Kabul 2002
With the war in Afghanistan taking a new direction every week, keeping up with events is proving difficult for the U.S. and its allies, as well as its critics. The arrival of Ramadan two weeks ago did see a cutback in American bombing, but this magnanimity was due more to the success of the Northern…
Gig of the Week: : Moviola
Moviola With oodles of singles and compilation appearances (and four full-length records) in their wake, Columbus-based Moviola have emerged as one of the best Indie bands to come out of the Buckeye state in the past 10 years. But, as their discriminating, organically crafted songwriting might suggest, it hasn't necessarily been an explosion onto…
Cover Story: Life Has to Go On
Ryan Greis Don't expect holiday travel to be less crowded or less difficult this season, no matter the ongoing terrorism threats and slow economy. Fewer people are flying, sure, but airfares are cheaper and most airlines have cut back their flight schedules by 10 to 15 percent, reducing the number of empty seats. The…
The Man Who Wasn’t There
Napoleon Maddox is the type of brotha who, at his funeral, would run down the aisle to jump in the casket right before they closed the lid. He'd be apologizing eloquently the whole way, dropping knowledge about the hereafter, his legacy and the Most High and giving props to Jack Walker and Matt Anderson, his…
Community calendar
Community Council MeetingsBond Hill Community Council, 7 p.m. the first Thursday of the month, Bond Hill Recreation Center, 1501 Elizabeth Place. Clifton Town Meeting, 7:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month, Clifton Community Center, 320 McAlpin Ave. East End Area, 7 p.m. the first Monday of the month, LeBlonde Recreation Center, 2335 Eastern Ave.…
Cover Story: Silent Night, Holy Night
Ryan Greis If you're looking for a holiday gift for that paranoid person who has everything — including a bomb shelter in the backyard, a stockpile of guns in the basement and enough canned goods to last seven years — the Internet might be your answer. A wide variety of fashionable protective gear is…
News: Snake March
Doug the Anarchist Anti-globalization protesters pick up police barricades and continue their march in Ottawa. OTTAWA — When terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the World Trade Center, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (WB/IMF) cancelled their meetings in Washington, D.C. Anarchists and social libertarians likewise cancelled a counter-summit, only to be surprised when…
Diner: Meat and Potatoes
Most special occasions scream for a big hunk of meat, and the Cincinnati restaurant scene heeds the call with its share of high-priced, upscale steakhouses. Restaurateur Jimmy Duane opened Jimmy D's Steakhouse in Montgomery about a year ago, offering a fine dining experience with steak as the star. I admit right off the bat that…
News: Some Showdown
Jymi Bolden Mayor Charlie Luken (right) and Councilwoman Alicia Reece say the city is not to blame for delays. Nov. 26 was supposed to be the day Cincinnati City Council heard the police division's response to criticism of its policies on use of force. In a press release announcing a hearing by the Law…
Cover Story: Travelin’ Man
Santa's one man who sure gets around. He doesn't have an elf in every port, though. He's a one-woman type of guy. And who could blame him? Mrs. Claus' cookies could keep any red-blooded heterosexual male (or robust lesbian) satisfied. But Santa does change transportation more often than a Victoria Secret's fashion model changes…
Jim Tarbell, Arts Czar
Councilman Jim Tarbell is a performance artist when it comes to the spoken word. Looking onto Over-the-Rhine from a 21st-floor office in the Kroger Building, he waves his hands past a large window and raises his voice. He considers Over-the-Rhine and all it entails his personal beat. News that he will chair Mayor Charlie Luken's…
Music: Soul Sista
Nikka Costa has an extensive musical career under her belt (belt not shown). God is Nikka Costa's co-pilot. In performance Costa is jarring and frenetic. Hers is a freak-show discourse on musical exorcism. She's nasty with all the shimmying, mic-stand manipulation and Janis Joplin-style stomping. During a fish-out-of-water, thrashing performance of "Like A Feather,"…
Cover Story: Give the Gift of Slack
Ryan Greis I know the president wants all us patriots to immediately buy new cars and electric letter openers for Christmas. And if he can sleep well with the coming national debt, we certainly ought to be able to snooze through a measly $3,000 Visa overdraft. All flag waving aside, why not give the…
Cover Story: Defining New Standards
Christmas is, of course, a time of tradition. And along with tinseled trees, stuffed turkeys and televised sporting events, the music we select as the soundtrack for Yuletide cheer is decidedly not contemporary. Sure, every now and then a Mariah Carey will step forth for humankind — it can't be just about the money,…
Books for the Holidays
Since Sept. 11, many people have been seeking a stronger spiritual connection. If you're trying to find an appropriate gift of meaning for another or yourself, check out the following thought-provoking books this holiday season: An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Everyday Life by Dalai Lama, Nicholas Vreeland ($22.95). The lessons contained in his latest…
Christmas Stalkings
As a social gadabout, inveterate bon vivant and all-around man of good cheer, this is the time of year I live for. Because from about now 'til Jan. 2, the good times will roll. With parties, events, activities, shows, you name it. My calendar is already filling up … Dec. 3: Tree Lighting Ceremony/Meanest Man…
Cover Story: The Ghosts of X-mas Past
Ryan Greis Christmas time is here. A time to spread good cheer and joy. A time to be with family and friends and to remember Christmases past. And a time to start looking for that rope or revolver and to plan your suicide before they start playing that damn Christmas music on the radio.…
Who Are the Homeless, and Can City Council Get Rid of Them?
Doesn't everyone already know "homeless" is a synonym for "derelict" — men who don't hold jobs because it's easier to bum cigarettes and panhandle for beer money? Statistical analyses seldom contain surprises, but "Homeless in Cincinnati," a report issued by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), has more than a few. The report…
Whirlygig: 3
Another Thanksgiving Holiday weekend has come and gone. As delightful as Thursday's food and family overdose is, some prefer the shopping frenzy on Friday. This year Friday turned out to be, if not the biggest , at least the most dangerous shopping day of the year. (Perhaps Wal-Mart should consider a sale on some sort…
