With every tragedy publicized in the news, the issue of gun control inevitably becomes a central part of the post-mortem discussion. Both nationally and in Rhode Island, activists continually seek arguments to justify infringement on our constitutionally guaranteed rights by increasing government control over our lives, leaving us with fewer and fewer choices to make […]
One of the fundamental nuggets of wisdom that the Founding Fathers captured in crafting the Constitution was that things would change. While one can argue that the basics of human nature, against which they carefully crafted numerous safety valve checks and balances, has not changed much in 250 years, so much else has. That is […]
A Cryin’ Shame There is an old joke about asking someone for the definition of “ignorance and apathy,” to which the person curtly responds, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Well, you can apply that to more than half the eligible voters in RI, along with the observation that they are assholes who don’t […]
On July 28 the headline in the Providence Journal was “Boston out as 2024 US candidate” referring the end of the bid by a few people to convince the people of Boston they should upend their lives and pledge huge public resources so a few folks could make a fortune on the 2024 Olympics if […]
Chickening Out With the big flap at Halitosis Hall this legislative session over chicken coops and the birds’ wingspans (OK, that is a horrible pun, but blame the hot weather), Phillipe and Jorge are reminded of a famous story by journalist, author and very funny guy Calvin Trillin. In New York City’s Chinatown, there is […]
RI is home to a staggering number of restaurants – it’s sometimes hard to figure out where to start. As always, Motif is here to help. We gathered our crack team of food writers (who, frankly, eat entirely too much) and asked them to list their favorite local dining establishments, whether they’re in the mood […]
It Sucks … Period Phillipe and Jorge are always delighted and excited when we see The Biggest Little involved in TV or the movies, so we were glued to the boob tube in the Boom Boom Room for the highly ballyhooed June 23 premiere of Comedy Central’s new feature series, “Another Period,” a parody of […]
New Henhouse for the Fox So, it looks like former house speaker Gordon Fox is headed for federal prison (aka, “a Bud-I vacation spot”) for a few years. He got caught being a Vo Dilun General Assembly politician (i.e., pocketing over $50,000 in bribes and looting his own campaign fund for over $100,000). Accepting the […]
The RI economy is so bad that my friends from other states, many of them expatriates themselves, keep trying to talk me into leaving it. Come to New York, or Texas, or Florida, they say. What’s most appalling is that I cannot deny they have a point. I’m worried that I have in the past […]
King Snake Everybody knows that the dice are loaded Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed Everybody knows that the war is over Everybody knows the good guys lost Everybody knows the fight was fixed The poor stay poor, the rich get rich That’s how it goes Everybody knows – Everybody Knows; Leonard Cohen You could add […]