Opinion


Nice Goin’, Gigi!: The gov’s daily briefings tell it like it is

Permanent Press While Phillipe and Jorge have been critical of Governor Gigi Raimondo in the past for her imperious attitude, we must give her tons of credit for how she has handled the coronavirus pandemic here in Little Rhody through her daily press conferences. And while time-consuming, we urge her to continue her daily briefings […]

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Student Perspective: One high school student’s view of the coronavirus

Right now the only thing on anyone’s mind is the newest strain of coronavirus. How it’s affecting our community, economy and other nations around the world has taken over every news station and permeated every home. While schools have been canceled, some businesses close, films and television have been put on hiatus and quarantines are […]

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Breaking it Down: America was poised for a burnout

“I’m honestly glad for the break,” said one restaurant owner when I recently interviewed him about the effects of social distancing on his business. “I’ve been going full-out for so long, having a forced vacation is kind of nice.” Even if it’s the universe forcing it on you? “I’m sure I’ll feel different soon, but […]

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Front Lines: The important role of independent journalism in a crisis

Bill Bartholomew is host of The Bartholomewtown podcast and frequent Motif contributor. As the coronavirus crisis has unfolded, he’s stood shoulder-to-shoulder with other Motif reporters and independent journalists at Governor Raimondo’s daily press conferences (at least until the governor required reporters to stand 3 feet apart). We recently talked to him about the role of […]

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Sham-Rocks, Plastic Paddies and Bar Brawls: Challenging the populist status quo

In 2019, “Saturday Night Live” aired a skit about an Irish date show that portrayed contestants as inbred knuckleheads with a reduced worldview and a propensity toward marrying their cousins. And it stood out like a sore thumb. Stereotypes are increasingly being shunned as the lowest form of humor, and remarkable progress has been made […]

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Life Shaving Decisions: Some beards cross the line — and not just that of good taste

Healthy by a Hair As the coronavirus looms, the CDC has issued an infographic advising which styles of facial hair render filtering face masks ineffective by preventing them forming a tight seal with the skin. Here are some key takeaways: The sheer variety of beards styles is staggering, ranging from Victorian farmer muttonchops and Spanish […]

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Total Speculation: An entirely hypothetical and unverified look at 2022 RI lieutenant gubernatorial potentials

The Boston Globe’s Ed Fitzpatrick recently published his list of 2022 Rhode Island gubernatorial potentials, so naturally, I wanted to follow-up with a list of my own of who to watch for, even this early on, for the number two executive role in the state, Lieutenant Governor.   Totally speculative, and for … “fun”?  Here’s the […]

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Washing Our Hands of It: Your superior correspondents are hoping for no whammies this primary season

A Quick Political Note Your superior correspondents do not believe the rumor (the one we’re starting right now) that the Democratic National Committee has decided that the best way to defeat the Orange Orangutan (aka Stable Genius) in the 2020 election is to go with an all-game show TV ticket of Steve Harvey for president […]

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Natural Shocks: lets slip the cute little pet dogs of war

This is not a theater review. Kelly Robertson performed the one-woman show Natural Shocks by Lauren Gunderson, directed by Erin Cawley, for a single sold-out night at Wilbury Group on Feb 18. Robertson has demonstrated impressive ability on stage, as I’ve noted previously in such shows as Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo […]

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