Psychological stopping-blocks aside, there is also a very concrete reason for my recent reluctance to write. “Overheard in Providence” is now a lie (bold-faced)! In June I began cohabiting a lovely one-bed room with my lovely girlfriend in my lovely hometown (a.k.a Manhattan). As of September, I ceased paying rent in Providence altogether. Thus, for this month and last, I have been unable to consider myself a resident of Providence.

When I started this blog, I had the misguided notion that I would post actual quotations that had actually been overheard in actual Providence. Despite a carefully crafted submission form, this did not happen (thanks a lot, general public). Instead I was forced to fill this blog with my own musings (take that, public), but I kept the name, despite criticism mind you, because I felt that it accurately reflected my status as a New Yorker livin’ n’ bloggin’ in PVD. Now, however, it mainly reflects the fact that I own the domain name “overheardinprovidence.com”. (sidenote: I also own the domain providencehalloweendayparade.com, so if Providence wants to have a Halloween Day Parade anytime soon, I’d better be on board.)

And there you have it; I’m a New Yorker, anew. I now reside on 116th St. and Frederick Douglas Blvd. (formerly 8th Ave and/or Central Park West), although I haven’t severed all ties to Providence. Besides my inappropriately named blog and my tenuous status as a contributer to the (newly redesigned!) Providence Daily Dose, my perpetual status as a Brown University CS graduate student ensures my frequent contact with this blog’s namesake.

Perhaps one day, in the distant, distant future, I’ll cease attending Brown University. When that day comes, I may find myself inclined to change the name of my blog. For now though, I’m contented with my newly modified header and this vaguely apologetic post. I will continue to be overheard.

Update: I actually registered providencehalloweenparade.com, as Dave (below) points out, providencehalloweendayparade.com is a profoundly stupid url. Providence needs a “Halloween Parade”, not a “Halloween Day Parade”.

Expanding existing public transportation infrastructure (particularly trains and subways) is often very expensive. Thanks to global warming and rising gas prices, these expenditures are increasingly worth while, but you can get even more bang for you buck when you simultaneously consider how relatively cheap technology can make existing public transportation work much better. Google Transit is just one example.

My favorite example is using GPS to track the locations of buses. This allows travelers to check bus/train locations, as well as expected arrival times, on the web or their phone. It also would allow transit systems to display the expected weight times at stops. Taking a bus or subway late at night, or in bad weather, is a lot more pleasant when you can time your departure so you don’t have to wait at a stop for 15 minutes.

Earlier this semester, some grad students and I boldly attempted to make this GPS-enabled future a reality. We submitted a proposal, as part of Brown’s initiative to curb carbon emissions, to get money to put GPS-enabled cellphones on select Providence buses. We would have used the GPS data, in conjunction with software my friends had already written, to display bus locations on the web and/or smart phones. We also would have allowed students to use text-messaging to find out what bus they should take to get somewhere, and when they should leave to catch said bus. In fact, we even pointed out that our highly-location specific services would be perfect for generating ad revenue to offset the cost of the GPS. Sadly Brown rejected our proposal, saying that our idea was too “business-like” (which I took to mean, “too well thought out and practical”).

In my home town of NYC, I’ve heard plenty of people complain about the high cost of expanding the subway system. I’ve also heard plenty of people complain that taking buses in outer boroughs sucks. I’ve never, however, heard anyone suggest, that NYC make the bus system better by 1) allowing people to know where buses are or 2) allowing buses to know where trains are, so they can time their arrivals and departures better. At the very least, why not put train information online? Does the MTA honestly not know where it’s trains are at any given time? Isn’t this information already on a computer somewhere?

Once the MTA put train location data online, websites such as hopstop would leap at the opportunity to integrate this data with their existing services. Even if they currently don’t know where their trains are, cell phone service is coming to subway platforms, so service providers will soon be able to use cell phone signals to provide this data. In short, what the MTA really needs is a computer science consultant.

This month it is my truly unexpected pleasure to announce that this blog has been included in the Providence Pheonix’s annual Best of Providence survey. That’s right folks, Overheard in Providence has officially a Providence institution, as it is one of four blogs listed in the Best Providence Blog/Podcast category (also there’s a field for write-ins). I must say, I see myself as a long shot, but it’s certainly nice to be listed right below the Providence Daily Dose), since the whole incident once again brings the three blogs I’m affiliated with into cosmic alignment.

I’ve always felt that one of the best things about going out in Providence and/or Rhode Island is that, because of the state’s tiny size, almost everywhere you go has obtained either Best in Providence or Best in Rhode Island recognition. In fact, if an establishment isn’t new, and it lacks any such award, it may safely be considered one of the worst places in Rhode Island. Even if I come in last in the Pheonix’s survey, I am deeply honored to take part in the grand tradition of Rhode Island greatness bestness.

Update: Solidifying my theory, I’ve just discovered that my housemates band was named 2007’s best “riff on a marching band” by the editor’s of Rhode Island Monthly.

Spike’s on Thayer Street has two types of napkin dispenser in close proximity. They both dispense the same napkins, but it’s still nice to have options.

The most successful of these blogs is passiveaggressivenotes.com, which averages over 10,000 unique visitors a day, and it was even featured on NPR. If you’ve taken the time to read every post I ever written, you already know that this is my friend Kerry’s blog (plus she has a book deal!), and I’m just the support staff. Still, I recently added a bunch of hot features like post-it notes in the sidebar and the ability to post comments that respond to other comments, so check it out. Currently I’m working on improving the comment rating system (you have to register to use it).

The other, more up-and-coming, blog I’m involved with is the Providence Daily Dose, a cultural blog for Providence (like gothamist for New York). I’ve only written about five posts for this blog, but fortunately some of my ultra hip friends are much more prolific (my housemate, however, is not). The Dose just had it’s first official event, a holiday party at Local 121 (a very classy locale by Providence standards). Amazingly, this event was featured on the cover of the Providence Journal. As a result, today is our most successful day to date!

So there you have it, a brief overview of my blogtastic lifestyle. What lies ahead? SXSW Interactive for one (I’m told it’s like spring break for us 20 something web 2.0 types).

With all these banks popping up, I’m reminded of the mid 90’s when drugstores started appearing everywhere. Both of these seem like pretty sweet businesses, since apparently you can apparently make up for terrible service by simply opening a huge number of locations. Still, I can’t decide which is less exciting, the arrival of a bank or a drug store. I’m leaning towards drug store since there’s at least a chance the bank will look nice. Plus it might be a branch of Portland-based Umpqua Bank.

At 22 Dave shook up Providence politics with a surprise victory in Ward 1’s 2002 election for city councilman. Since he ran as a Green, he ended up becoming the council’s minority leader (no republicans were elected). Even though he had only moved to Providence in 2001, he won over skeptics by committing to his post full time. The position only pays $18,000, so most city councilman do additional work on the side. For a hip young guy like Dave however, 18k is more than enough, plus he needed plenty of time to wander around Brown University and maintain his activist lifestyle.

Dave has since become a Democrat, as well as a State Representative. Since his current job only pays him for 6 months out of the year, his salary has dropped to $14,000. Perhaps that’s why he’s became a cofounder of the Providence Daily Dose, the other blog with which I’m affiliated. After his plug in The Phoenix, I’m sure the site will explode any day now. Also I think he’s been studying for the LSATs, so maybe there’s some way that could lead to additional income.

For now though, Dave continues his modest (but also amazingly hip) lifestyle based out of his Ives Street apartment, nicknamed “Telescope” (the article failed to mention that bit). Even though Telescope contains “an easy chair that once belonged to New York Times’ journalistic heir Arthur Gregg Sulzberger,” the Pheonix referred the apartment as “unremarkable for a 20-something in Providence”. As a 20-something I respectfully disagree.

Just last spring I remarked (during a potluck in fact) how unusual it was that their kitchen contained only one knife, a cleaver our friend Ian accidently left several months prior. For years I also remarked that they might want to finally get internet (I eventually gave them an old computer to get the ball rolling), or perhaps hook up the stereo sitting in the middle of their living room (our friend Tim eventually took care of that). To be fair, after reading this article about my hometown Senator I no longer think Dave’s lifestyle choice is that uncommon for an elected official.

Thus far I’ve only reposted two posts from this site, but I fully intend on writing some original content soon. I guess if I write something really great I’ll post it here as well, but more likely I’ll just change the name of this blog when the domain expires in November.