Williams</li>
<li>Go to "the Woon" to see the <a href="http://www.woonsocket.org/workandculture.htm">Museum of Work and Culture</a>. While it can feel like you're being bludgeoned with Marxist economics at times, it's genuinely interesting enough to explore the history of the massive immigration of Quebeckers to New England.</li>
<li>Pick apples in <a href="http://scituateri.org/">Scituate</a> come fall. I like <a href="http://bardenfamilyorchard.com/">Barden's orchard</a>, but really, there are dozens of places to go get 'em. And enjoy a cider donut (or six) while you're out getting your fruit on.</li>
<li>See if you can get a selfie with <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1771">Mr. Potato Head</a></li>
<li><u><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blithewold_Mansion,_Gardens_and_Arboretum">Visit the tallest tree in the state!</a></u></li>
<li><u></u><u></u><u></u>Go see the July 4th fireworks at India Point Park in Providence ... next year, of course.</li>
<li>Go celebrate Columbus Day on Atwells Ave, as a nostalgia trip of what Federal Hill was like when it was still a real Little Italy (that is, before all the Italians moved to Johnston and Cranston). Do not boycott this for PC reasons! You will thank me later.</li>
<li>Stuff your faces in Providence. My recommendations are ...</li>
<ol>
<li>For Mexican, El Rancho Grande in Silver Lake</li>
<li>For pizza, Caserta's (thick and greasy) or Timmy's grilled pizza (which is a thing, native to RI)</li>
<li>For cheap Chinese (and I mean cheap, but still good!): Gourmet House on Hope St.</li>
<li>For Middle Eastern, East Side Pockets on Thayer Street, or Oasis in the Armory district(ish)</li>
<li>For Japanese, Ebisu in Reservoir. It's <i>almost</i> in Cranston, but it's not, so there!</li>
<li>For breakfast or brunch ... c'mon, <u><a href="http://nicksonbroadway.com/site/">we know the answer to that</a>.</u> Not just the best in Providence, or Rhode Island, but all New England.</li>
<li>For stuff you won't eat, but should if you ever wake up one day and want to eat meat, the best friend a carnivore can have, Los Andes on Chalkstone Avenue</li>
<li>Seems like you already discovered pizza strips ...</li>
</ol>
<li>Go outside of Providence and stuff your face!</li>
<ol>
<li>For ice cream, <a href="http://www.graysicecream.com/">Gray's in Tiverton</a>. It's pretty much the best ever. If the Eskimo King were just an inch over the Swansea/Warren line, they would get a nod, but they're in Massachusetts, not Rhode Island, so ...</li>
<li>For a sprawling menu in a place that looks like a wood paneled playroom nightmare from the 1970's, but doesn't suck ... Jack's Family Restaurant in Warren.</li>
<li>The best frigging donuts ever. No, not that stupid hipster place in Providence. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AlliesDonuts">Allie's Donuts in North Kingstown</a> is the place to be. I've frequently made the long trip (well, by RI standards) because of a donut jones that only this place can scratch.</li>
<li>Pick up a case of<a href="http://www.yachtclubbottlingworks.com/products"> Yacht Club soda</a> at their factory store in North Providence. It's crack in a bottle.</li>
<li>For pizza and Italian, go see my homies <a href="http://frankandjohnfromitaly.com/">Frank and John from Italy</a> in East Greenwich.</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-4627263782106532662017-07-09T15:59:00.001-04:002017-07-09T16:00:24.673-04:00Back from the deadI haven't updated my old blog in nearly <i>ten years?</i> Man, what is wrong with me?<br />
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Well, you know. <b>Stuff</b> happened. New jobs. Breakups. But I haven't left Rhode Island! On the contrary, I put a "ring on it" and bought a house in fabulous <a href="http://scituateri.org/">Scituate</a> which, in 15 years, will belong to me! And not the bank.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-duSnIuvL1kw/WWKLDPdO85I/AAAAAAAAB3c/TPteTq7d5xMgWlW7mWQCm5AyHuR2smn8wCLcBGAs/s1600/maison_rw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="550" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-duSnIuvL1kw/WWKLDPdO85I/AAAAAAAAB3c/TPteTq7d5xMgWlW7mWQCm5AyHuR2smn8wCLcBGAs/s320/maison_rw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
So why am I updating now? Because my sister and her boyfriend are new residents, and coming as they did from Essex County, MA, they are unaware of the many cultural and natural treasures awaiting them here in the Ocean State. So I was going to post a list on Facebook, and said, "hey, wait, Facebook is an absolutely terrible platform for posting lists, and Twitter is even worse. Therefore, I will simply go back to my comatose blog, and use the actual <b>list format feature</b> to create a readable list, and just share the link with them on Facebook.<br />
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I know, right? Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards. If my Statcounter statistics are correct, I get more 'bot traffic than human eyes, but if anyone still reads this or gets updates, I may be tempted for more real updates.<br />
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We will see.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-39646934173386106192007-07-31T02:04:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:38.582-05:00Summer in Rhode Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rq7RVzfZ5YI/AAAAAAAAAzU/WkL1wIjNiHE/s1600-h/misquamicut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rq7RVzfZ5YI/AAAAAAAAAzU/WkL1wIjNiHE/s400/misquamicut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5093238401131996546" border="0" /></a>Has it really been a month? More than a month? If I've been remiss in updating <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rhode Islander</span>, it's because it's summer. And what better place to spend those hot summer months than in the Ocean State? Summer in Rhode Island means heading to the shore for some sun and surf. Why go all the way to Cape Cod when the Biggest Little State in the Union has miles and miles of the finest beaches in New England?<br /><br />If you're thinking of visiting, be sure to check out the <a href="http://www.projo.com/summer/">Providence Journal's Summer Guide</a> for a list of beaches in the Ocean State, including the all important table of parking fees. Hey, sometimes you have to pay for the good things in life, but I assure you - it's worth it.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-8379262324998568432007-06-19T03:26:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:38.782-05:00My street was on fire - again.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RneFOfadq4I/AAAAAAAAAsc/xW-0tab2iAc/s1600-h/apartmentfire.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RneFOfadq4I/AAAAAAAAAsc/xW-0tab2iAc/s400/apartmentfire.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077673588880681858" border="0" /></a>Urban living is full of challenges people out in the sticks and suburbs don't have to deal with. On <a href="http://www.providenceri.com/Neighborhoods/fedhill.html">Federal Hill</a>, I have to put up with all of them. I generally do so with good humor. Rats? I can ignore them. Crime? Hasn't affected me. <a href="http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/newsblog/archives/2007/06/update_fire_at_1.html">But today was the <span style="font-style: italic;">second</span> triple decker fire</a> on my street in a year (<a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2006/12/my-street-is-on-fire.html">here was the first</a>). If this keeps up, I'm definitely moving to Warwick.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-90257248921988097752007-06-18T00:33:00.001-04:002008-12-10T03:55:38.953-05:00Armed junkie on the prowl in North Providence<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RnYLJPadq1I/AAAAAAAAAsE/1Bd-4RxWajs/s1600-h/BrooksPharmacy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RnYLJPadq1I/AAAAAAAAAsE/1Bd-4RxWajs/s400/BrooksPharmacy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077257883291069266" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/NP_ROBBERY_06-18-07_GK621L3.230a797.html">A man armed with a gun</a> robbed a <a href="http://www.brooks-rx.com/">Brooks Pharmacy</a> on <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Mineral+Spring+Avenue,+North+Providence,+RI&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.854268,59.765625&ie=UTF8&ll=41.87429,-71.451817&spn=0.054707,0.11673&z=13&iwloc=addr&om=1">Mineral Spring Avenu</a><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Mineral+Spring+Avenue,+North+Providence,+RI&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.854268,59.765625&ie=UTF8&ll=41.87429,-71.451817&spn=0.054707,0.11673&z=13&iwloc=addr&om=1">e</a> in <a href="http://www.northprovidenceri.com/">North Providence</a> on Saturday morning. Did he take the cash? Nope. He took the <a href="http://www.erowid.org/pharms/oxycodone/">OxyContin</a>, of course. For quite a while, opiate addicts <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=980CE6DE1238F934A35754C0A9679C8B63">have been turning to the legal painkiller OxyContin</a> to get their fix. Rhode Island pharmacies have been held up before, but this robbery has a twist. Apparently, the hold up man attempted a bank robbery in Cranston the day before.<br /><br />Sounds like a job for <a href="http://www.risp.state.ri.us/">The Man</a> to me.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-5314469347952711342007-06-18T00:10:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:39.069-05:00New photos: Warwick<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RnYF_vadq0I/AAAAAAAAAr8/0a-wYDNI4oU/s1600-h/oaklandbeach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RnYF_vadq0I/AAAAAAAAAr8/0a-wYDNI4oU/s400/oaklandbeach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077252222524173122" border="0" /></a>I admit - I haven't been updating <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rhode Islander</span> as often as I have been <a href="http://authoritarianism.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dictators of the World</span></a>. However! This weekend brings new, yes new!, photos of the lovely Ocean State. This time, I've got the goods on <a href="http://www.google.com/maps?q=Oakland+Beach,+Warwick,+RI,+USA&sa=X&amp;oi=map&ct=title">Oakland Beach</a> in Rhode Island's second largest city: lovely, crime-free <a href="http://www.warwickri.gov/warheritage.htm">Warwick</a>.<br /><br />Satisfy your curiosity by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/tags/oaklandbeach/">seeing the entire photo set</a> over at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/">Flickr</a>.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-84519388365104846992007-06-04T01:47:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:39.204-05:00New photos: Cranston<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RmOn3NKvtSI/AAAAAAAAAok/T8vES3hyUYA/s1600-h/burning_buick.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RmOn3NKvtSI/AAAAAAAAAok/T8vES3hyUYA/s400/burning_buick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072082172218684706" border="0" /></a>Well, let me clear this up. I haven't exactly gone on a picture taking safari around the lovely city of <a href="http://www.cranstonri.com/generalpage.php?page=3">Cranston</a> itself so much as I took a whole bunch of pictures of an older lady's Buick going up in flames at a strip mall on Route 5.<br /><br />Still! The photos are dramatic ... well, maybe "dramatic" is too strong a word, but I've got the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/sets/72157600301147406/">photoset right here on Flickr</a> for your enjoyment.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-51850573627716629072007-05-19T11:47:00.001-04:002008-12-10T03:55:39.374-05:00Jenny, I got your number!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rk8cFtKvtEI/AAAAAAAAAm0/VRaW2FKkc-8/s1600-h/8675309.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rk8cFtKvtEI/AAAAAAAAAm0/VRaW2FKkc-8/s400/8675309.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066298990164685890" border="0" /></a>You know the song, right? Tommy Tutone's "Jenny (867-5309)"? If not, the video might ring some bells:<br /><br /><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lqUPApCUt90"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lqUPApCUt90" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway, <a href="http://www.lincolnri.org/historic/">Lincoln</a> based <a href="http://www.gemplumbing.com/">Gem Plumbing</a> is betting you remember the song, and they've been using the infamous number both in the 401 (Rhode Island) and 617 (metro-Boston) area codes for a few years. So why are they getting static from a company who has the same number with a toll free (800) exchange? Read about it here. Personally, I'm rooting for the local guys on this one.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-87350626181552708132007-05-16T04:27:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:39.622-05:00"Bad News" Barnes busted<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RkrAtdKvtAI/AAAAAAAAAmU/izKMcNHVPCE/s1600-h/badnews.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RkrAtdKvtAI/AAAAAAAAAmU/izKMcNHVPCE/s400/badnews.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065072618087887874" border="0" /></a><br />Former <a href="http://www.remembertheaba.com/">ABA All-Star</a> and NBA train wreck <a href="http://www.remembertheaba.com/TributeMaterial/Barnes.html">Marvin "Bad News" Barnes</a> is in trouble again. The Providence native (and resident) <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2871290">was arrested in Johnston</a> by <a href="http://www.risp.state.ri.us/">The Man</a>, who found a bag of cocaine in his SUV. Barnes, who was easily the most talented basketball player ever to come from the Ocean State, acknowledged he's still having trouble with cocaine, saying "I'm still getting the help I need".<br /><br /><a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2006/01/marvin-beats-rap-uplifting-ghetto.html">As usual, I wish Bad News Barnes all the best</a>, but damn, man ... you can do better than this, right?Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-70193992837861600312007-05-10T03:04:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:39.819-05:00Ouch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RkLELzNsTHI/AAAAAAAAAk8/I-SshtdkkWI/s1600-h/rhodeislandflag.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RkLELzNsTHI/AAAAAAAAAk8/I-SshtdkkWI/s400/rhodeislandflag.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5062824638123101298" border="0" /></a>OK, I've been seriously remiss about updating <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rhode Islander</span> lately, focusing instead on <a href="http://authoritarianism.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dictators of the World</span></a>. What can I say? People just can't seem to get enough about world dictators! Add to the fact that I haven't taken any new photos for a while, and, well ...you get the idea.<br /><br />I do have a tidbit to tide you over, though. Former Governor Bruce Sundlun is onto something, <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/sundlun_lectures_04-22-07_RQ5B67H.31eaaa8.html">calling for Rhode Island students to learn about our state's history</a>. Schools in Texas make Texas history a mandatory subject, so why not make Rhode Island history available as an elective subject?<br /><br />New photos will be coming soon, and since it's spring, this will inevitably involve a trip to the shoreline.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-73687634501607966722007-04-23T00:28:00.001-04:002007-04-23T00:32:12.234-04:00New photos: Providence<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/467524059/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/467524059_eab11eb278.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"></span><br />The week long nor'easter is history! Saturday was sunny and warm, and that means new photos. This time, I've added new photos of <a href="http://www.providenceri.com/">Providence</a> from the <a href="http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/statehousetour/">State House</a>, to <a href="http://www.ripta.com/news/index.php?section=10">Kennedy Plaza</a>, to <a href="http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=providence@124&cur_section=sig&property_id=47258">Benefit St</a>.<br /></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment">I've put the pictures up on Flickr, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/tags/april212007/">so head on over and get an eyeful</a>.<br /></p>Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-51622666969345034662007-04-18T09:51:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:39.990-05:00Earth Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RiYiZh7TmwI/AAAAAAAAAfM/lmH7awQ_1tw/s1600-h/96_vic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RiYiZh7TmwI/AAAAAAAAAfM/lmH7awQ_1tw/s400/96_vic.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5054765453769153282" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/sets/72057594134652637/">My 1996 Crown Victoria</a> has entered <a href="http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2007/04/2007_earth_week_1.html">Iowahawk's prestigious Earth Day Contest</a>. The photo I submitted is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narragansett%2C_Rhode_Island">Narragansett</a>, but I guess I should have specified that I live in Providence? <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2090806/">Explaining Rhode Island's geographic subtleties</a> get tricky once you're west of the mighty Mississippi anyway, but I'm certainly glad to see my car up there. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-09-gore-green_x.htm">Al Gore</a> had better watch his fat ass, because those juicy carbon credits are <span style="font-style: italic;">mine</span>.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-30014265893754386792007-04-12T02:23:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:40.118-05:00No way for Imus Way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rh3Qf86uemI/AAAAAAAAAec/TuDXJ-R7trE/s1600-h/imus.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rh3Qf86uemI/AAAAAAAAAec/TuDXJ-R7trE/s400/imus.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052423604326529634" border="0" /></a>Does anyone outside the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topics/Don+Imus">Huffington Post</a> actually give a damn about the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/topics/Don+Imus">Don Imus controversy</a>? Well, the <a href="http://www.naacpprov.org/welcome.cfm">Providence chapter of the NAACP</a> does. Sort of. <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/IMUS_WAY_04-11-07_1F56SPS.37281ba.html">They've asked the city of Providence to rename "Imus Way" to "Jackie Robinson Way</a>".<br /><br />Back in 1996, mayor <a href="http://www.projo.com/extra/buddy/">Vincent "Buddy" Cianci</a>, a regular guest on the Don Imus show, renamed a tiny, almost vestigial, stretch of Aborn Street between the <a href="http://www.dunkindonutscenter.com/">Dunkin' Donuts Center</a> (then named the Providence Civic Center) and the <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-hotel-398595-holiday_inn_providence_downtown-i">Holiday Inn</a> "Imus Way" as a gesture of, well, something, to the skeletal talk show host. A sign designating the strip as "Imus Way" was apparently erected as well. By the time the state took ownership of the Civic Center in 2005, the sign was already gone. What's more, Buddy's ceremonial renaming was apparently just that: ceremonial. "Imus Way" is not an address that is actually registered with the city or state, and it <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Imus+Way,+Providence,+RI&layer=&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=17&ll=41.822086,-71.416465&spn=0.003502,0.007296">doesn't appear on any maps</a> (Google maps takes a stab at it, but fails).<br /><br />So, with apologies to the NAACP and all involved, I propose an idea: let's keep moronic disc jockeys and identity politics out of city government as much as humanly possible. Neither Jackie Robinson nor Don Imus have anything to do with Providence, and frankly, the city can find better uses for taxpayer money than ceremonially renaming anything to suit interest groups, whether they're dessicated talk show hosts or identity politics lobbying groups.<br /><br />Does that sounds good to anyone besides me?Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-35411548057405416382007-04-09T01:54:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:40.312-05:00Get ready<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RhnVRutT2_I/AAAAAAAAAd0/B0tFW7t7fO8/s1600-h/buddysauce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RhnVRutT2_I/AAAAAAAAAd0/B0tFW7t7fO8/s400/buddysauce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051302957645290482" border="0" /></a>Get ready, folks. Former Providence mayor <a href="http://www.projo.com/extra/buddy/">Vincent "Buddy" Cianci</a> will be <a href="http://www.providenceonline.com/providencemonthly/cover.html">coming out of jail this summer</a>, and you can bet he'll be returning to the Ocean State. Lock up your daughters, lock up your wives, and lock up your no-bid contracts! While I <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,237029,00.html">doubt he'll be returning to City Hall</a>, I will certainly keep my eyes peeled on <a href="http://riroads.com/archive/federalhillstroll.htm">Federal Hill</a>, camera in hand, for Buddy prowling around the restaurants and bars. I wonder if he'd pose for a picture with yours truly if I told him I'd bought a couple of jars of his <a href="http://www.fawnfitter.com/buddy.html">signature pasta sauce</a>?Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-88540094180391322132007-04-09T01:34:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:40.474-05:00New photos: Warren<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RhnQtetT2-I/AAAAAAAAAds/wDO6cix0U0A/s1600-h/pieta.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RhnQtetT2-I/AAAAAAAAAds/wDO6cix0U0A/s400/pieta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051297936828521442" border="0" /></a>The weather was as bad as the lighting this weekend, but lo and behold, I have pictures of yet another lovely Rhode Island town! This weekend, I had a chance to take some shots of the town of <a href="http://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/visitors/history.htm">Warren</a> in the heart of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_County,_Rhode_Island">America's smallest real county</a>*. I have created a set for the town <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/sets/72157600053978293/">right here</a> on Flickr for browsing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">* "New York County", aka, Manhattan, is slightly smaller geographically than Bristol County, RI, but let's face it - a city does not make a county, much less <span style="font-style: italic;">one neighborhood</span> of a much larger city.</span>Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-53705120028171883942007-04-02T04:32:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:40.643-05:00New photos: Roger Williams Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RhC_rajgJsI/AAAAAAAAAcw/a4T0d-IddV4/s1600-h/rwpark_bridge.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RhC_rajgJsI/AAAAAAAAAcw/a4T0d-IddV4/s400/rwpark_bridge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5048745934865835714" border="0" /></a>Spring has arrived, and do you know what that means? Why, new photos of Rhode Island, of course. I've added pictures of <a href="http://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/visit/ParkGrounds.cfm">Roger Williams Park</a> in <a href="http://www.providenceri.com/">Providence</a> to my collection of Providence photos on Flickr, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/tags/rogerwilliamspark/">viewable right here</a>.<br /><br />I hope to go back sometime around May, by which time the grass will have turned from dingy early spring brown to a luscious green.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-68746412663707566532007-03-29T06:01:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:40.740-05:00Kathy Sierra sucks. Sorry, it's true.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RguO_KjgJpI/AAAAAAAAAcU/17sU9KJRff0/s1600-h/Attention.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RguO_KjgJpI/AAAAAAAAAcU/17sU9KJRff0/s400/Attention.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5047285023214937746" border="0" /></a>Necessary disclaimer: this has nothing to do with Rhode Island.<br /><br />That being said ...<br /><br />I don't even know where to start with this nonsense. If you haven't caught up on the Kathy Sierra debacle, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6499095.stm">now is a good time</a>. Blogger and <a href="http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2007/03/as_i_type_this_.html">author has cried foul</a> after "staring into the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goatse.cx">Goatse.cx</a> <a href="http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/03/john_edwards_me.html">of the internet's soul</a>". The solution? A "<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6502643.stm">Blogger's Code of Conduct</a>". In the process, Kathy has transformed herself, solely by virtue of her brush with <a href="http://pr0n.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/e/e5/Metafilter.jpg">trolls</a>, from a D list internet celebrity to a C list internet celebrity.<br /><br />My reaction?<br /><br />Bitch, <span style="font-style: italic;">please</span>.<br /><br />If you're going to pull the "I am woman hear me roar" act, you're going to realize, sooner or later, that any halfway visible blogger <span style="font-style: italic;">cum</span> internet celebrity is, eventually, going to expose themselves to crazies. This goes for the men, too. You found people are sexist? Rude? Abusive? Scary? <a href="http://gnaa.us">Oh no, not that</a>. It's almost as if <a href="http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/The_Internet_is_serious_business">the internet is serious business</a>! So you're scared? Of what, exactly? And you think who else needs to take it seriously? Everyone? The same everyone who's supposed to tailor their blog posts to conform to whose standards of niceness and decency, exactly?<br /><br />I'll take a pass on your <a href="http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Internet_drama">drama</a>, <a href="http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Unwarranted_self-importance">unwarranted self-importance</a>, and <a href="http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Victim_complex">victim complex</a>, Kathy. Count me the fuck <span style="font-style: italic;">out</span>.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-41564032002362551942007-03-26T01:47:00.000-04:002017-07-09T17:13:57.195-04:00We lose - again<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgderRfYVxI/AAAAAAAAAbU/MrhQL81l0mE/s1600-h/lacourse.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046106005014337298" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgderRfYVxI/AAAAAAAAAbU/MrhQL81l0mE/s320/lacourse.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Well, Rhode Island came close, but once again, the Ocean State is cigar-less. <a href="http://www.missusa.com/delegates/2007/files/RI-interview.html">Danielle Lacourse</a> of <a href="http://www.northprovidenceri.com/">North Providence</a> came in second to <a href="http://www.misstennesseeusa.com/">Miss Tennessee</a> in the <a href="http://www.missusa.com/missusa/index.html">2007 Miss USA pageant</a>, the highest finish by any Rhode Island contestant. She could still, conceivably, win the top spot in the event that Miss Tennessee is "unable to perform her duties", and more importantly, <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/LACOURSE_03-26-07_PA50HSR.2718cbb.html">she seems to have had fun doing it</a>.<br />
<br />
Rhode Island has never won the top spot in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_USA">Miss USA</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_America#The_Winners">Miss America</a> pageant - <a href="http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheChaperone.html">a fact memorably lampooned on <span style="font-style: italic;">Seinfeld</span></a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">JERRY</span>: I'm going out with one of the Miss America contestants, you wanna go? <br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">KRAMER</span>: What state?<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">JERRY</span>: Rhode Island.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">KRAMER</span>: They're never in contention.<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">GEORGE</span>: How do you know?<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">KRAMER</span>: Because I've seen every Miss America pageant since I was six! <br /><br /><br /><br /><b>Update from 2017: </b>Yeah, I wrote this before Miss Rhode Island went on to become Miss Universe! That's what happens when you forget about your blog for, like, a decade .... Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-29109695070967864562007-03-23T04:00:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:41.537-05:00Made in Rhode Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgOJqhfYVrI/AAAAAAAAAak/lvQMMg84vjc/s1600-h/Hereford.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgOJqhfYVrI/AAAAAAAAAak/lvQMMg84vjc/s400/Hereford.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045027371222587058" border="0" /></a>First we had <a href="http://www.rhodyfresh.com/">Rhody Fresh milk</a>, and now <a href="http://www.projo.com/business/content/rhody_raised_beef_03-23-07_JG4U518.28d310d.html">Rhody Raised beef</a>? I do believe we are one step closer to the elusive goal of the first ever <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheeseburger">cheeseburger</a> made entirely of ingredients from Rhode Island. I am officially offering a $1 reward - plus Rhode Island grown french fries - to the first gourmand to put it all together. Top it off with Rhode Island bacon, and I'll up the reward to a whopping $2. Let the mad scramble for the prize money begin ... <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOW</span>.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-44875444908037083072007-03-22T00:53:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:41.646-05:00"I would kill you if I could"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgIL3xfYVkI/AAAAAAAAAZs/tA7bL2VEY8g/s1600-h/risp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgIL3xfYVkI/AAAAAAAAAZs/tA7bL2VEY8g/s400/risp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044607585414043202" border="0" /></a>Let's say for a moment that, for whatever reason, you <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> hated Rhode Island governor <a href="http://www.governor.ri.gov/">Donald Carcier</a>i. Let's also suppose, again for the sake of argument, that you wanted to let him know that you'd like to kill him. What would you do?<br /><br />I think we can all agree we would <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> do what 59 year old Robert Pontarelli of <a href="http://www.westwarwickri.org/">West Warwick</a> just did. In a fit of pique for reasons he apparently would rather not name, Pontarelli left two phone messages with the state's <a href="http://www.sec.state.ri.us/Administration/index.html">Office of Constituent Affairs</a> last Friday night, telling the Governor, among other things, "I would kill you if I could" and "you've never had a round pass by your head".<br /><br />While declining to detail why he was mad at the governor, Pontarelli was kind (and stupid) enough to <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/gov_threats22_03-22-07_H94V5K8.3446aa9.html">leave his name and address in his phone messages</a>. State aides heard the messages on Monday, and contacted the <a href="http://www.risp.state.ri.us/">Rhode Island State Police</a> on Tuesday to have a chat with Pontarelli about a felony charge of threatening a public offical and making harassing phone calls. Pontarelli is $25,000 lighter in the pocket and out on bail while awaiting a hearing.<br /><br />Congratulations then, Robert Pontarelli, for being the dumbest man in Rhode Island this week. I wish we had an award for you, but I suppose your brief notoriety will simply have to do.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-7952611702381882162007-03-21T04:22:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:41.785-05:00Looking for Eastwick<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgDrgRfYVjI/AAAAAAAAAZk/F8cgEduWNKo/s1600-h/rhode-island.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/RgDrgRfYVjI/AAAAAAAAAZk/F8cgEduWNKo/s400/rhode-island.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044290522338317874" border="0" /></a>A transplant from Pennsylvania spends a day searching for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Witches-Eastwick-John-Updike/dp/0449912108">John Updike's Eastwick</a> and finds something much more interesting: the real Rhode Island. Were you aware that: <blockquote>"Once you cross the state line, whether at Pawtucket or Westerly, a subtle change occurs, a cheerful dishevelment, a contempt for appearances, a chimerical uncaring"?</blockquote>No? Well, I suppose that's just <a href="http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/updike.htm">Updike being Updike</a>, but this short essay by Rory Schuler is a refreshing look at a <a href="http://www.tauntongazette.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18105563&BRD=1711&PAG=461&dept_id=24229&rfi=6">real place where Quahog and Eastwick don't actually exist</a>.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-19418549861199019112007-03-20T01:30:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:41.929-05:00Woonsocket is decadent and depraved<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rf9x_xfYVeI/AAAAAAAAAY8/uYyey9I7lU8/s1600-h/city_of_woonsocket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rf9x_xfYVeI/AAAAAAAAAY8/uYyey9I7lU8/s400/city_of_woonsocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043875448108897762" border="0" /></a>Remember Rebecca Arnold and David Prata? <a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2007/02/in-woonsocket-its-girls-gone-wild.html">Sure you do</a>. They were the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhodeislander/sets/72157594448606242/">Woonsocket</a> couple who got in hot water with the state after <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/neglect10_02-10-07_3T4C0QV.1b19c86.html">teaching their daughter the facts of life up close and personal</a>. According to my statistics webpage, a whole lot of people have come here searching for "Rebecca Arnold and David Prata", so I figured an update is due on the story.<br /><br />Well, Arnold and Prata have been sent through the state's judicial wringer and <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/courts/content/woonsocket_couple20_03-20-07_UA4U4J0.356ea31.html">came out of it with three years of probation</a>. Apparently, the state didn't want a conviction badly enough to put the child on the witness stand - a fairly understandable decision since I imagine she's already fairly mortified at her current level of notoriety among her peers. While Arnold lost visitation rights to her daughter, the state did make it clear that she and her boyfriend were never accused of actually <span style="font-style: italic;">molesting</span> her daughter - a fairly important distinction in this day and age.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE:</span> My <a href="http://my3.statcounter.com/project/standard/stats.php?account_id=1456786&login_id=2&code=f87ceccdd5b7e9c8deb649b77b328867&guest_login=1&project_id=2211961">readership statistics</a> are over 10 times higher than normal for this post. Would one of you kind readers let me know how you found out about these two idiots from Woonsocket in the first place?Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-21885333046971041612007-03-19T01:59:00.000-04:002008-12-10T03:55:42.079-05:00So what's new? Well ...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rf4m5laUQeI/AAAAAAAAAYs/GVK3Eez0F_I/s1600-h/rhodeislandflag.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rf4m5laUQeI/AAAAAAAAAYs/GVK3Eez0F_I/s400/rhodeislandflag.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043511403438424546" border="0" /></a>Well, frankly, the Ocean State has been the quiet state in March. There has been an update on one story I've covered here, <a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2007/01/portuguese-consulate-to-close.html">the proposed closing of two Portuguese consulates</a>. After intense political pressure on the part of the region's congressional delegations, and some good ol' fashioned <a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-do-you-say-enough-already-in.html">bitching and moaning</a>, the <a href="http://www.portugal.gov.pt/Portal/EN/">Portuguese government</a> has thrown in the towel and <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/PORTUGAL_CONSULATE_03-18-07_FL4TDQJ.331f6dc.html">decided to keep all four of their New England consulates open</a>. How do you say, "it's not my Euros you're wasting" in Portuguese?<br /><br />Looking towards April, spring will arrive soon, and with it, the chance to take more photos of Rhode Island. Ideally, I'd like to head into the <a href="http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/">ChaRiHo</a> neck of the woods and get some photos of the lesser visited side of our state, but hey, I'll cross that bridge when we get there.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-46685023881613595702007-02-28T05:45:00.000-05:002008-12-10T03:55:42.223-05:00Arrests made in Stop & Shop fraud scheme.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/ReVdYSC_0QI/AAAAAAAAAWo/7MUUSzvOuc8/s1600-h/superstop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/ReVdYSC_0QI/AAAAAAAAAWo/7MUUSzvOuc8/s400/superstop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036534430026420482" border="0" /></a>Four <a href="http://www.armeniainfo.am/">Armenian</a> men who traveled to Rhode Island from California were <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/STOP_SHOP_ARRESTS_02-28-07_A14K5LN.3571e8c.html">arrested at a Stop & Shop</a> in <a href="http://www.town.coventry.ri.us/">Coventry</a> yesterday after store employees noticed one of the men <a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2007/02/oh-great.html">tampering with one of the store's keypads</a>. According to the <a href="http://www.risp.state.ri.us/">Rhode Island State Police</a> and <a href="http://www.secretservice.gov/ectf.shtml">United States Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force</a>, a total of $115,000 was stolen from 1,100 accounts at the Coventry store alone.<br /><br />If convicted on all charges, the men face up to fifteen years in prison each. As reported earlier, similar tampering was found elsewhere, but so far, the only stolen data used to commit bank fraud came from the Coventry store.<br /><br />And as if that weren't enough, Ocean Staters can sleep easier tonight knowing that <a href="http://www.sec.state.ri.us/">Secretary of State Ralph</a><a href="http://www.sec.state.ri.us/"> Mollis'</a> ne'er-do-well <a href="http://www.projo.com/news/content/Joe_Mollis28_02-28-07_UV4JB60.3451fce.html">brother has been arrested - again</a>. For those keeping score at home, Mollis' teenaged son was arrested for shoplifting, his stepson was arrested for attempted murder, and his brother has been arrested for serving alcohol to minors for a second time.<br /><br />Ralph had better put a halt to his before his wife gets any ideas. I'm just saying.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501157.post-91292383973374636232007-02-22T10:37:00.000-05:002008-12-10T03:55:42.456-05:00Stop those presses!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rd24-QzXF8I/AAAAAAAAAUw/A1_b32vo_Mw/s1600-h/spankard.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ck30ZT-6gJs/Rd24-QzXF8I/AAAAAAAAAUw/A1_b32vo_Mw/s320/spankard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034383338271872962" border="0" /></a>The blog belonging <a href="http://www.wsar.com/">WSAR</a> AM's resident "<a href="http://oceanstater.blogspot.com/2006/12/same-sex-marriage-drama.html">portly, pint sized Portuguese political pundit</a>" <a href="http://www.wsar.com/keri_rodrigues.htm">Keri Rodrigues</a> has vanished (<a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/185/398813636_b80dd9768b_o.jpg">see here</a>)!<br /><br />A day after receiving a letter from <a href="http://www.fallriverma.org/">Fall River, MA</a> mayoral candidate Brad Kilby that alleged Rodrigues made libelous comments on air, the blog disappeared. The last post was a defiant rant by the blogmistress laughing at the aggrieved party's stated intention to pursue legal means of redress if necessary.<br /><br />Whoops! Victory for Brad Kilby! May we infer that WSAR management <a href="http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/index.php/Pwn">PWNED</a> their pugnacious pundit? It probably didn't help that the pundit's blogspot URL included the station's call sign, creating the impression that her views reflected the views of ownership and management. Those are, I suppose, the breaks. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rhode Islander</span> will be investigating this breaking story, and talking to former <a href="http://1480wsar.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Keri Rodrigues Show</span></a> blog regulars <a href="http://aviewfrombattleshipcove.blogspot.com/">Lefty</a> and Professor Inertia to get the straight scoop.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE: </span>The former URL now redirects to an adult site?!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE II:</span> <a href="http://aviewfrombattleshipcove.blogspot.com/">Lefty</a> has posted the <a href="http://aviewfrombattleshipcove.blogspot.com/2007/02/question-of-boundaries-part-iii-fall.html">third part of our continuing series</a> on border disputes between Rhode Island and Massachusetts! We'll be getting his take on the "pundit to porno" scandal soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE III:</span> I was going to talk to Professor Inertia for his take, but ... eh. He's pretty boring. Besides, <a href="http://www.phy6.org/stargaze/Snewton.htm">once Inertia is at rest, it's a bitch to get him moving</a>.Roger Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14308664674325717623noreply@blogger.com1