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The ProJo arrived today with the largest headline I've seen since probably the Iraq war began. What was so important? Buddy Cianci won't be getting out of jail just yet! The Mayor's appeal was denied, so Providence will continue on without its most colorful character of the last quarter century. What's a Rhode Islander, to whom wacky politics is seemingly as necessary as air, to do? Why, turn their attention to RI's third largest city, Cranston! Our cast of characters: Media Whore Mayor Steve Laffey, Republican Challenger Garry Reilly, Ape-man Lloyd Morse, and the Crossing Guards. Sounds like a sitcom, no? So a while back I wrote about how the Public Service Unions were attempting to flood the Republican primary election with Democrats to vote against Mayor Laffey (oh, by the way, if you want to vote in the any RI primary, you have 3 days to get registered and unaffiliated, call your board of canvassers). Em and I watched a debate between Laffey and his challenger, Garry Reilly. It was pretty sad, actually. Reilly's contention is that Laffey is embarrassing the GOP and being rather unproductive with his proclivity to go to court with all sorts of city employees. This is a perfectly reasonable position, but politically Reilly just can't compete. The mayor is very media savvy and charismatic to boot. Reilly should probably just adopt "If you hate Laffey, vote for me" as his campaign slogan and take his chances. It would probably make for a closer race. What's even more fun, though, is that the winner in September's primary will go on to face Independent candidate Lloyd Morse. Mr. Morse threw his hat into the ring after a run in with the mayor over a sign placed in Morse's backyard overlooking a busy street. Well, it wasn't exactly a sign, it was more like a giant inflatable gorilla holding a sign. When told he couldn't advertise from his back yard, he acquiesced and took the sign down. The gorilla stayed, and was eventually joined by an inflatable Godzilla, after Laffey got on his case. Now Morse is running for mayor with the slogan "You'll go Ape over my ideas!" So while Buddy remains in New Jersey, at least there's no dearth of political entertainment here in the Biggest Little.

...so we can keep an EYE on YOU... Due to the failing of RIPTA to provide me with an economical and environmentally sound method of transportation to and from work, I have been commuting by car approximately one hour each way, Monday through Friday. I hate it, but I've been getting really good at spotting and remembering interesting license plates. Here I share with you my list. Rhody plates: BIVALV CEMENT QUAHOG WILLIT SOXGRL BATMON TRIP THATCH JUSTRI NKTOWN SHARK FLXAPL SHPWRK ARREST SEABIZ SUNAMI WTPOOH GONG IGUANA BOWMAN ACT 1 CARPDM BOX BGOOD SEEBRZ Out of staters: GOSOX1 (New York) SAIL RI (Michigan) GANSETT (South Carolina) TO NPT (Connecticut) Is it obvious which part of the state I commute to?

There's a new CD coming out, and the lineup looks pretty good: You can get this here with a $25 donation to the MoveOn.org PAC (a progressive political action group), but I guess it's coming out in stores soon, too. And speaking of politics tinged music, Green Day has a new album coming out this month called American Idiot, supposedly a "Rock Opera" concept album about Jesus of Suburbia. I can't wait for that one.

Looking for a refreshing treat this past week, I stopped at the Del's Lemonade on Route 1 in North Kingstown. Imagine my surprise when George Bush's smirk greeted me at the window, just below a Bush-Cheney 04 sticker. The 8x11 photo of the president and his wife had the following printed on the bottom (paraphrase): "Dear Mr. So and So, thank you for your donation to the Bush/Cheney campaign. With your help we will have a great Republican victory in Rhode Island this November." Confronted with the idea that even a dime of my lemonade money would be going to screw the country (more), I promptly got back in the car and did without. Now, I realize I probably do business with all sorts of Bush backers, but when it's rubbed in my face I have to boycott. There's another Dels near my house, so I won't suffer. To be safe, though, we should probably stick to the Wickenden St location. A great Republican victory in Rhode Island? Maybe I should have had some of their product, there's obviously something funny in their lemonade.

Good golly it's nice out. I've spent the last hour inside in front of this infernal machine, I'm going outside. I love this weather.

After almost a month of non-updates, I got my act together and posted to the RI+URBlog, which you've all probably forgotten about. Go read it if you're interested, we got PVD's ranking as ninth-worst city to drive in, some news about commuter trains in RI and some bitching about widening highways.

Man, the 2004 edition of the Red Sox are just... I don't know. This has been a weird season. We started with pretty much the same roster that gave New England its most exciting team in nearly two decades, and added an ace pitcher and a proven closer. The year started decently enough, especially after taking six of the first seven games from the New York Yankees. Then everything just sort of fizzled. The team played .500 ball ever since, and the magic just isn't there. Sure, there have been some great wins and excruciating losses, but so far it hasn't added up to anything. The team isn't playing particularly well, but they're certainly in the hunt for a playoff spot (which they should get, barring a melt-down). The excitement level is just "blah." And even this week's trade of one of Boston's all-time stars hasn't done anything except fuel hours of talk radio. I find myself watching the games with a book to read, rather than paying attention to each pitch. Someone pointed out that the real excitement last year didn't start until mid- to late August, so I'm hoping for a repeat down the stretch. But I can't shake this funny feeling about the '04 squad. Where's all the love gone?!

We've been hearing this week that oil prices are at all-time highs (for a bunch of reasons, including a giant mess in Russia). Prices at the pump, though, seem to be holding steady, around $1.89 - $1.95 (down from $2.03 or so several weeks ago). What I've always noticed, over the years I've been driving, is that when the price of oil goes up, the local stations raise prices immediately. Then, when the price drops in the market, there's a lag before pump prices go down. That always pissed me off. But like I said, local prices are holding this week despite record high crude prices. I don't have an explanation for that, just wanted to point it out. I'm not complaining, because, well, I'm broke, but then again I also hope gas hits $4/gallon soon. And though my reasons for liking high gas prices have nothing to do with my interest in seeing President Bush tossed out this November, here's an interesting chart that suggests that Bush's chances may be directly related to the cost of feeding our national addiction. Mmm, cake, and I can eat it, too!

Via Brian Hull, an online game called Nation States. You get to create your own country by setting some initial guidelines (such as whether or not to have drug laws, and setting government philosophy) and rule it as you please. You receive issues to decide, and your country changes based on your positions. You can join the UN if you want, and you can create your own region. It's pretty neat. I'd been kind of floating along with it, but last night I had the opportunity to ban cars from my nation, which was very satisfying! My decisions have been a little tough on my economy (now considered "Fair," which is better than last weekend, when it was just "Developing"), but political freedoms are very good and civil rights are excellent. The current state of my country, the Democratic Republic of Embilia: Last week the lemurs where under threat of extinction, but we managed to pull them back from the brink. Phew!

I know I say this a lot, but tonight's Daily Show was A-mazing. Tuesday at 10 am and 7pm, catch the repeats, watch the interview. Absolutely stunning. (Also read this for why it really stood out for me)

This post is half "what I did last night" and half "shameless promotion for Nightwing." You've been warned. So Em says to me the other night "you never take me anywhere" and I says, "I know, let's laugh it up with Rhode Island's best improv comedy troupe!" and she's all like "yeah!" and I'm like "totally!!" Well it didn't sound exactly like that, but we did head over to the Warwick Museum for the regular Sunday night show, which was a sell out. And, like every show I've seen in the tiny, non-ventilated brick oven of a venue, and unlike every show I've seen at the Castle Theater, it was great. Here's a tip, though, sit by the fans. So show was awesome, and I liked it all the more when John Kerry showed up to ask about the future, followed closely by a grope-hungry John Edwards. Final result? The Nader/Snoopy ticket swept to the White House (totally confused? Shoulda been there). Seriously funny stuff, every Sunday night. I don't know how anyone can come up with completely new, laugh-your-ass-off-funny stuff every week, but the UC gang does. And as far as I can tell, it's only getting better (but where was Greg?!) Check the website and make plans for next Sunday at 7:17.

As I mentioned before, I've been asking people about their reaction to the Dem convention and the speeches. Saturday, on our usual visit with my Nana, this exchange: Ah, how refreshing it is to get an offline opinion every once in a while. Keeps you grounded. *I apologize for those who have never met my Nana, I wish I could convey the way she talks. For most people, it takes weeks before they can even understand a word she says through her Old World accent.