August Pin-Up of the Month: Tracy Martin

Tracy Martin

Occupation: Production Operations Manager (@ Retail Solutions Inc – SaSS company)

Favorite Book: My favorite recent book is Night Circus, but my all time favorite is Jane Eyre.

Favorite Quote: “You miss 100% of shots you don’t take.” Wayne Gretsky

He doesn’t specify which kind – I am a Jager bomb kind of girl.

What’s your dream job? Elementary school art program director; they’re uninhibited and it would be fun and stress free!

Tell us something we don’t know about you. I was in the active duty Air Force studying Arabic, when I met my husband nearly 20 years ago…we’ve been married since 1995 Favorite Creature of the Night: Vampires. Who wouldn’t want a real life Cullen around? Biggest Irrational Fear: As a rational person, I would have to say not being prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse.

Lovecraftian Films Designed to Terrify

What H.P. Lovecraft-themed magazine would be complete without a list of Lovecraftian-style movies? Ridley Scott, John Carpenter, Joss Whedon and Sam Raimi have all made films with a heavy Lovecraft influence. So, here’s a list to help creep the shit out of you and your loved ones.

Die, Monster, Die! (1965) is a take on Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space. The film stars legendary horror actor Boris Karloff and is about a radioactive meteorite wreaking havoc on a small New England estate. Lovecraft’s original text is a seemingly impossible one to adapt to the screen due to the meteorite’s incomparable-to-anything-of-this-earth color. The film suffers from a weak script but does boast a tremendous performance from Karloff.

The 1985 nugget Re-Animator is the most well-known of any Lovecraft adaptation. The film is a sometimes loose adaptation of Lovecraft’s Herbert West – Reanimator series. In the film, Jeffrey Combs plays Herbert West, a scientist who helps invent a serum that can bring people, and cats, back to life. He teams up with a medical student and together they get into Frankenstein-ian hijinks. It seems Combs became a popular choice for Lovecraftian film as he appears in a few others including 1993’s Necronomicon: Book of the Dead and From Beyond (1986). On a side note, Re-Animator was the code word for pot between Lester and Ricky in American Beauty. John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982) is reminiscent of Lovecraft’s novella At the Mountains of Madness. In the film version, researchers are trapped at an Arctic station and are terrorized by a shape-shifting creature that has been frozen in the ice for millions of years. The Thing creeps into the station, taking the appearance of the researchers that it absorbs. There’s a solid performance by a bearded Kurt Russell as helicopter pilot turned hero, R.J. MacReady.

Ridley Scott’s films Alien (1979) and Prometheus (2012) are considered to deal with Lovecraftian principles. Much like The Thing, both use At the Mountains of Madness as a primary source, the latter more than the former. Instead of the Arctic, we’re in space.

The Evil Dead, The Evil Dead 2, and Army of Darkness make up Sam Raimi’s trilogy (before Spiderman). The first two films have Ash (Bruce Campbell!) battling unseen evil in a cabin in the woods, the final film sees him battling a very visible evil as he defends a medieval city. All three of the films revolve around the Necronomicon, the fictional book of magic that Lovecraft created and is now used to explain the unexplained and fill in the holes of a disjointed narrative.

Children of the Corn is like Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, but the film deals with a Midwestern town run by a cult of children who worship an elder god who inhabits the corn fields instead of a seaside town run by a cult worshipping an elder God of the ocean as in the story. And when that creepy manchild screeches at the ginger kid saying, “He wants you too, Malachi!” you’ll freak for sure.

In 2012, Joss Whedon made Cabin in the Woods, a Lovecraftian horror flick with an updated twist. This film shows five young (and obviously wicked hot) college students venturing up to a cabin for a weekend of fun. What they don’t know is that an organization called the Faculty had somehow coerced them into doing so in order to sacrifice them to The Ancient Ones, gods who once ruled the earth. The Lovecraft influence is hammered home at the finale when one of the Faculty is killed by a merman; terrifying creatures from the sea are a Lovecraft favorite.

Book Review: The Shadow Over Innsmouth

I finished reading this story while spending the night at a run-down inn in the mountains of New Hampshire. It was dark, the pool was empty and secluded, and the place reeked of not waking up in the morning due to something the guy who wrote Saw would have thought of. Finishing a story meant to terrify probably wasn’t the best idea.

Possibly inspired by his allergy to seafood, The Shadow Over Innsmouth shows how a town’s greed and/or quest for riches can lead to a deal with an underwater devil, which then leads to an interspecies marriage and an ancestor learning too much about his past. Told years after the incident occurred, this first person recount sheds some light on events seemingly covered up by the powers that be. Granted, the narrator is the one who called for the investigation in the first place, taking a trip to his New England family roots as a coming-of-age celebration. A budget-saving decision leads to him learning of Innsmouth, a small, run-down town in Maine that neighboring townies steer clear of. That piques the narrator’s curiosity, and the ensuing visit starts off eccentric and ends in a horror show. What happens next, what I considered the post ending, struck me as very odd, though brought everything full circle and grew on me the more I thought it over. Eventually, everyone needs to accept who they are, both the strengths and horrifying weaknesses.

I specifically chose this story to review, as it was one that Lovecraft didn’t particularly like. He wrote in a letter to friend and publisher, August Derleth, that The Shadow Over Innsmouth includes “all the defects I deplore.” I wanted to read these so-called “defects” that he spoke of for myself. While the flow seemed a bit choppy at times, I still was captivated at every page and fearful at just the right spots. Lovecraft’s words, while outdated, painted a fantastic description of a decaying town. I could feel the foulness of each street jump off the page, and the vision of the hybrid creatures is quite clear.

This story, the only one published on its own in Lovecraft’s lifetime, is pretty readily available. I found it in Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre, a collection that I bought in college that still contains a bookmark receipt from September 1999, and a simple Google search brought up numerous free ebooks and mp3 audio books.

Lovecraft is a local cult figure with a plethora of stories to keep readers frightened enough to keep a battery-operated nightlight handy in case the electricity goes out. His influence on the horror genre is undeniable, and he is a true Rhode Island inspiration.

Lovecraft’s Influence on the Locals

HP Lovecraft is a famous Rhode Islander, right up there with Roger Williams. While unappreciated during his lifetime, Lovecraft has become a cult figure, complete with pilgrimages to his grave to honor him on the date of his death. His influence is not lost on local artists. I asked each of the following artists one simple question: How has HP Lovecraft influenced your art?

Sean Branney (HP Lovecraft Historical Society): My colleague, Andrew Leman, and I run the HP Lovecraft Historical Society. We’ve made three motion pictures inspired by Lovecraft’s writings, a dozen audio CDs and countless other items, like shirts, props, playing cards and mugs. We have found tremendous joy in the works of Lovecraft and take pleasure in creating works that spread that joy to others. We’ve had the chance to collaborate with great artists and fans around the world and we owe it all to the “old gent of Providence.” The HP Lovecraft Historical Society is located in Los Angeles, CA.

Chris Cox (Author): I got exposed to Lovecraft growing up in England, initially through my youthful obsession with the band Morbid Angel, who use the mythos as a primary topic in their music.

I particularly loved the notion of the cosmic elder gods, asleep and dreaming throughout all eternity, being the source of all creation. And I especially liked that these ancient, sleeping beings don’t really care what we humans are up to. The idea of being absolutely inconsequential was very refreshing. I also found a lot of romantic power in the idea of entities so great and horrific that getting too close or catching a glimpse led to madness and insanity in the beholder; things too big to wrap our tiny heads around fascinate me no end. Part of the appeal is that we love challenges, and as a kid, I decided I would definitely be the one who saw Cthulu and lived to tell the tale!

Derek Dubois (Filmmaker): Lovecraft is an interesting figure who has influenced so much of modern horror / weird fiction as we know it. It is, like the Beatles’ influence on everything that came after in pop music, impossible to say there is no connection between my work and Lovecraft’s.

Though I don’t consider myself a horror filmmaker, my last two short films (Fallout (http://vimeo.com/26594772) and Lucid (http://vimeo.com/57335935)) have worked within the genre. As such there is a marked influence from Lovecraft in terms of introducing the weird/science fiction external event (the threats outside the walls in Fallout; the mysterious stranger in Lucid) as well as notions of existential crisis and fate.

That said, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m not much of a Lovecraft reader. His influence on me comes, indirectly, from his descendants (King, Oates, Matheson) and from his shifting of the horror paradigm into what it became at the tail end of the 20th century.

Adrienne Jones (Author): My writing has often been called Lovecraftian, and I’m not sure if it’s simply the presence of oogedy boogedies from the deep or something more. What I’m drawn to about Lovecraft – and I can certainly see this reflected in my own work – is the theme of humanity sticking its hand in the wrong cookie jar. Whether it’s reaching for things beyond our world or delving into our own past, Lovecraft suggests there might be something lurking there we’re not quite prepared for. People think they yearn for something bigger than themselves, yet they can only handle the idea in the form of a benevolent god who loves them and wants to be their kitty. Lovecraft takes the filters off and confronts the logic that what we’re poking sticks at has just as great a chance of being malevolent, and instead of loving us and wanting to be our kitty, it will tear us apart for daring to disturb its slumber.

George T Marshall (Executive Director of Rhode Island International Film Festival): HP Lovecraft’s legacy is significant since his work illustrates the power of imagination and how the art of storytelling can inspire and touch lives. Lovecraft’s work touches a primal core in all of us and links us by shared human experiences.”

Jeff O’Neill (Organizer of Zombie Pub Crawl): HP Lovecraft’s ability to constantly change the definition of who he was and how he was portrayed is an aspiration of The Reverend Al Mighty aka DustyLove aka The Phury aka Jeff O’Neill.

Dave Prata (Hallowed Entertainment): HP Lovecraft’s writing inspires my design work in the haunted attraction industry; of his numerous writings, my favorite and most inspirational is Halloween in a Suburb. It is a true New England Halloween, and a setting I strive to include in my haunt designs.

Tastes Like … Watermelon?

Before Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain, there was Renfield. If you’ve read, or seen, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, you might recall him as the vampire’s sidekick with a mad craving for bugs, particularly flies. I remember seeing Dracula in the theater and when Renfield downed his first fly, the audience let out a collective, “Ew!” Oddly, there were no such similar sounds when Dracula drained his first human.

Why do Americans have such an aversion to eating bugs? Even though I’ve inadvertently eaten many bugs while laughing out loud on a summer night and have even sampled a tequila worm or two, I can’t watch Andrew Zimmern for fear that he will start munching on a spider. When I stop and think about it, though, it’s rather ridiculous. I certainly don’t look at a cow or a pig and think “yum.” Can you imagine sinking your teeth into a pig carcass? Yet once the butcher chops that baby up and breaks it into its delectable parts, the idea begins to sound more appetizing. Next we cure it (bacon!) or add salt and a marinade, stick it on the grill and salivate at the smell and sight of a melt-in-your mouth pork tenderloin. It’s a long journey from pig in a pen to maple-glazed pork and we’re willing to go there. Why can’t we take this same leap with bugs? My friend and neighbor, Josh Selle, has taken that leap and has nothing but good things to say about eating our eight (or more) legged friends. As owner and chef of the former Blue Elephant, Josh knows a thing or two about eating bugs. The Blue Elephant, its former locale being the current Duck and Bunny, was known for its unique breakfast and lunch selections. His more daring diners showed up at night for the occasional “Thorax Thursday,” when the chef would serve up an entrée with a bug of choice as the featured protein. Though never a line at the door, a small group of devotees attended regularly, always willing to try something new; the most popular dish was roasted Thai water beetles served over a bed of greens.

When I asked why this dish was so popular, he explained that the Thai water beetle, which has the consistency of lobster, tastes strangely like watermelon. My thought – why not just eat watermelon? Then again, I am loath even to try buffalo so my opinion is probably irrelevant here. Another popular dish: silkworm grubs sautéed in butter and served over pasta in a creamy Alfredo sauce. The grubs resemble potato gnocchi and taste like mushrooms. Gag me with a spoon. For the record, Josh doesn’t care for this dish, but only because he doesn’t like mushrooms.

Next I asked him about his favorite bug. “The stink bug,” he told me emphatically. Named for its odorific innards of iodine, the stink bug takes on the consistency of popcorn when roasted. Put it in a pan with butter and salt, pop in a DVD, and movie night just got a whole lot more interesting.

What’s one bug he’ll never eat? Cockroaches. “Too dirty,” he explained, as if this needed explaining. I guess it’s true – those disease-ridden bastards truly are good for nothing. Bees aren’t high on his list either, given that they’re endangered and all. As we talked, though, I could see the wheels turning as he dreamed up recipes for stinger-less hornets.

Is bug-eating the wave of the future? Sustainability issues may force us to expand our food repertoire to include eating protein sources that currently don’t sound so appetizing. After all, those cow farts are pretty damning to the environment. Perhaps someday I’ll find myself noshing on a Thai beetle or two. This sounds highly unlikely for a non-adventurous eater like me, but one never knows. If you, on the other hand, are curious about trying bugs, check out Eat a Bug Cookbook: 40 Ways to Cook Crickets, Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes and Their Kin. Then visit smallstockfoods.com, a local place to buy your bugs. Just stay away from those cockroaches.

Answers to your Sexual Curiosities : Partner Play

Megan Andelloux is an AASECT-certified sexuality educator and ACS-certified sexologist

Hi Megan!

I am looking for information on the best types of strap-on dildos. Many of the ones I’ve found are really hard rubber and I’d like one that is more flexible and soft. If you have any suggestions of where to find something like this, please let me know!

Answer:

Sounds like you are going to enjoy your summer! Lucky for you there are quite a few options for the perfect dildo for your randy moments. Before I drop names though, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a new item to place near your nether parts.

First things first: buy a dildo that is made of a body-safe material. Sadly, many sex toys are made out of hazardous materials that can hurt your body or transmit infections if shared, so stay healthy by purchasing something safe! Medical- or platinum-grade silicone is the safest material you can choose for strap-on play because it cannot absorb bacteria and can be sterilized so you can safely share your toy with a friend. While other materials exist in dildoland, they can harbor bacteria and pass infections onto your play partner. Yuck. Silicone can be a bit pricier, but it’s the only squishy, comfy material that won’t trap bacteria, and if you treat it right, it will last you years! So to prevent the spread of infections and/or diseases, invest in the best and only purchase a silicone dildo. Remember: sharing is caring.

To ensure that the toy stays in the strap-on, make sure it has a base (also known as a flange) at the end of it. This extra-wide, circular base will keep the dildo secure in your strap-on harness. If there is no flange, the toy will fall right out and sadness will probably occur as you see your cock lying on the floor collecting lint and cat hair.

When purchasing a silicone dildo, I tend to recommend the following brands for strap-on play: Tantus, Vixen and Wet for Her. All three manufacturers only make their toys out of 100 percent platinum- or medical-grade silicone, so you can feel secure knowing that infections will not be transmitted between partners as long as you clean between uses. Tantus, Vixen and Wet for Her also are made with firmer silicone and thicker molds so they are less floppy than other dildos, so you can feel more confident in your aiming abilities.

Now, even though the dildo is silicone, this doesn’t mean that it will be stiff like a sail on a windy day. The longer the toy, the more floppy it will be, especially if it becomes more narrow toward the base. So while you are in the store looking at all the pretty dildos, grab the ones that strike your fancy and shake them around a little bit. You may notice that the longer ones with narrower bases will be more floppy, while the ones with wider bases tend to not jiggle as much. Since you really can’t fit 10 inches into someone’s mouth or vagina (you can in butts, though!), I would say stick to around 6 or 7 inches for maximum firmness and potential placement satisfaction. Once the toy goes inside the strap-on harness, you lose about an inch off the item, so keep that in mind.

But what about girth? Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our orifices, so here is a simple way to determine the best choice for the person who is going to engulf your cock. Just ask yourself the question: how many fingers do you or your honey generally like in your holes? Once you figure out if you are a one-finger person, two-finger person or maybe a size queen who likes three or more fingers in you, bring those digits into a sex toy shop and place them against the toy to determine if it is the right width. Don’t worry, the store owners won’t be freaked out or think you are weird if they see what you are doing – it’s a common practice. They would rather you go home with the right toy than something too big or small because you cannot return a toy that you don’t like. Here’s hoping these tips get you ready to pick out the perfect strap-on dildo for you!

Scene and Heard

Mary Loss of Soul

There is no accurate description of the whirling dervish I met recently on the set of her soon-to-be- released film, Mary Loss of Soul. It was the last day of shooting, and the energy level and passion of this female director was boundless – and infectious!

The woman I speak of is Jennifer B. White. She is a writer, director and producer – but she’ll tell you she is first and foremost a storyteller. “I was ten years old. I’d never heard the term “folktale” – a narrated story to entertain a group of listeners. But, that’s exactly how I began my creative dream – as a storyteller in the woods. Back in the day of knock-on-door neighborhoods in the suburbs of Massachusetts, I’d gather with a group of wide-eyed kids along with my side-kick little sister. I told stories – often about ghosts, witches and anything spooky – making them up as I went along. I started writing novels at the age of 12 on my mom’s old IBM Selectric. As the family keeper of all things old and nostalgic, I held on to those precious works of fiction like they were a buccaneer’s booty.”

After college, Jennifer signed with her first literary agent, and went on to become a public relations professional heading up PR in Boston hotels and top agencies where she was published in hundreds of publications throughout the U.S. She continued writing novels throughout her career, and, through a series of fortunate encounters, began writing for Hollywood.

For Jennifer, her partner Stewart Huey and their production company Oak Ivy LLC, this is their first feature film – and from what I saw on set that day, it’s a winner. The movie centers on the disappearance of Mary Solis and her return to her family’s lake house without any memory of the traumatic events that transpired. She is also without one very important thing – a part of her soul. Even though a shocking mystery surrounds her disappearance and her disembodied soul begins a grim haunting, the Solis family mostly fears watching Mary’s true spirit wither away. When it’s soon revealed that two little girls, the same age as Mary’s sister Sophia, went missing on the lake the same night that Mary disappeared, the stakes are raised. Is Mary suffering from an ancient condition known as Loss of Soul? Or is it indeed something more nefarious at work? After enlisting the help of a Shaman, the Solis family embarks on a journey to the spirit worlds, hunting for a supernatural cure.

The film promises to take us on a ride, with its heavy symbolism and abundant metaphors. More importantly, it shows White’s commitment to plain old-fashioned good storytelling. She brought her team together to make this film in 16 days with the help of RI’s own Project 989, Anthony Ambrosino and Nicholas Delmenico. Add to that this mother of three’s passion and love for her own family, which is reflected in the guidance of her actors. “I was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, she doesn’t talk much – you make a much better director,“ said accomplished actor Nick Mancuso, who plays Detective Mark O’Hagan in the film. Diana Porter, who portrays Devra Brawnson in Mary Loss of Soul and is one of New England’s most sought after actresses, had this to say about working with Jennifer. “Jennifer is an amazing creative force who provided just incredible characters to portray and truly cared for actors as people by making sure we were completely comfortable so we could give our best performances.”

From my vantage point, I believe that part of Jennifer’s success is being able to switch hats between writer and director, and literally getting in the trenches with actors to evoke the depths she is looking for. It also helps that she has a master’s degree in psychology, researches the supernatural and grew up in a clairvoyant household. Her production company, Oak Ivy, is based in both Boston and Los Angeles, and she seems to be able to bring the best of both coasts together in her work. With partner Stewart Huey, Jennifer has over 20 years’ experience in Hollywood where they have cultivated relationships and partnered with people who are as committed as they are to quality storytelling. This bodes well for the dynamic White, who has four other scripts written. If this is any indication of what’s to come, get ready for some movie magic. She’s not about to stop here.

As an actor myself, I know there are no small film parts. White knows this and acts upon it with the utmost conviction. She expects that everyone will bring their very best to the process, as she does each time she steps behind the camera or pens each of her original stories.

When Mary Loss of Soul opens, I have a feeling that we will walk out of the theater as witnesses to the very best that filmmaking has to offer – especially if Jennifer B. White is at the helm.

Follow Jennifer’s first feature film on Twitter: twitter.com/MaryLossofSoul

You can also read about her work on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/OakIvy?fref=ts and for more production information, please check out their IMDb page at www.imdb.com/title/tt2904798/?ref_=sr_1 . You may also go directly to their website at: www.oakivy.com .

And Zombies!

Zombies learning how to talk? They will if Audrey Noone has her way! She is the creator of the new web series, “Amy Kidd, Zombie Speech Pathologist.” The zombie apocalypse decimated Amy Kidd’s speech therapy practice. How can she rebuild her business you say? Zombies can’t talk – she can teach them! Follow Amy’s adventures as she sees her first zombie client and starts her zombie charm school. (Somehow, I see merchandising here – Zombie Charms)?

Audrey Noone combines her 17-year career as a speech pathologist with her lifelong participation in the arts. She writes, directs, produces and edits “Amy Kidd,” as well as acts in others’ projects. She also has written several short films that other filmmakers are producing. When she’s not playing with live zombies, she writes and dreams about them. Thus, her dreams are coming true!

Also, look for the work of Shawn Manchester as he turns some of our local actors into the walking dead (and apparently the well speaking walking dead) in this spoof on zombie stories. I saw that first hand when I worked on his film The Next Step.

You can follow Audrey’s new series here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLc7pDeFKqw . And learn more about her here: www.audreynoone.com . We look forward to more hilarity from Audrey soon!

Keeping RI Liquor Stores Competitive

If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you know that the sales tax on alcohol is going away … in December. For the next five months, though, Rhode Island residents and tourists will be paying a double-tax on alcohol. First, the sales tax that has always been there, and then the increased excise tax that was imposed on distributors earlier this month. This tax, which forces distributor costs to go up, also causes, by extension, their prices to go up. The complicated issue has many ramifications for Rhode Island’s already complex liquor industry, but the bottom line is that for now, consumers will be paying more.

While this does sound bad, at the end of the five months, sales tax will be eliminated until at least 2014, which will make alcohol generally cheaper for the consumer should the program continue. Come December, the amount the average person pays for alcohol will drop, in some cases significantly. Beer itself is going to be the cheaper buy, as the excise tax on beer and similar beverages is significantly less than that on wine and hard liquor.

One of the architects of this program, designed to eliminate the alcohol sales tax entirely starting on December 1 of this year, is Rep. Jan P. Malik. Malik is the owner of a liquor store himself, Malik’s Liquors in Warren, and has been concerned about losing business to Massachusetts and Connecticut due to their lower taxes, or no taxes on alcohol.

Malik says that sales tax on liquor stores brings in about $24 million dollars every year – approximately $12 million for beer, $5.6 million for wine, and $6.6 million for hard liquor. “If you buy a bottle of wine at my store, say you spend $5.99,” Malik said. “After the 7 percent sales tax, you’re spending another 42 cents. Where, if you go to Massachusetts, you’re not.”

While eliminating the sales tax would, indeed, make stores more competitive, the state of Rhode Island would be looking at a loss of revenue. After all, when taxes are cut somewhere, that’s money the state isn’t bringing in. If that number isn’t made up somewhere else, Rhode Island could face even more deficit than it already does. I asked Malik if this plan could result in a net loss for Rhode Island.

“Boy, that’s a million dollar question,” Malik said, “but that’s why we decided to wait the six months, or [rather] five months. That’ll bring in an extra $5.6 million. For the year 2014, the state will lose $1 million. But with the five months of sales tax, it’ll pick up most of the difference. There’s three major holidays in there, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving. They will raise revenue.”

With five months of additional tax, and a million dollar loss, I was forced to ask if dropping the sales tax would be sustainable after 2014.

“That will be seen, you know. I can’t say if it will or won’t. But at least I was happy that the state would try. I’m on the border myself, me and the other liquor store owners, everybody’s down 16 to 20 percent. Especially since Connecticut is open on Sundays now. But this will give us a greater advantage, especially on the Connecticut border.”

Knowing how expensive and difficult the liquor industry can be, I asked Representative Malik about small or struggling stores and bars that were looking at these increases.

“A business owner has to be creative,” said Malik. “Now it’s up to the business owner. Not the state. In the end, it’s the consumers who are gonna win.”

With business already chased over the border by higher prices, I asked if the price increases from the excise tax wouldn’t just drive more consumers over the border.

“Why? Listen, it’s up to me what I want to do with my store. It’s up to the individual how to bring prices down,” he said. “It’s up to the distributors, too. Right now, we’re getting beer higher than Mass. Now it’s going up four cents a case! They’re supposed to be our partners in this.”

In the end, the elimination of the sales tax will be largely beneficial, and give border stores a chance to compete against Massachusetts and Connecticut. Recently, the Rhode Island Blue Law was changed to allow the opening of package stores as early as 10 am on Sunday. Perhaps this, combined with the elimination of the sales tax in December, will prove to be a boon. However, as the program will cost the state money, and may be detrimental to already struggling establishments at the height of tourist season, one has to wonder what other costs the state will be paying in the long run. The program has been termed a ‘study’ to see if eliminating the sales tax is feasible over the long term. In theory, an increase in business at a significant level could offset the losses, and if business did increase for most border stores, it may prove to ultimately be beneficial. However, mid-state stores, bars and restaurants may not see any of that business increase, as they mainly only compete with each other.

For now, it seems we must wait and see, but rest assured, the entire liquor industry is watching this issue very closely.

And at least craft beer drinkers will benefit in the long run. That’s something to drink to.