Something About Rhode Island

And Pagers: Well. Mr & Mrs Abq Jew have just returned from a delightful visit to Rhode Island, the Ocean State, where (see July's Our House) members of their now-wonderfully-extended family do cheerfully reside.

And still others reside, just as cheerfully, drivably (yes, that's really how you spell it) close.

Rhode Island, for those of you who have only flown over (it doesn't take long!) on your way to Boston, has many islands - but is not, in itself, an island. It is the smallest US state by area, and the seventh-least populous. It is also the second-most densely populated state, after New Jersey.

Having many islands and beaucoup waterways, Rhode Island is a natural breeding ground for bridges. At least one of them, the Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge (see photo above), is gorgeous. 

Want to see even more beautiful bridges?
See January 2020's The Bridges of Christian Menn.)

And then there's the Washington Bridge, which carries I-195 traffic to and from Providence, the state capital. Actually a rather nice-looking bridge. However -

Washington Bridge has fallen down, or is in extreme danger of so doing. So it's sorta closed, causing traffic tie-ups for other ways around Providence. The state recently called for bids to tear down and replace Washington Bridge; there were no bidders.

No blog post, Wikipedia entry, or other piece of writing about Rhode Island would be complete without mention of Roger Williams, a refugee who in 1636 fled religious perseecution in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded Providence on land purchased from local tribes.

And boy, could he play the piano! Williams had 22 hit singles – including the chart-topping "Autumn Leaves" in 1955 and "Born Free" in 1966 – and 38 hit albums between 1955 and 1972.

Anyway, here is a nice song about Rhode Island, written and performed by Timmy May. With lyrics, so we all can sing along.

And here is the official (since 1996) state song of Rhode Island. The lyrics are by Charlie Hall, and the music was written by Maria Day. Once more - we can all sing along!

NOTE: The song "Miles and Miles of Texas," famously recorded
by famous country-western band Asleep At The Wheel,
was originally intended to be about Rhode Island.
It was titled (but not entitled) "Yards and Yards of Rhode Island,"
and had noticably fewer verses that its successor hit.

In what Abq Jew had intended to be the closing of this blog post, here is an image of Rhode Island's state flag.

The flag of the state of Rhode Island, Wikipedia tells us, is white and consists of a gold anchor in the center (a symbol for hope) surrounded by thirteen gold stars (for the original Thirteen Colonies and Rhode Island's status as the 13th state to ratify the Constitution). 

A blue ribbon below the anchor
bears the state's motto in gold:
HOPE

Hope is something we can all use more of, it currently being in short supply with regard to The State Of The World. And then came "Operation Below the Belt," according to many observers (but not according to participants)

One of the greatest intelligence operations in history.

Memes, you want? The Internet generated abput eighteen zillion of them, a curated selection of which can be found in Abq Jew's friend Jacob Richman' s website, right here.

In closing - really! - Abq Jew calls your attention to the attention-grabbing headline in The Washington Post, which Abq Jew read as

Deli owner knew of problems before
ship hit Baltimore bridge, U.S. alleges

Abq Jew figured they must be talking about his beloved new relative-by-marriage Shawn Margolis, the (former) owner of Sig's Place, which recently closed after operating for over twelve years in Middletown and almost ninety years on Aquidneck Island.

But no! The actual headline, Abq Jew only later realized, was 

Dali owner knew of problems before
ship hit Baltimore bridge, U.S. alleges

and was, appropriately, about the container ship that recently hit Baltimore's Key Bridge. But - as long as we're talking about delis - Abq Jew cheerfully brings your attention to the about-to-be-real kosher (of course)

This blog post shows what and how much
can be accomplished just one day after
receiving Covid and Shingrex shots. Oy.