Geraldine’s Pure Bastard Rock
It's 2 a.m. and I've got a nasty drunk on. One of those drunks where you just don't know what to do with yourself. A bit of stumbling, yelling, dizziness and anger will be my best friends for the remainder of the evening. And Pure Bastard Rock, the debut album from Athens, Ohio quartet…
Discrimination Against Gays
Should Article 12 of the Charter of the City of Cincinnati, which prohibits granting gays and lesbians protection from discrimination, be repealed? Charles Tassell President of Blue Chip Young Republicans It is amazing that some in our culture would invite the government, in all its nefarious forms, into their bedrooms (and by default, ours) by…
The Dating
Altruism is defined as an unselfish concern for the well-being of others. While I wouldn't say it was the best example of altruism, it certainly is a heckuva nice thing to fix up your ex. Usually when a relationship ends, the two people involved go their separate ways, and that's the end. The very enlightened…
Learning From Artistic Transformations
The city of Cincinnati is desperate to transform itself into a harmonious city. This is a statement I think everyone would embrace. The summer-long debate among Cincinnati's political and business leaders has been over what steps the Queen City should take to begin its makeover. It's a challenging dilemma with no single answer. My advice…
Pianist skips town for New York’s Jazz scene
The list of Cincinnati expatriates keeps growing this year with the addition of Alex Smith. An emerging jewel in American Jazz, Smith is heading off to New York City not to get more education, like many upcoming musicians, but to woodshed, jam and establish himself in the competitive musical landscape of the Big Apple. Born…
News: Unnatural Acts
A sign over a booth at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church's festival show's activist's displeasure over turtle racing. Church festivals, which fill every weekend in the summer with fun, food and God, are being targeted by animal rights groups for "exploitation of innocent and helpless sentient beings," according to fliers that were passed out…
Diner: Soft Serve
Putz's puts smiles on kids and cones. I recently saw a cooking show on which the chef in charge made ice cream using two Ziploc bags. The larger one he filled with ice and rock salt; in the smaller one he put his cream and sugar. He placed the one inside the other, shook…
News: Making It Easier to Clean House
Jymi Bolden Alicia Reese helped shepherd civil service reform through Cincinnati City Council. In a rare moment of agreement, Cincinnati City Council has unanimously approved a plan for civil service reform. The consensus arises from a shared realization that change is needed, according to Councilman John Cranley. "No matter who you talk to, there's…
Fair. At Best.
Take a quick flip through the listings in the back of this paper (not now, genius, after you're done here) and you'll see we're in the thick of fair and festival season. Yes, from mid-August through late October, hundreds of churches, schools, municipalities, associations and organizations will set up the food stands, the rides and…
News: Jim Crow for Gays
Jymi Bolden Todd Portune supports repeal. A loud call for reform in Cincinnati came from the Westin Hotel last month, in the form of unanimous resolutions by the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA). The organization called for the city to repeal Article 12 of the city charter, which prohibits anti-discrimination measures…
StreetBeat: Street Beat
Sayler Park Sayler Park Village Council is holding a public auction to benefit the Lone Star Legal Defense Fund. A preview opens at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 24, followed by the auction at 5:30 p.m., at the CMC Field on Hillside Avenue. Items include furniture, china, glassware, memorabilia, vehicles, and vintage clothing and jewelry. The legal…
Connecting and volunteering
Peace. Diversity. A creative response to conflict. These are issues Cincinnati needs desperately to work on, and there's a Cincinnati organization that's been doing so for 22 years: THE CENTER FOR PEACE EDUCATION (CPE). Founded in 1979, CPE's mission is simple: to create safe schools and peaceful communities by teaching diversity appreciation and conflict management…
Cover Story: The Lost Highway
Brad King and Monte McCarter travel the Lost Highway in search of Americana. A storm is brewing along U.S. Route 127, the old, dusty highway that connects the last great small towns in America. This weekend, a post-apocalyptic scene straight out of Road Warrior a movie about the search for community after a…
It’s the 40 Cs!
"Dude looks like a lady."— Aerosmith There oughta be a name for people like me. You know, people born one way but because of interpretation — ours and yours — perceived another way. I'm talking specifically now about hair, breasts and the juxtaposition of the two. Let me tell you what it's like walking around…
Will ‘An Eye for an Eye’ Leave Us Anything but Blind?
Why would the victim of a gruesome terrorist attack seek to protect the perpetrator? For nearly a year after his daughter Julie Welch and 167 others were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing, Bud Welch wanted nothing more than to see Timothy McVeigh executed. But then Welch spent the next five years doing everything in…
News: An All-Purpose Person
You're a taxpayer. You have rights. Getting help from the government shouldn't be very hard — after all, we're talking about City Hall, not the federal behemoth. You need help with trash collection? A question about building codes? You call the city. Dialing a number isn't intimidating, until you see the city's listings in the…
