Back in a former life, I was a scientist — a biologist, technically — and somehow I managed to excel in the intricacies of genetic mapping, tracing the effects of divergent and convergent evolution and explaining why males and females have varying levels of investment based on the principle of anisogamy. Yet certain fields of […]
If we are anything alike, you have a list of “emergency” events and activities for mandatory engagements with people you have nothing in common with. Ah the HOLIDAYS: An excellent time for connecting with people you genuinely enjoy dotted with periods of contact with those you do not – in-laws, distant cousins, a crowd of […]
Festival Ballet Providence’s popular “Up Close On Hope” returns for yet another season. Set in the company’s intimate Black Box Theatre, audience members are treated to a unique viewing experience sitting just a few scant feet from the performers. The current offering takes this experience one step further by incorporating live music courtesy of Community […]
When Providence Perfume Company owner Charna Ethier offered to let me sample an all-natural perfume whose ingredients list included some obscure thing called “ambergris,” I was initially a bit skeptical. I remembered hearing once that they put skunk urine in some perfumes (is that true?). But I was also overwhelmingly optimistic. This was over a […]
It was supposed to be an ordinary film shoot. Ordinary, that is, if you’re filming the third installment of a horror movie franchise. The corridors were already prepped with squibs and blood bags. The climactic chase through the Rhode Island State House’s rotunda was choreographed. The cast and crew were just waiting for the director […]
Few cartoons and actions figures are as iconic, popular and recognizable as Transformers. Whether you grew up with the ’80s TV series, the original 1988 film or even the current blockbuster franchise, you most likely know the difference between an Autobot and a Decepticon. The original voices behind the eternal foes Optimus Prime and Megatron, […]
Every campus develops a unique, symbiotic relationship with its surrounding community (depending on who you’re talking to, some might call it a parasitic one). Some establishments thrive, but only because of the steady business from students. The school year just marks the busy season at the end of a slower summer. So where do the collegiates at […]
Do you like “Curb Your Enthusiasm”? Best In Show? Sketch comedy shows like “Key and Peele” and “Saturday Night Live”? Then you are a fan of improv. What’s that you say? You’re not familiar with the genre? You’ve never been to an improv show? Odds are you have been a fan for years without even […]
Providence Honk Festival (Pronk!) celebrates music, but probably not the way you’re used to seeing it celebrated. On October 12, Wickenden Street in Providence will become unusually brassy. Local favorites, like The Extraordinary Rendition Band and What Cheer? Brigade, as well as guests flying in from other locales, will fill the autumn air with a mix […]
Fall usually brings to mind change — the leaves turn, people head back to school, new friends are made. And a perfect way to bring a new group of friends closer is to play a board game. Now, I’m not talking about Scrabble, LIFE, Sorry!, and the notorious Monopoly. All of these are timeless classics […]