“Win a Free Trip Around the World!” the subject line said. Because I suffer from wanderlust, I apply to every travel giveaway that comes across my inbox, and, when I saw this message, I thought it would be the same: enter my e-mail address and cross my fingers. But I was wrong. This was an […]
In the previous issue of Motif, my esteemed colleague Pete Larrivee riffed on the fact that “good beer isn’t cheap” and cited the prevalence of the “$12 six-pack.” That citation reminded us of a 2014 Huffington Post article “Here’s how a Six-Pack of Craft Beer Ends Up Costing $12” where Joe Satran did some digging […]
Huge Blunder at Urinal? Phillipe and Jorge fear that GateHouse Media, absentee owners of the Biggest Little’s organ of record, The Urinal, may have made a colossal mistake – not the first since the carpetbaggers have taken over from their kindred much-removed spirit, the A.H. Belo Corp. of nearby Texas. We note that Alan Rosenberg […]
For the seventh straight year, Rhode Island legislators have presented a bill to tax and regulate cannabis, much like the alcohol and tobacco industries are regulated. According to Regulate Rhode Island, the Adult Use of Cannabis Act (2017 H-5555) would replace Rhode Island’s existing policy of cannabis prohibition and permit adults over the age of […]
Rhode Island is unusual among the states for a tax policy that treats rolling papers as equivalent to cigarettes, such that a package of 20 sheets of rolling paper is taxed as if it was a pack of 20 ready-made cigarettes, the current excise tax for which is $3.75. Sales tax of 7% is then […]
Massachusetts voted and decided to legalize marijuana. It then promptly shot itself in the foot over the question of how and on what timetable to fulfill that promise, but is lining up the ducks and now seems to be on track toward allowing canna businesses to actually operate. The response among many Rhode Islanders has […]
Women are setting the cannabis industry apart from typical business in the U.S. because they refuse to let this sector be dominated by men. In 2016, women made up 36% of executives in the legal cannabis industry. This number may not seem high at first, but it is impressive compared to the 22% of female […]
The Southeast New England (SENE) Film, Music and Arts Festival showcases amazing films across all genres, live music, art exhibits and much more. Continuing to expand in its ninth year, the festival will run April 25-29, bringing exciting opportunities for Rhode Islanders to experience vibrant new ventures in film, music and arts. The action is […]
Cable access shows Okee dokee folks… When I first started this column, somewhere I wrote, “Love is fleeting but cable access is forever.” Once you record a show for cable access it seems to be in reruns indefinitely. I have recorded episodes that still pop up after ten or fifteen years. The other day I […]
I had the good fortune to interview John O’Hurley (Seinfeld‘s J. Peterman). He is an extremely tall, extremely handsome actor who has, in his own words, “cornered the market on arrogance and pomposity.” My personal observations about his appearance are noted only because – yeah, right – his physical presence is a great part of […]