On the first Tuesday evening of this past April, a rain-soaked Kennedy Plaza saw a procession of constituents file into the ornate corridors of City Hall. The days-long deluge had only just broken as thick clusters of invested individuals climbed the marble stairs and crowded into the City Council chambers. There were no empty seats […]
It rained the night before, the roads are slick with water. The smell of fresh earth lingers in the morning air and the grass is bright green with spring’s first touches. With the absence of traffic, the sound of the ocean rushing against the rocky coast is deafening. A group of early morning bikers meet […]
Most of the bad things people say about RIPTA are true except when they say RIPTA is poorly managed or dangerous. For the money it spends, RI actually excels at putting clean, reliable buses on the road. Traffic congestion, rather than mismanagement, is why they don’t run as punctually as they could. The other big […]
THE RESURRECTION OF TEAZER A long time ago, before COVID, back when dinosaurs and heavy metal bands roamed the roads, there was a RI band named Teazer. And one day in 2018, after years of sodomizing eardrums with heavy greasy metal thunder, it was over. We woke up one morning and Teazer was gone just […]
This is the fifth article in a series on social justice and the cannabis industry for Motif. The term social justice means different things to different people. To me, it means: Justice in relation to a fair balance in the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges in a culture where individuals’ rights are recognized and […]
Pre-COVID, I found that a lot of people in my generation and younger weren’t big readers. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, between the never-ending stream of content on phones, tablets, and TVs, younger generations didn’t seem to have an interest in picking up a book for fun. I even ran into people […]
At the 2024 Spoken Word Awards, hosts Chip Doug and Anjel Newmann ushered in a night of storytelling, poetry, comedy, and more by welcoming nominees and spectators alike. Doug is a host, entrepreneur, local personality, and a Motif contributor (check out his most recent article about The Fitness Sanctuary). Anjel Newmann is an […]
Okee dokee folks… We are coming up on summer, which is festival season. Folks love festivals. But did you all know that festivals usually operate with a large volunteer staff? While some folks are paid — performers, producers, etc. — most of the day-of-show help is volunteer. Why is it this way? Because if festivals […]
Where are all the hoppy beers? I am finding a lot of the delicious hazies I have enjoyed are changing. Have you noticed this as well? WTF happened? It’s like having sex without climaxing — it’s good, just not great. I have heard from some local brewers that the trend toward sweeter beers is a […]
i. ShearEighteen spans, massive Trembling softlySoothing and rocking, murmuringForgetfulness, abnegating the airThe space beneath The commuters hung aloft Steel and concrete, manmadePiles driven deep, riverbed anchorsTowering to braceHis vertebraeCooling drops condensing Salt air drifting in From estuary, cove and inletSoothe his pebbled skinHis task is far from easyA minor Atlas bearing Stress and strain—incalculable! No […]