By Ron St. Pierre, WPRO
Clueless
Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison and slapped with 
a $25,000 dollar fine and 100 hours of community service per year for three years following his release. Moreau plead guilty to corruption charges in November after it came to light he accepted kickbacks that cost the city thousands of dollars.
Moreau told the court…and later the media outside the courthouse…that he took “full responsibility for my actions.” He then went on to boast that he did plenty of great work for the city-children, senior citizens and others in need. “I’ve changed people’s lives forever” he said. Moreau said he regrets he’ll be remembered for his “mistake” rather than all the good he’s done.
MISTAKE? Putting too much fresh thyme in your tomato sauce is a mistake….forgetting to pay the electric bill on time is a mistake….accidentally taking your wife’s car keys is a mistake. Conducting a corrupt enterprise is malice aforethought. It’s a CHARACTER FLAW, not a mistake.
In fact, Moreau doesn’t have a character flaw. He simply has no character at all. There’s a wonderful scene in a movie “The Big Kahuna” where a veteran lubricant salesman played by Danny Devito talks about character with a greenhorn sales rep as they pursue a big sale at a convention…..Devito’s character explains:
“You have no character for the simple reason you don’t regret anything yet. You’ve already done plenty of things to regret. You just don’t know what they are. It’s when you discover them, when you see the folly in something you’ve done and you wish you had it to do over but you know you can’t because it’s too late…so you pick that up and carry it with you to remind you that life goes on…the world will spin without you…you really don’t matter in the end…then you will attain character.”
Hope wherever Moreau gets penned up they have Netflix. He should put “The Big Kahuna” on his queue.
You Are What You Eat
A 52-year-old regular of Vegas’ Heart Attack Grill has died of a heart attack, the second “unofficial” spokesman of the eatery to have checked out in as many years. John Alleman inspired the “Patient John” character that appears on the Grill’s menu. Grill owner Jon Basso says Alleman was at the restaurant daily. Basso says he recently told Alleman “if you keep eating like this, John, it’s gonna kill ya.” Maybe Basso should play Powerball.
Last year, 29-year-old Blair River, a 575 pound “unofficial” rep for the restaurant, died from complications from pneumonia.
The Heart Attack Grill serves butterfat milkshakes, “flatliner” fries and nearly 10,000 calorie “quadruple bypass burgers.” Waitresses dress as nurses and customers who weight over 350 pounds eat for free.
Classic From A Classic Rocker
You just knew Ted Nugent would make news as a guest of Republican Texas Rep. Steve Stockman at last nite’s State of the Union address….you just didn’t know it would involve RI Congressman Jim Langevin. Congressman Langevin speculated to POLITICO it was inappropriate for the rocker to be there since Nugent had reportedly told NRA members last spring he’d be either “dead or in jail” if President Obama was re-elected. His comments led to Secret Service questioning.
When reporters approached Nugent with Langevin’s comments, the rocker told the press that Langevin was just another “Ted hater” and that the Congressman probably has s**t for brains.”
And you were expecting Plato, perhaps?
Tastes Like Chicken
Sunday nite’s mid-season return of “The Walking Dead” earned the highest ratings the series has ever seen. The première was watched by 12.3 million viewers despite being up against The Grammy’s.
Not So Quick Step
TLC is denying rumors that Mama June Shannon is joining the upcoming season of “Dancing with the Stars.” The NY Daily News had previously reported that the “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” matriarch would be waddling on the show.
