Learning from Loss
There we were, my partner and I, walking purposefully to one of our favorite neighborhood movie theaters a few weeks ago. Being creatures of habit, we took our usual route, which takes us right past what to me has always been a gay landmark in New York City, A Different Light bookstore. We remarked on…
Kill Your TV
Listening to National Public Radio (NPR) last week, I was astonished to learn that some people in America do not own a TV. A listener had written in complaining about a story NPR had done on rapper Eminem. Apparently the report featured explicit language. The folks writing the letter stated they didn't own a TV,…
Critics’ Picks
Thursday 5We've often suffered a LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. Here in our office, we commonly refer to it as deadline day. Eugene O'Neill, however, seemed to have a whole other take on it as he centered his famed play on one heckuva dysfunctional family. It's not an easy tale to watch, thanks to its…
Paul Cebar & The Milwaukeeans
While we're not sure what the Milwaukee sound might be, but the city's Paul Cebar & The Milwaukeeans would probably have a little bit of it in their own sound by default. While essentially a tight Funk/R&B outfit, Cebar and Co. do a great job of borrowing from an exquisitely wide array of musical…
Ohio’s Leading Arts Advocate
There are good and bad arts volunteers. The article "Giuliani Lists Choice for Decency Panel" in the March 31 issue of The New York Times reminded me of this sobering reality. New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani appears to be busy assembling a decency panel to review art in New York City's publicly financed…
The Big Red Headache
Opening Day is white people's equivalent of the Jazz Festival. Think about it. People take a day off work, they dress extravagantly — or scarily, depending on your vantage point — traffic is nightmarishly clogged and everywhere you look it's all you see. The Jazz Festival, however, offers no "behind-the-scenes" faux news stories on lineup…
News: The Kids Are All Right
Jymi Bolden Eliza Combs doesn't understand people who aren't involved in social and political movements. Did you know you can buy a human being for $90? Neither did Abbey Steele until she read a book that changed her life. Now she is literally in the business of setting people free. Steele, a senior at…
Diner: Hearty Hungarian
Wandering the streets of Sopron, Hungary, I was intrigued and seduced by the rich smells of native cooking centered on savory meat sauces topping tender spaetzle or rice. This basic, simple fare was made with fresh ingredients and seasoned with hot and/or sweet paprika, certainly hearty sustenance designed to comfort and restore after a brisk…
Why Tinker with the Housing Trust Fund?
Will improved funding for low-income school districts come at the cost of housing programs for the poor? School funding has center stage in the Ohio Legislature's budget battle, but housing advocates worry the budget bill could squeeze low-income housing projects. The Ohio Housing Trust Fund, which awards more than $20 million in grants each year…
Choosing to Stop Choosing
I freely admit I'm no genius. That fact has been firmly established, over time, by, among other things, educators, standardized tests, my steadfast faith in the predictions of television meteorologists and my failure to attract an archenemy. But I'm no idiot, either. Of that, my friends, you can rest assuaged. So imagine my chagrin when,…
Lewis Taylor Lewis II
It sucks when your so-called friends don't want to be turned on to something really new and instead find solace in perusing your CD collection, inquiring about the BuenaVista Social Club disc. It's like trying to introduce them to Jesus while they're rubbernecking Billy Graham. So was the scene at my place the night…
Curly tales of the city
Foot in Mouth and Other AilmentsProfessors at the University of Cincinnati weren't amused to learn University President Joseph Steger is predicting a strike. Steger says he raised the possibility as a way to sway Gov. Bob Taft and state legislators from reducing funding for state universities. But members of the American Association of University Professors…
Relationships
I have learned more about guys from my current fellow than from all of the dozens of men I've dated over many years. It's one of the things I like about being married. Now my man isn't representative of all men, but he could be the poster child for a large portion of middle-aged men…
Hip Shot Blueh add an element of youthful exuberance to the local Rock scene
Hip Shot Blueh Believe it or not, it all started with Beverly Hills 90210. (Don't laugh, it takes courage for people to admit they actually watched that show). Hip Shot Blueh lead singer Zach Holbrook and guitarist Matt Eckerle say they started playing together about eight years ago, when they would meet, watch 90210…
