Like I said yesterday, that's why they play the games. But despite my disappointment at this kind of missed opportunity, the Sox sit pretty much atop baseball, and division series time is almost upon us.

More good news: the genius-types at Baseball Prospectus rank the Sox tops in Secret Sauce, and a Cubs-Sox World Series may be in the offing.

Contrary to popular belief in some quarters, on-street parking in residential neighborhoods will not hasten the decline of Western Civilization. Patrick Ward, the force behind Citizens for Resident Permit Parking, will tell you the same thing. The Phoenix has written about this in the past.

The PBN has an update on the campaign:

Kristen Cyr, ace spokeswoman at the Community College of RI, sends word of this event:

Nine Liberian journalists will speak on pertinent topical issues affecting the emerging democracy in Liberia at a community forum at noon on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Liston Campus of the Community College of Rhode Island, 1 Hilton St.

Several dozen gay and lesbian couples are expected at the State House at 10 am tomorrow for a celebration of the one-year anniverary of the right of same-sexers to marry in Massachusetts. Their will also be calls for the General Assembly to establish this right in Rhode Island.

The event is being sponsored by Marriage Equality Rhode Island and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders.

Matt has a report that Guillaume de Ramel, who lost last year's Democratic primary for secretary of state, is being talked up as a possible candidate to succeed the late Paul Crowley.

Although de Ramel lost a low-turnout Democratic primary in 2006 to current Secretary of State Ralph Mollis 53% - 47%, he did overwhelmingly win the city of Newport by a margin of 75% - 25%

Although the International Association of Firefighters, Local 799, the union representing Providence firefighters, has taken a serious public-relations hit in recent days, union president Paul Doughty remained unbowed during a taping this morning of WPRI/WNAC-TV's Newsmakers.

Doughty rejected suggestions that the firefighters are seeking overly generous benefits, saying that arbitration has yielded results close to what they are seeking.

The stars might be in alignment for this to happen, what with Josh Beckett on the bumb at Fenway, and Scott Kazmir squaring off against the Yankees, but then again, that's why they play the games.

Meanwhile, you've got to love the dissonance of Boston.com's Eric Wilbur panning the president of Red Sox Nation thing, even while the banner ad on the page in question (see below) implores readers to vote in said contest.

The office of Secretary of State Ralph Mollis sends along word of plans for a lottery tomorrow regarding ballot placement for the House District 22 special primary and election and for the Jamestown municipal races. The District 22 seat was left vacant by the recent resignation of Representative Peter Ginaitt of Warwick.

The stretch of North Main Street heading away from the heart of Providence has a mixed identity. On one hand, it's home to cool busineses like Javaspeed Scooters and the Sandwich Hut (try their meatball sub), and was once home to the Rhode Island Reds. Yet as Dan Barbarisi describes in today's ProJo,

North Main Street looks like it is missing teeth.

The strong feelings that Rhode Islanders place in their public libraries explains the level of intensity around several years of controversy involving the Providence Public Library, the mothership for the state.

Now, just in time for Banned Books Week, the PPL will offer two screenings of The Hollywood Librarian: A Look at Librarians Through Film, a documentary.

Writing in this week's Phoenix, I take a look at state Representative David Segal of Providence, who combines earnestness and a bit of youthful cool in his ongoing work as a legislator-activist:

When state Representative David Segal staged a fundraiser in May at Nick-a-Nee’s, the watering hole in Providence’s Jewelry District, the idiosyncratic crowd indicated just how different this event was from your standard legislative money-maker.

Recall those flights that shuttled Saudi nationals out of the US after 9/11? It's turns out that one of them emanated from Warwick:

It’s been six years since 9/11, and far from becoming old news, there’s always more to learn about that day and its aftermath.

Remember the charter flights that expedited Saudi nationals out of the US soon after the attacks? Some of these whisked away Saudi royalty, while others, more ominously, carried extended members of the bin Laden family.

N4N briefly covered Jane Swift's unsuccessful challenge to US Representative John Olver in 1996, and she struck me as being intelligent and ambitious. It was nonetheless surprising when she rapidly ascended to the governor's office in Massachusetts, thanks to how the incumbent, Paul Celllucci, took a post as ambassador to Canada.

Saturday's 8-6 come-from-behind win seemed like one of those games that could change a season. With the Sox' flagging, they got help from Tek, as well as some unexpected sources -- Drew, Lugo, and Gagne. But by the next day, Boston was again missing a chance to capitalize, losing by a run to the D-Rays.

Sean McAdam has a good look today at the questions facing the Sox from here.

The Rhode Island chapter of the ACLU has announced a settlement with Rhode Island College:

The ACLU of Rhode Island today announced a favorable settlement in its lawsuit against Rhode Island College for censoring a sign display supporting reproductive freedom that was sponsored by a student women’s rights group on campus.