For all of you who thought about closing up shop after last year’s Forbes singles listing, thank the gods that we have Dan on the case to sort things out:

The biggest difference was that Forbes, which publishes the list every year, had changed its methodology. To judge a city’s online dating scene, it stopped using the number of Match.com personals and counted how many Yahoo! Personals were listed.

Providence dropped from number 14 in the online dating category to number 40, dragging it down to the bottom spot overall and prompting a combination of surprised soul-searching and self-satisfied “I told you so’s” in the city’s blogosphere.

So don’t make that cheesy-ass move to Portland, SF, NYC, or Philly just yet.  (Stick it out for the summer, anyway.  It’s worth it for the kickball, even if you’re not getting laid.)

And just a hunch, but I’m guessing we can take credit for news of that monster truck crash turning up in the paper of record:

Providence has found its way onto lists of every type, some fitting, some bizarre, some contradictory: number 10 most “livable” city, according to MSN in 2003; number 10 most miserable city, according to Forbes in 2008; site of the number-7 best monster truck crash of all time, according to truckchamp.com. Ninth most dental visits per population, says Men’s Health magazine.

The end of this is quite creepy, what with the pigeon-petting and sneak attack by that shadowy figure.

Watch this cool video of wildlife expert Mike Amaral and some Projo people attempting to tag baby peregrine falcons high above Kennedy Plaza as ma and pa falcon swoop in for the kill. ( Projo)

Say what you will about the staggering genius of Trapped In The Closet parts 1 through one-hundred thousand or whatever the hell it’s up to now, but it looks like R. Kelly is seriously fucked as he heads to trial for this minor matter of videotaping himself peeing in a thirteen-year-old’s face. Oh, and he had sex with her too. But now, as you would expect when everyone in the world has seen the video of this extremely heinous crime, the potential jury kinda-sorta fucking hates R. Kelly. ( Baker City Herald)

From NYTimes, It looks like John Edwards is ready to endorse someone.

Appearing on MSNBC this morning, John Edwards said he was “very likely” to endorse the candidate he voted for in the North Carolina primary on Tuesday. But, the anchors asked, which candidate was it?

In his demurral, Mr. Edwards may have slipped: “I just voted — I just voted for him on Tuesday,” he said. But given Mr. Edwards’s Southern accent, that pesky pronoun may have been plural, albeit in a shortened form: “I just voted for ’em on Tuesday.”

David Schuster, an MSNBC host, attempted to ferret out the truth. “So it was a him or a her that you voted for?” he asked, interrupting the former senator. Mr. Edwards then backpedaled, saying, “No, no,” and laughing.

Did he say “him” or “‘em”? Experience with my own father’s fickle Southern accent leads me to believe Edwards did say “him.”

You decide. Here’s the video. The statement in question is about 10 minutes in. (I couldn’t find a shorter clip. And, well, smarmy as he is, John Edwards is still like a warm blanket to me.)

PROVIDENCE — Perennial political candidate Christopher F. Young took the annual debate on gay marriage in an unexpected direction late Wednesday night when he accused state representatives of corruption and questioned their interest in Satan.

The Providence Phoenix released its annual music poll results and it even included some Daily Dose Approved® artists! Some folks have said that I may be a bit cruel sometimes towards stuff I don’t personally like, so not only will I leave the hating aside for now but I’ll also let you know that my band got sorely trounced in both categories we were nominated for, so there. Anyways, some stuff we actually like are Spanish Dancer, one Anthony Ferreira (pictured) who took the Best Category-Defying prize and who surely deserves it for the spazzy, slithering electro-soul he’s been churning out for a year or so. Also, excellent electric folk and all around nice guys The ‘Mericans took Best Roots Act, which is pigeonholing them a bit, because they really are a great rock band. Stealing the Best Album crown from my band is the very cool What The Crow Brings by the Low Anthem, a fine record that I believe we wrote up a few months back. They’ll be at Nick-A-Nees this evening the big ‘ole fundraiser that you’re going to, right?

By Adam Siegel

Shhh….don’t tell Gov. Carcieri but: La copa de futbol de Ingles en Accion es este sabado, 10 de mayo.

The all-day festival starts at 9am, and features 10 soccer teams playing for the cup, food and art from more than 10 different countries, the What Cheer? Brigade and other musical acts, kids’ activities, and even a mini-health fair!

As they say, come for the soccer– stay for the mini-health fair.

The EFA Cup will be at Donigian Park on Valley Street in Olneyville. All are welcome to play or watch…if you can pull yourself away from the mini-health fair!

There will be a screening of THE WAR ROOM, the 1992 Clinton campaign documentary tonight at 700pm at Local 121’s speakeasy (downstairs).  Matt Jerzyk will be moderating the post discussion with Scott MacKay, Ian Donnis, and Kate Coyne-McCoy.This event is free and open to the public.

Grub Will Keep Us Together

Okay, I know. I know! Where the F have I been? I told you that this was going to be a weekly column about food around town. Now I post, oh, every month or so.

So what’s taking me so long? Where have I been? Have I stopped eating?

Nope. Broke. I’ve been broke. I bet many of you know the feeling.

Suddenly you realize that that owner-occupied apartment was not such a good idea after so many months of late rent. That wonderful, understanding friend has insisted on taking you out for another Julian’s brunch on her dime, as you shamefully promise to, someday, return the favor. Your phone just got shut off. And if it weren’t for ‘Gansett, you’d never be drunk. (more…)

LOADED! Tonight at Local 121, DJs K-Leav, H.P. and myself bring the best of the best of british rock, guitar pop, and indie sweetness for your dancing pleasure. 10pm, free.

A few weeks back playwright/screenwriter/all-around genius David Mamet wrote an essay in the Village Voice entitled; “Why I Am No Longer A Brain-Dead Liberal”, and true-to-form, the piece is inspired, cynical, hilarious, basically everything you’d expect from one of America’s greatest living writers:

“As a child of the ’60s, I accepted as an article of faith that government is corrupt, that business is exploitative, and that people are generally good at heart.

These cherished precepts had, over the years, become ingrained as increasingly impracticable prejudices. Why do I say impracticable? Because although I still held these beliefs, I no longer applied them in my life. How do I know? My wife informed me. We were riding along and listening to NPR. I felt my facial muscles tightening, and the words beginning to form in my mind: Shut the fuck up. “?” she prompted. And her terse, elegant summation, as always, awakened me to a deeper truth: I had been listening to NPR and reading various organs of national opinion for years, wonder and rage contending for pride of place. Further: I found I had been—rather charmingly, I thought—referring to myself for years as “a brain-dead liberal,” and to NPR as “National Palestinian Radio.”

( Village Voice)

More info and tix at the Steelyard’s website.

by Andres Salmeron

by Andres Salmeron

“This Saturday, May 10th at 10:00AM, we will be re-opening the Obama HQ on Westminster Street for a Voter Registration Drive. After remarks [by] Congressman Kennedy and Attorney General Lynch (and a brief training) we’ll hit the streets! Join Us”

via Rhode Islands Future: Politics & Culture - Front Page by Kim Ahern on 5/5/08