Modern Rock band Oval Opus strive for professionalism and accessibility
Oval Opus If last month's Cincinnati Entertainment Awards had recognized the "Most Ambitious Local Band," Oval Opus surely would have won. The Pop/Rock quartet is poised for a giant leap to the national scene with the release of their latest CD, Oxygen, later this month. The band members all balance waiting tables during the…
Straightforward As Folk
By now you have probably heard about Queer as Folk, the new Showtime series based on the wildly popular and controversial 1999 British miniseries of the same title. Simultaneously criticized and hailed for its balls-to-the-wall, unapologetic depiction of the lives of a group of gay friends living in a working-class English city, the series has…
The Sound of Urchin
The Sound of Urchin While the self-titled major label debut from New Hope, Pennsylvania's The Sound of Urchin has chunky guitar riffs, some funky, soulful beats and rapped lyrics, you won't soon be confusing them with the thug rockers currently being signed by majors with the regularity of a bran junkie. The EP, co-produced…
Unsolicited Feedback from Enquirer Readers
The Nov. 15 press release from local artist Bill Seitz delivers its message matter-of-factly: "Petition drive to request an Arts section in The Cincinnati Enquirer." The purpose of Seitz's petition is fairly simple. He wants to let Enquirer administrators know there's a large number of people who are upset about recent reductions in the paper's…
News: Sustainable Cincinnnati
A new, comprehensive math is showing up across the nation and around the world — one that gives cities and regions a fresh perspective on their economic, environmental and social health. This new math measures sustainability, or the ability of communities to satisfy existing needs without jeopardizing future generations' needs. With the old math, we…
Lap Dunce, Part 1
Whenever someone utters the familiar bit of treacle, "It's always darkest just before the dawn," I like to point out that, like cocktail hour, it's always "just before the dawn" somewhere in the world. Where the average person sees a frisky litter of snuggly puppies, I see a swarming maelstrom of the unwormed. On difficult…
Boys in the Hoods
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. — 1 Corinthians, 1:18 The Klan and me go waaay back. So this time every year, when the Ku Klux Klan erect a cross on Fountain Square, I get…
Contest and Concession
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And sometimes you win by giving up the fight. Contest and concession are a part of our human experience, whether the prize is the White House, public opinion or even the bedroom. People can put up a great fight trying to avoid the inevitable. This can be a good…
Claudius Would Have Backed Gore
Ralph Nader supporters don't speak collectively, nor do we the people. I waited until the last possible minute to submit this article, in the hope that we'd know the election outcome. No such luck. One thing is certain: Al Gore would have had a clear victory if Nader fans had voted along traditional party lines.…
Diner: Tacky and Eclectic
When I lived in New York in the early 1970s, I was informally adopted by an older Italian couple. They had no children, so I was treated to tours of restaurants in Little Italy and enthusiastically encouraged to eat more from the family-sized servings. Since then, I haven't seen, or experienced anything like those old-style…
Critics Picks: Crictic’s Picks
ThursdayWe've heard quite a few YULETIDE TALL TALES in our time. And they haven't allowed us to nestle up with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. No, instead we lie there tossing and turning, wondering about various Christmas mysteries. Why is it "sleigh" bells instead of "slay" bells? Since Rudolph was such a suck-up,…
Community Calendar
BOND HILL Candlemaking workshop at Bond Hill Recreation Center features hand-dipped beeswax candles. The program meets 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The fee is $4.50. For more information, call 513-242-9565. The center is at 1501 Elizabeth Place. Christmas caroling at the recreation center begins at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15, followed by refreshments. All ages are…
Relationships
Woodrow J. Hinton Many years ago I worked for a large market research firm. Because of the large number of employees and the different shifts, the annual holiday party was held at 3 p.m. during a regular work day. For the day shift, the party came towards the end of their day. For the…
Cover Story: Home Is Where the Students Are
Jymi Bolden Aline Kuhl, Bob Craig and their sons Grayson, 3, and Colin, 10. I'm sitting in one of the many rooms of Bob Craig and Aline Kuhl's house in Delhi. Colin, age 10, is constructing geometry figures with his mom. I scan the instruction book, Critical Thinking from Spectrum Educational Supplies, which seems…
