The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

This past week in Rhode Island

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

The Good

Models/actresses just say ‘no’

An educable moment. Using the images of famous people to market your business is a no-no. National models and actresses, including adult entertainers are suing the Cadillac Lounge for unauthorized use of their images for advertising purposes. In this age of new media, digital media, and a new generation of marketers, the lesson is a universal message – get permissions, don’t reuse photos without authorization, especially for commercial purposes.

The weather

Yes, it’s been beautiful – an extra plus to summer. Hopefully it will be a glorious autumn with all the bright colors, too.

Harrington School of Communication at URI

It’s pretty amazing what a resource URI offers, and the Harrington School of Communication – a non-science, non-techy – program will have a new unveiling of its studios and offerings today. URI continues to be a resource many of us don’t fully know about. From a brain research center, to arts and theatre, to oceanography, engineering, technology, etc., we have a first-class university that forms the educational foundation and training of so many Rhode Islanders who opt to stay right here after their education.

The Bad

Traffic

Those who work from home have another plus to it all – they can avoid rush time traffic. Because it’s pretty bad. No matter where you drive, even using that best advice of “use alternate routes” falls short. A lack of statewide planning, together with city-wide planning is evident, or maybe there is just a total disregard for the average driver, just trying to get through their day. An extra thumbs down to this weekend’s planned bridge replacement in South County, on Lafayette Road, making this beautiful weekend a real struggle if you want to enjoy our beaches. “Go apple picking instead (with a chuckle)” advice by RIDOT’s Director Alvtiiq just wasn’t funny. 

Vaping

It’s killing people. It’s damaging lungs for a lifetime. What’s even worse is we don’t know why or how. Is it the product and the flavors? Is it somehow the device and how it delivers the smoke to your lungs? What we do know is that it’s bad for you. With urgent restrictions to selling vaping products in Massachusetts – and flavored products in Rhode Island, we are also most likely witnessing an end to a series of businesses. Best advice for them is to find another product to sell; another business to morph into, because vaping businesses appear to be going out of business, sooner rather than later.

The Ugly

Bike Lane Palooza

What is that phrase, it would be funny if it wasn’t so sad? That’s what we think about the bike lane striping on Eaton Street to incorporate bicycle riders into the traffic pattern of this very narrow street, teaming with Providence College and other university and college students.

Last week, RINewsToday.com again released a series of photos on a story – this one coming to us late in the weekend. Photos led this story and almost one week later, the city says it will plan to redo the lane lines. Will they see that some roads are almost a “no bikes allowed” width? Or will they still try to incorporate a skinny lane where safety goes out the window for cars, bikes, and pedestrians? The last photos of garbage cans lined up like soldiers in the only place they could go – the bike lanes – probably did it. Along with neighborhood outrage and even the pleas of Providence College.

This debacle had serious accident potential written all over it. But it was also a waste of time, energy, and money. If it was used to justify receiving federal infrastructure funds, then it was also a ruse.