That’s Thursday, March 18, at the Hi Hat.  Facebook here.  More details on the event below, but first, Tom’s take on why you really oughtta give a hoot about who your State Treasurer happens to be:

Why should you care about the treasurer’s race?  The treasurer’s office is an underused asset to our state government, with important levers of power that seldom get used.  The treasurer isn’t just about finance, but also housing, education, the environment and more.  We deserve a treasurer who understands that it’s not just about managing the state’s finances more efficiently, but also about using those levers to benefit the state’s working families, its water and air, housing, education and more.  Read more about finance, or about me at the campaign web site, or at whatcheer.net, or — better yet — come to the party and ask me.

And the March 18 details:

A week from this Thursday, on the evening of March 18, please join me for a fundraising party for my campaign for Rhode Island General Treasurer.  It will be at the Hi-Hat, in Davol Square, Providence, from 6-9, and will feature an invasion, I mean appearance, by the fabulous What Cheer?  Brigade, a 16-piece street band with four drummers, three tubas and heaven knows how many trombones and trumpets.  My friend Aaron Wade of the band Santamamba will also be around to fight back on the piano.  And I’ll probably speak for a little bit, too.  The suggested donation is $100.

There are more than fifty co-hosts helping me with this affair:
Craig O’Connor and Lauren Goddard - Melody Drnach - Dave Heckman- Matt Jerzyk - Karen McAninch and Steve Markovitz - Rachel Miller - Jane Murphy and Jim Dean - Marvin Ronning - Marti Rosenberg - Roxie and Tom Sgouros Sr. - Jim Tull - Councilman Seth Yurdin - Representative Frank Ferri - John Roney - Senator Rhoda Perry - Ray Rickman - John and Letitia Carter - Robert Walsh, Jr. - Harry and Alice Beckwith - Marc B. Gertsacov, Esq. - Jim Harris - K. Nicholas Tsiongas - Lawrence Purtill - Ric McIntyre - Paul McNeil - Dave Ortiz - Representative David Segal - Henry and Peggy Sharpe - Bruce Vild and Faith Lamprey - Jay Walsh - Rick Brooks - Bert Crenca - Brian Hull - Representative Scott Guthrie -Representative Art Handy - Ed and Cathy Hardie - Meg Kerr and Bob Vanderslice - Nancy Evans Lloyd - Lynne McCormack and Al Chin - Garrett Bliss - Patrick Crowley - Representative Bob DaSilva - Johnny Dollar - Scott Duhamel - Representative Jay Edwards - Alisa Gallo - Roberta Hazen Aaronson and - Michael Aaronson - Representative Edie Ajello - Michael Alper - Representative Chris Fierro - Representative Rod Driver - and Dan Bass

These celebrities have it right on:  This video really makes me regret dropping out of camp, every single summer from the ages of 7 to 14.  I think I just enjoyed watching the Price Is Right too much to spend my mornings spinning lopsided pottery.

You might’ve caught this ad during that football game that was on last night:

I know these ads are test-marketed to death, but how is this paranoid wignutty vision of an enviro-fascist dystopia supposed to help sell cars?  Scare people into it?  It almost made me hate environmentalists, and sure ain’t spreading any good will, even towards Audi’s “Green Car of the Year.”

It’s a big news day, so the dearth of mainstream coverage of his death isn’t a shock.  I hope and expect that it’ll pick up.  Here’s his Globe obituary.  And Daniel Ellsberg — who leaked the Pentagon Papers — has a wonderful tribute to him, here.  And CommonDreams is probably the place to turn for other memorials and homages.

I just learned that my friend Howard Zinn died today. Earlier this morning, I was being interviewed by the Boston Phoenix, in connection with the release in Boston February of a documentary in which he is featured prominently. The interviewer asked me who my own heroes were, and I had no hesitation in answering, first, “Howard Zinn.”

Just weeks ago after watching the film on December 7, I woke up the next morning thinking that I had never told him how much he meant to me. For once in my life, I acted on that thought in a timely way. I sent him an e-mail in which I said, among other things, what I had often told others about him: that he was,” in my opinion, the best human being I’ve ever known. The best example of what a human can be, and can do with their life.”

Yup, that’s right:  Go and get wasted (responsibly) on a Wednesday night for the 24th time in the last two years, tomorrow night.

What a difference two years make! Drinking Liberally is celebrating its second anniversary this month, and look how far we’ve come.

In 2009, DL hit the political scene is a big way. We brought you Providence Mayor David Cicilline in March, U.S. Sen. Lincoln Chafee in October, General Treasurer Frank Caprio in November, and Attorney General Patrick Lynch in December. And every month, we offered a place for like-minded, left-leaning individuals to gather, exchange ideas, and get involved.

DL also became a media event in 2009. We were prominently featured on several occasions in pieces by the Providence Journal, RIFuture.org, Providence Daily Dose, WRNI, WBRU, and a number of other publications and media outlets. We even became talk radio fodder!

[Venue Change: DL has decided to join up with Organizing for America tonight at McFadden's on Pine Street, so everyone can get together and watch President Obama's 'State of the Union' address on all the awesome television screens. Discounted food and drink. See post above for details. DL will return to the Wild Colonial next meeting.]

Wednesday, 7:30pm to 11pm, McFadden’s, 52 Pine Street

The RI Young Democrats just released a year-end update, and have issued a general invite to an evening event with Sheldon Whitehouse, next Weds at Local 121:

On Wednesday, January 13th, the Rhode Island Young Democrats will host a meet and greet with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. It will be held in the Speakeasy at Local 121 in Providence.

The event is part of a continuing series of events hosted by RIYD to make Rhode Island’s elected officials accessible and available to the state’s voters.

We hope you’ll join us and please feel free to invite your friends as well!

Suggested donation is $10, but as always, pay what you can!

The highlight of the Young Dems’ year was probably Tuesday’s final passage of Rep. Ed Pacheco’s and Sen. Rhoda Perry’s pre-registration legislation, which will permit every RI citizen 16 years-old and up to register to vote.

Today at 3:30pm there will be a rally in front of the Westin, in support of workers there — several of whom were recently fired for joining the picket line during their break from work.  Details on that below.  Afterward, join Camilo Viveiros, the new director of RI Jobs with Justice, at a low-ticket fundraiser and birthday celebration.  Free beer with a donation of just $5.

Westin management cut employee health insurance, subcontracted laundry work, and illegally replaced three workers for picketing. Join Local 217 rank and file leaders as they protest Westin management on Tuesday, January 5, at 3:30pm in front of the Westin Hotel (1 West Exchange Street in Downtown Providence). We will meet at the Westin employee entrance at 3:30pm. Dress warmly and bring your walking shoes. At the action we will introduce a special surprise guest.

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UPDATE: Tom’s event last night was a smashing success, with upwards of 120 people in attendance, on a cold, awkwardly-timed ‘tween holidays evening.

Brian Hull puts it really well:

For 20 years, Tom Sgouros has been advocating for a better Rhode Island, working with politicians and activist groups to develop new ways of looking at the state’s old problems.  And he’s waited for these reforms to be put into practice.  We’ve all waited, and waited, and waited.

Tom is sick of waiting.

For 20 years he’s talked about the state’s problems, and for almost 7 years he’s been writing them down.  His new book “Ten Things You Don’t Know About Rhode Island” is a must-read for anyone who is as interested in solving the state’s problems as Tom Sgouros is….

With Tom Sgouros, Progressive don’t need to compromise.  In this election, at this time, we don’t have to choose the least worst candidate. If we want fresh, new ideas to solve the state’s problems, Tom Sgouros is the one.

There are several things that YOU can do right NOW to support Tom Sgouros.

1. Please make a donation before midnight tonight:
2. Endorse Tom Sgouros and join the many other Rhode Islanders who are publicly supporting him.
3. Sign up to volunteer.  You can commit to hosting a house party, inviting your friends, family, and neighbors to meet with Tom.  You can knock on some doors or make some phone calls to help Tom’s campaign.

With all of us working together, Tom will be the next General Treasurer.  But he needs your help!

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Congratulations to Friend-of-the Dose Kim Ahern who was named by Providence Monthly in their annual ‘10 People Who Can Change the City’ feature (January issue). I think this just might be true. This Virginia transplant and Roger Williams School of Law grad is currently clerking for Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg. PM assistant editor Johnny Taraborelli notes how much she has already accomplished — having been one of the state’s top Obama organizers, elected as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic Convention, VP of the RI Young Democrats, one of the founders of Drinking Liberally — at just 26 years of age.  (Of course I had formed my own drinking club by that age as well.) At any rate, we are lucky Kim landed here and decided to stay. Change us Kim!

The Projo just picked it up:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Myrth York, a mainstay in local Democratic politics, has announced that she’s backing Tom Sgouros’ candidacy for general treasurer.

“Since the early 1990’s, Tom has worked alongside and for progressive candidates — like me — and community organizations,” York writes in a statement distributed by the Sgouros campaign. “Now, he’s ready to take his knowledge and expertise to the State House.”

Tomorrow marks the seventh annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, celebrated every year on December 17th; vigils and demonstrations are being held across the world to honor those who have been assaulted or, in too many cases, who have died during the past year.

The annual event began in 2003 as a memorial for the four Seattle prostitutes murdered by Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer; in his guilty plea, he told the court that he targeted prostitutes specifically because he knew no one would notice that they were missing.

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The Geeks are at AS220:

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009, 5:30 – 8:30pm
AS220, 115 Empire Street, Providence, RI
FREE (buy your own food and drink – it’s cheap)

The last Providence Geek Dinner of the decade (yes, _ the decade_!) drops next week, and it’s going to be a doozy.

For starters, the excellent Providence-based DiJiPOP will be presenting.

We also are having our second annual “Geeks for Good” food drive, led by the awesome Michelle Riggen-Ransom of BatchBlue Software. More on this very soon. (For the moment, suffice it to say, “bring food donations!”)

And Drinking Liberally will be hosting gubernatorial candidate Patrick Lynch.  8pm at the Wild Colonial, as always.

Great news, covered here in the Projo and here at RIFuture.  Here’s the statement he’s posted on his new website:

Statistician, writer, and public policy researcher, Tom Sgouros, Jr., announced today he will seek the Democratic nomination for Rhode Island Office of the General Treasurer in the September 2010 primary on a platform of enhancing the fiscal management of Rhode Island’s resources and revitalizing the state’s economy through innovation and fostering local investment.

“Rhode Islanders deserve a government that achieves the highest standards for management of our finances and guarantees the health of the state’s economy. There is much we can do to promote both,” Sgouros said. “Innovation informed by good old-fashioned practicality can show us valuable new ways to accomplish the people’s business at the State House. I am running for General Treasurer because I know I can make a difference in the policies, practices, and governance of our state at this challenging moment in our history.”

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The Hive Archive will host the LUNAFEST film festival and fundraiser on Friday, December 11, from 5-8PM at The Spot, 286 Thayer Street in Providence. Nine international short films by women filmmakers will be screened at the event.

The Hive Archive will also present Hive Distinguished Women in the Arts awards to two local recipients at a reception before the screening. Megan Hall, Health Care Reporter for WRNI and an independent radio producer; and Deb Ruggiero, host of Amazing Women talk show on 630 WPRO AM & 99.7 AM, Director of Community Development for Citadel Radio, and a State Representative. Reception with light refreshments begins at 5pm and the films start at 6:15pm.

Tickets are $25. Seating is limited. To reserve tickets email the.hive.archive@gmail.com or call 401.241.1714.

15% of all proceeds will go to The Breast Cancer Fund.

The backlash over the Kennedy feud might be less severe if the Diocese took a harder line on broader issues of social justice.  Hundreds of homeless Rhode Islanders are suffering — with a good chance that some will die of exposure in coming months, or of ill health otherwise exacerbated by the winter.  Why does the Governor get a pass?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A state plan to house Rhode Island’s homeless this winter is woefully inadequate and could lead to more deaths during freezing weather, advocates said Tuesday.

“Every winter we don’t have enough beds for the homeless, but this year we have a crisis in our midst,” said Jim Ryczek, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless.

Speaking at a rally at Beneficent Congregational Church, Ryczek and others urged Governor Carcieri to act quickly to find more beds for a growing homeless population.

According to the coalition, the number of homeless men, women and children in the state has more than doubled in the last two years, to 1,518 in October 2009, from 664 in October 2007.