The Agenda

Rod Driver supplies this reply to his open letter to Rep. Langevin:

Nearly four weeks after I sent 10 questions about HCR 362 to Rep. James Langevin, I still have no answer. However Eileen Sadasiv has sent me a copy of a letter she got from Langevin on Iran and she OK'd my sending it further—see below.

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Rod Driver, inveterate thorn in the buttocks of the corpus politicus status quo, sent some questions to U.S. Representative Jim Langevin by email, by fax and by certified snail mail on July 3. As of this writing, he hasn’t “yet received even the ‘I-appreciate-hearing-from-you’ form letter.”

The letter below was published in the Warwick Beacon on July 10, the Westerly Sun on July 17, the online edition of the Providence Journal on July 24, and possibly elsewhere.

Our representatives need to answer questions about Iran

Under orders from AIPAC (the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee), Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin co-sponsored HCR 362—a mysterious and dangerous resolution calling for a blockade of Iran.

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Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal may have just ruined his shot (however remote) at the vice presidency. While McCain could use a younger counterpart who appeals to the Christian Right, the electorate at large may not embrace someone who veers so far towards the shoulder on the concert of faith and public policy.

Jindal's vocal support of Intelligent Design is pitiable, but potentially toxic to McCain's bid for national approval. Especially when he frames his enthusiasm this way:

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Don Mollis would like to remind youse that if you voted in one party's presidential primary (presumably the one that still counted by the time Rho Dylanders got our turn) and would like to vote in another party's primary in September (presumably the party that doesn't count in Rho Dyland), you need to do that thing with the stuff by June 11.

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The Providence Journal reported yesterday (on its news blog that Belo Corporation, parent company of ProJo and such closely related companies as Texas Cable News, KONG-TV Seattle, and The Dallas Morning News, saw its first quarter profits decline compared to 1Q06.

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But, but Jef... we need more luxury condos.

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For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America's rank as the world's No. 1 incarcerator. It urges states to curtail corrections spending by placing fewer low-risk offenders behind bars.

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“As voters prepare to cast their ballots to nominate their choice for the next President of the United States, I want to make sure they know exactly where to go to cast their ballot,” says Providence Mayor David Cicilline in a press release today. Providentians seem to have divested themselves of their well-reasoned cynicism regarding the incredible fiction of American democracy, and will be turning out in “record numbers” on March 4th to register their support of future President John McCain, one of two identical lying, pro-war Democrats, or one of many irrelevant also-rans.

In any case, if you have some time to waste next Tuesday, you should go to the Rhode Island Voter Information Center website to find out the location of your local polling place (pictured, left). Note that your polling place for the primary election may be different from your usual November location, so it's a good idea to check, to ensure you can maintain the illusion of having your voice heard.

The goal of the Urban Curators project is to engage the public in the celebration of the decaying urban environment, recognizing its inherent aesthetic qualities as well as the important role that it plays within our cultural habitat. The project achieves its goal by elevating common, overlooked objects and spaces within the city of Providence, Rhode Island to the level of high art.

UPDATE: A link to Urban Curators has been posted on BoingBoing.net, a "directory of wonderful things," at http://www.boingboing.net/2007/02/18/urbancurators_frame_.html .

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Clear Channel has been bought for $19.5B ($39.20/share) by 'a private equity group' led by Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners.

Bain Capital was founded in Boston in 1984 by three partners, including Mitt Romney, who were all also partners in Bain & Co. consulting. Romney was also Massachusetts governor at the time.

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