Providence College Hockey Alum Finds His Gay Pride

It has been a long time since this blog touched on Providence College, but this story is deserving.

This is by John Buccigross of ESPN:

"I hope the day comes, and soon, when this is not a story." -- Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke

Imagine this.

Well before you are born, your dad plays college hockey at Providence College and wears the "C" for Friars coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello. Your dad is then a member of the Calder Cup-winning Maine Mariners AHL team. He admits to having little skill, but contributes rough and tough qualities. You know, like pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence. He's a man, baby.

My knowledge of hockey and hockey culture is minuscule, but this story fills in a few gaps. Some day this kind of story will be uninteresting and not newsworthy, but we haven't gotten there yet.

Happy Thanksgiving from Sarah Palin via Jesus' General

Happy Thanksgiving from Sarah

Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving from Sarah


We just finished a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with family in Washington State. It's strange being in a foreign country on such a very American holiday, but we made the best of it by setting the table with familiar fare. There is nothing more delicious than a baby seal you've clubbed yourself, and the wolf liver sorbet was better than ever. Todd's so happy, he doesn't even mind peeing indoors. I'm thankful for that.

I'm thankful for a great many things on this day.

I'm thankful the General allowed me to post on his blog.

I'm thankful I've finally seen Levi's wang and that my likeness is not tattooed upon it.

I'm thankful that at least 27% of Americans will believe anything.

I'm thankful I rank in the 28th percentile for intelligence.

I'm thankful I have Bristol to raise my baby, Trig.

I'm thankful Trig doesn't look like Todd's business partner.

I'm thankful that Sen. John McCain never admits to making mistakes.

I'm thankful my ghost writer never learned the joys of quitting.

I'm thankful no one told Todd about Viagra.

I'm thankful I can quit being thankful now.

Stone Soup Coffehouse Releases the Winter 2010 Calendar

For some time I was on the Board of the Stone Soup Coffeehouse .

I cannot recall when or why I left, but it is a wonderful group of people sharing music and community in every sense.

There is a facebook group.

The Winter Calendar
is promising...

If you haven't yet met Richard Walton, this is one place where he can often be found...

This One Should Close: The "School" Of the Americas

The School of the Americas (SOA) has been training people to commit unmentionable crimes since 1946. It has a new name, Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation with new acronyms, and the curriculum now includes 8 (eight!) hours of human rights instruction. The wikipedia entry is worth visiting.

Among the links that article offers are to the official website and to its defenders...

Four people were arrested there this weekend. Thank You to all who were present there this weekend and for past vigils. I found an article from 2003 by Richard Dujardin about two Rhode Islanders who participated then...

I hope and pray that President Obama and his staff pay serious attention to this Institute. The best thing we could do is to have it closed, and to try to learn from its horrors.

Rhode Island Gets Good Press

The powerful blog, GRACE PALEY: Pressing The Limits of Action has posted the text of the Providence Journal article from yesterday, and the accompanying photo.

This blog is followed and discovered by readers of Grace Paley's poetry and fiction, and by her many students and friends and family members.

Carcieri's veto was publicized by Stephen Colbert, PZ Myers, and many others.

Providence RI Will Screen Rosenberg Documentary Sunday November 22!

I do not know if I will be able to attend, but I sure hope so. Here is an excerpt from the website of the Rosenberg Fund For Children.

Date:
Sunday, 22 November 2009

Southern New England premiere of the new French documentary (English language version), THE BROTHER WHO SENT THE ROSENBERGS TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR, exploring the Rosenberg Case and featuring the Rosenbergs' son and granddaughter, Robert and Jenn Meeropol, and others. Robert and Jenn will attend the screening, address the dramatic new developments in the case, and answer questions. The Meeropols also will describe the work of the organization created in Ethel and Julius' honor, the Rosenberg Fund for Children, marking its 20th anniversary helping children in the U.S. today who are enduring the same nightmarish circumstances that Robert did as a six-year-old child, when his parents were executed.

The program is sponsored by Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island and the Jewish Community Center of RI (JCCRI), and donations at the event will benefit the Rosenberg Fund for Children. (Donations are tax-deductible.)

Robert Meeropol also will sign copies of his memoir, AN EXECUTION IN THE FAMILY.

1:30 pm

One of the Meeropols attended college in Providence, and I believe lived in Fox Point for some years afterwards. Alas I never met her. I have read Robert Meeropol's memoir and found it very difficult to put down. There is one chapter, in the last third of the book, which describes his struggle leading to the founding of the non-profit which was compelling, powerful, unforgetable...I apologize I haven't had lunch and am overflowing with cliches.

Vigil And Funeral Procession Against gov. Carcieri's Veto

Update:

Here's a blog with a photo from last night.


As has been widely acknowledged outside of our fair state:


On Tuesday November 10, 2009, Governor Donald Carcieri
killed a bill that would allow non-married couples the right
to plan the funerals of their deceased partners. Please join in solidarity for a vigil and funeral procession this Thursday.

I have just learned of this vigil and funeral, thanks to Providence Daily Dose


Date: Thursday, November 19, 2009
Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: Statehouse sidewalk facing the Providence Place Mall.

There is a facebook page for this "event".

Two Speakers at Brown on Friday Nov. 20th

oh I am sorry this image is so tiny and illegible...

Here is the text from the email I received:

You are invited to an evening of two lectures:

Critical Thought and the Humanities Today



“Airing Dirty Laundry:

African-American Critique and Natal Community”

Hortense J. Spillers

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor

Department of English Vanderbilt University



“From Negro to African and Back, on the Way to Radical Humanism”

Ronald A.T. Judy

Professor

Department of English University of Pittsburgh



November 20, 2009

4:00 – 6:00pm



Pembroke Hall 305

172 Meeting Street


Open to the public. Wheelchair accessible.



Sponsored by the Critical Global Humanities Initiative: a collaboration of the Cogut Center for the Humanities, Africana Studies, the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women, and International Affairs.

Let's hope this link works!

Rhode Island's Buy Nothing Day Approaches!

This text I lift from the Green Party website:

13th Annual Buy Nothing Day
Winter Coat Exchange
Friday, November 27th, 2009 10:00am - 2:00pm
Buy Nothing Day logo
If you have a coat to give, please drop it off.
If you need a coat, please pick one up.
State House lawn (directly across from Providence Place mall)
* Rain/Snow sites: St. Patrick's School, 244 Smith Street, Providence
& The Blackstone Valley Visitor's Center, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket
Other Coat Exchange Sites:
Newport: St Paul's Church, 12 Marlborough Street
Wakefield: St. Francis Church, 114 High Street 10:00am - NOON
Woonsocket: St. Ann's Arts & Cultural Center, 84 Cumberland Street

And here's some info in Spanish:

13th Evento Anual Día de No Comprar Nada
Intercambio de Abrigos de Invierno
Viernes, Noviembre 27, 2009 10:00am - 2:00pm
Buy Nothing Day logo
Si usted tiene un abrigo que no usa, por favor tráigalo.
Si usted necesita un abrigo, por favor recójalo.
Área verde de la Casa Estatal (directamente enfrente del centro comercial Providence Place)
Ubicación en caso de Nieve/lluvia: St. Patrick's School, 244 Smith Street, Providence
y Blackstone Valley Visitor Center, 175 Main Street, Pawtucket
Otros Sitios de Intercambio de Abrigos:
Newport: St Paul's Church, 12 West Marlborough Street
Wakefield: St. Francis Church, 114 High Street 10:00am - NOON
Woonsocket: St. Ann's Arts & Cultural Center, 84 Cumberland Street

El 27 de noviembre, el día más atareado en el calendario Americano de ventas y el inicio internacional no-oficial de las compras de Navidad, miles de activistas y ciudadanos concientes, en 65 países, se desintoxicarán del consume durante 24 horas, como parte del Día de no Comprar Nada, un fenómeno global que se originó en Vancouver, Canadá.

Las razones para participar en el Día de no Comprar Nada son tan variadas como las personas que eligen participar. Algunas lo ven como un escape de los trucos mentales de mercadeo y de la histeria de consumismo que caracteriza la época y nuestra cultura en general. Otros utilizan la oportunidad para exponer las consecuencias ambientales y éticas del exceso en consumo.

En Providence, como parte del Día Internacional de no Comprar Nada, llevamos a cabo un intercambio de abrigos en el área verde de la Casa Estatal, directamente enfrente del centro comercial Providence Place. Contamos con más de 60 co-patrocinadores del evento — organizaciones comunitarias, iglesias, grupos ambientales y promotores de la paz, así como voluntarios que ayudan en la actividad.
Información Para Contacto:
Providence: Greg Gerritt (401)331-0529, gerritt@mindspring.com
Providence: Phil Edmonds (401)273-4650, philwhistle@juno.com
Pawtucket: Arthur Plitt (401)724-8915, kingarthur02940@yahoo.com
Newport: Maggie Bulmer (401)849-3537
Wakefield: Tom Abbott (401)364-0778
Woonsocket: Roger Bonin (401)728-8328

I have added the Rhode Island area code...cuatro cero uno...four oh one...

My General JC Christian's Review: Still Standing by Carrie Prejean

Amazon Review: Still Standing by Carrie Prejean

Spam Spam Spam Spam Oy Vey

Alas, this blog has been receiving increasing robotic sales and porn pitches. This would bother me less if the readership was also growing significantly.

Ironically, the spam seems to be drawn to one of Democommie's posts...

Once last year there was a spam comment that was so brief and polite that I decided to leave it in peace.

The current crop is lengthy and super-annoying. I have changed the comment moderation and hope that this is a deterrent.

My friend Dnaz has had the identical problem.

Rhode Islander, John McDaid, Celebrates Birthday at Blogging Conference

Belated Happy Birthday to Portsmouth's John McDaid!

Yesterday was his birthday, and he went to an event in New York...

Did they sing Happy Birthday to him?

His blog:
hard deadlines
localblogging Portsmouth

is just a wonderful place to visit whether or not you live in Rhode Island.

How To Use The Past

Here is a quote which I received in my email and have never seen. If anyone knows its origins, I will gladly give that person(s) credit:


"El pasado te podrá servir como trampolín, nunca como sofá."
Anónimo (Personaje desconocido)

My translation is:

"The past can serve as a trampoline, never as a sofa."

Anonimous (Unknown author)

The source was the 'citadeldia' feature of this site. Their list of enlaces[links] is helpful.

A good cop

Notice: My blog's timestamp is screwed up. This is actually being posted at 9:43 PM (EST) on Wednesday, 11/04/09.

Update: Nome says she will fix the problem with the way I put the links in here. Thanks, Nomi!

A good Cop

I have mentioned to a few folks that I was going to put up a blogpost about an issue that I feel is important. That it involves a young man I've know for his entire life, the son of one of my best friends makes it much more personal than most of the things that I talk about here.

I've known Brad Jardis' dad about 40 years, and I've known Brad's mom for something like 35 years. I have known Brad Jardis since he was a very young boy. In the time that I have known Brad he has gone from being a curious and very determined child to a smart, hard working, honest and very courageous cop. He's a good son, from a good family, who has always acted as a professional in his LE capacity and who has always been cognizant of the fact that he is first and foremost an officer of the LAW.

Brad has been a police officer since he was eighteen years old. He graduated the NH State Police Academy before he was 19. He has served ably and honorably on three different departments. In the ten years that he has been a uniformed officer Brad has worked his share of petty and major crimes, domestic disturbances and drug busts. He has also volunteered his time as a counsellor for crime victims.

Brad is currently at loggerheads with his employer, the Epping, NH PD because of his integrity, honesty and outspokeness. He is a member of LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) an organization that is made up of law enforcement professionals who believe that the current policies of most law enforcement agencies, re: criminalization and prosecution of drug use is misguided and counter productive. His public stance on this issue is amply documented and it is a major reason, if not THE reason, that his employer is attempting to deprive him of his livelihood and his good reputation. Suffice to say that Brad is being "railroaded" by his department and his union. The charges are trumped up and Brad is fighting them. As is usually the case with fighting city hall, they don't bother to post the rules in a concise and clear way, so that gets added into the mix.

Following the links at the bottom will allow you to familiarize yourself with the situation.

Brad is a bright, energetic and earnest young man. He and I have had some fairly "energetic" discussions in the area of politics. We don't always agree, but we always respect one another's viewpoint. His positions are never based on anything but logic and his reading of the U.S. constitution and the laws of the United States. He's the only guy I ever met who actually keeps a copy of the constitution on his Blackberry. More to the point, he understands it as well as--and often better than--many people who are older and have made the study of that document a passion of their lives. I have suggested to Brad that going back to school and working toward a degree in law would be a great way to channel his energy and passion about justice. Whether he ultimately remains as a police officer or moves on to another career, he has my total support as my friend and my "nephew".

I would be quite happy if any of my readers want to take this post and re-post it. It would be a nice if it went viral and brought the sort of attention to his employers that they are most certainly trying to avoid.


Links:

http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Epping+officer+suspended%2C+alleges+harassment&articleId=8738624e-5502-4f5e-9bb3-0bc45f22549b


http://gamma.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Selectmen+deny+Epping+officer%27s+bid+for+public+hearing&articleId=e99f3b6d-556a-4a1b-9e1b-890912a46d06


http://copssaylegalize.blogspot.com/2009/10/leap-speaker-in-nh-legal-battle.html

http://freekeene.com/2009/10/30/free-keene-hits-the-raw-story-via-heroic-cop-brad-jardis/


http://rawstory.com/2009/10/claim-cop-turfed-pot-legalization/

http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Wrongful+death+suit+to+go+forward&articleId=89ae4274-a613-421f-a106-fa3fad3486e9

http://forum.freekeene.com/index.php?topic=1786.msg21054#msg21054

Lucy, the Dog from Iraq, Seeks a Permanent Home

This week, Tatiana Pina of the Providence Journal wrote about a dog in Rhode Island who had been rescued from Iraq.

I know the vast majority of this blog's visitors are not in RI, so I thought the story would be of interest.

On Friday I spoke briefly with Ms. Pina who advised me that the ProJo Blog has an update written by Donita Naylor.

It does seem that it may have been easier for the dog to obtain a passport than it is for your run of the mill human, but that's not the fault of this dog. One of these links has a photo of the dog's passport!

Let's Wait And See: About Ft. Hood

I have read and heard conflicting accounts about the terrible events of yesterday leading to deaths and injuries.

The commentary below was written by a blogger who posted on Americablog.

Some American military installations are in areas which have a lot of violent crime. As a soldier, once I entered the gates of a military base (access was controlled by armed military policemen and only people with military IDs were admitted or civilians with authorized business on post) I felt safe. I could let my guard down and relax. For example, Ft. McPherson is in a rougher neighborhood in Atlanta. Once I passed into Ft. Mcpherson I felt totally safe. I was totally protected among my friends and fellow soldiers on base. I can only imagine the horror the people at Ft. Hood felt yesterday. That said, I totally reject all Muslims being blamed for the actions of one, American-born, man known to be a Muslim (some on the far right in the U.S. media already are engaging in their typical bigotry and xenophobia). Charles Whitman (who killed 14 and wounded 32) from the university observation tower in Austin in 1966 was found to be suffering from a large gioblastoma which could have had an impact on his impulse control. And Timothy Mcveigh, a white male, U.S. Army veteran, Christian, registered Republican, and member of the N.R.A. murdered 168 people and wounded many others (including children in a day care center) when he bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Certainly no one held all Republican Christian members of the N.R.A. accountable for Timothy McVeigh's actions. We do not blame all Jews for the violent actions of an American-born Jewish physician named Baruch Goldstein who killed 29 people and wounded 150 others during the Festival of Purim in 1994. In our quest for justice, let's wait and see what was going on medically and psychiatrically with the accused shooter at Ft. Hood. If he is found accountable and cuplable (legally sane) for his actions, he alone is to blame (unless we know there was a larger conspiracy involving others). We cannot blame and should not retaliate against his entire religious community.

Here is the link to his blog.

I cannot understand the language he has there. I think it's Russian, but what do I know.

It does not surprise me that psychiatrists could suffer from the same maladies they diagnose and treat.

Are we so shocked when oncologists succumb to cancer?

It's Diana Abu-Jaber's Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Diana Abu-Jaber!

A few years ago. pure serendipity led me to the fiction of Diana. First I read Crescent and then I read Origins.

They are two very distinct novels.

I would recommend the former to anyone who loves books with food, the Middle East, Anne Tyler, Barbara Kingsolver, immigration dynamics, university town experiences, mysteries and more...

I recommend Origins to a my friends who are passionate about mysteries, upstate New York, family histories....this one has a flavor of Nevada Barr and a hint of Stephen King.

Diana, I hope this doesn't offend you!

Today is Diana's Birthday! Thanks to facebook, I consider her a friend; I know more about her than I do about some of my cousins...whether we ever meet face to face is irrelevant...this is one of the joys of "social networking"...

So check out http://www.dianaabujaber.com/

I have read excerpts of the non-fiction and it is splendid stuff.

Providence Celebrates the Hudson Street Delicatessen

I blogged a few months ago about the departure of the famed Hudson Street Market and the hope that something good would be born in its place (space?)...

And Yes, we have a Friendly Neighborhood Delicatessen:

The Hudson Street Delicatessen already has a facebook page!


There is one very funny little typo on the wall of that page. The first person who posts the typo in the comment section wins a prize from me. It will be something edible from the Deli, perhaps...


It will not be a Willow Street Wrap, however, I ate one yesterday and it was splendid.

Thank You Ninja Nurse, Democommie And Patient Friends

I have been a deeply dormant blogger, but the encouragement of the NinjaNurse, and Democommie and the famous bloggers of Newport and Other Mysterious Settings is waking me from the slumber.

This past Saturday at a wonderful Halloween event in my neighborhood, I had the great fortune to see Alex Svoboda, my friend whose knee was so harmed by the authorities in Pawtucket and who works joyfully with the Wobblies. Incredibly there are still charges pending against her ( and one or two others ).

Grace Paley's Birthday is approaching.

Rhett Jones' spirit is, I'm sure, following this Obama Administration and football and theatre and Civil Rights.

Marsha Z. West is Dancing and somewhere laughing about silly people blogging in her Memory.

And Harold Rogovin? Somewhere making jokes in Yiddish and reflecting on Sacco and Vanzetti.