In its infancy, the pummeling Sludge Metal of Black Cobra wasn't generated by a full-time "band." Instead, it was produced by two musicians working remotely from separate coasts, Jason Landrian and Raffa Martinez. That was a few years ago, but they have no plans of expanding past the current ranks.

Green Dog Cafe is exploding on the scene and so far has been met with mixed reviews. Why? Because it’s different. Seeing as it was started by veteran restaurateurs Mark and Mary Swortwood, who also started the Brown Dog Cafe in Blue Ash and Tinks Cafe in Clifton, the decision to forgo conventional table service in favor of a walk-up counter wasn’t made on a whim.

Here's yet another example of why one-party rule of any institution is usually a supremely terrible idea. The local Republican Party has long dominated the little-scrutinized Hamilton County Courthouse, making it a bastion of patronage for friends and campaign workers, along with serving as a launching pad for up-and-coming politicians. That would be bad enough, but an incident last month has troubling implications for how justice is meted out in the county.

Do you need to know Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe) or an inner city girl (read: a young black teenager) like her? Does it matter how "real" she is, both as a character and an embodiment of a socio-cultural dynamic that we haven't been able to overcome? No, this film allows Precious to speak for herself, and we would be wise to simply try our best to listen to her tale. Grade: A.

With the first phase of construction on The Banks winding down in June, Cincinnati and Hamilton County leaders are happy with the way the $800 million project is finally starting to take shape along downtown’s riverfront. One local watchdog group, though, is decidedly unhappy about how The Banks is shaping the local workforce.

Since Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel has announced a planned expansion into downtown Cincinnati, the discussion has centered on two issues: What does snagging an award-winning boutique hotel mean to local economic development and what will happen to the low-income residents of the Metropole Apartments? Important questions, but as an arts writer they're not my bailiwick. I can, however, offer some insight into what 21c might mean for the visual (and other) arts in Cincinnati.