Hearts, Minds & Armor
A question from a soft-spoken young woman continues to speak loudly in my memory. It was a Sunday afternoon in January, and I was part of a panel discussion about Middle Eastern films; my colleagues were college teachers and political activists. The woman wanted to know: If a current movie were to portray a Muslim…
No Jammin’? No Problem
Often 'round these parts, when something goes under, most people stand around and bitch about it as they watch it sink. This weekend's "Jammin' On …" festival — featuring all original local music acts — shows how positive the opposite reaction can be. When it was announced that the annual Jammin' On Main festival wouldn't…
Numbers Don’t Lie, Except When They Do
Danny Graves complained last week about fans in their home digs booing the Reds. Funny, but Reds management must have disagreed and were grateful for anyone who showed up. In addition to not hitting or pitching, the Reds aren't drawing either, playing in front of Cinergy Field crowds at Great American Ball Park. Perhaps the…
Renewing College Hill
College Hill seemed to be celebrating the beginning of the end May 4. At a ribbon cutting for a newly completed streetscape project, community activists marked the end of long years of planning and the beginning of a spate of visible, material improvements to their neighborhood. Cincinnati Fire Department Engine 51 showed up, as did…
More Than a Massage
Besides improved flexibility, circulation and energy, as well as a great healing release from mental, emotional and physical tensions, Thai Yoga Massage elicits benefits on other levels — just as all forms of yoga do. Originating more than 2,000 years ago in the Buddhist monasteries of Thailand, this form of "massage" is also called "assisted…
Neighbors Defending the Hood
Matt Borgerding State Sen. Mark Mallory (far right) meets with residents of Rockford Woods, saying the city of Cincinnati should get involved in their dispute. State Sen. Mark Mallory (D-West End) is calling on the city of Cincinnati to take responsibility for the debacle of Rockford Woods, the 2001 CiTiRAMA development. At a press conference…
The problem?
I've been in a relationship with a wonderful man for four months. He treats me better than anyone I've ever been with. (I'm 29.) The problem? I'm very adventurous sexually. I'm a freaky girl. I like to be spanked, choked, fisted and I'm into anal sex. He's a straight-laced officer in the armed forces, and…
Diner: Downtown Playground
It takes courage, blind faith and a different business model to open up a new restaurant at a location where one has just closed its doors. McFadden's Restaurant & Saloon, which opened in March downtown on Seventh Street, is definitely working off a different playbook than Nick & Tony's, the former occupant of the premises.…
Jump Rhythm Jazz Project
Jump Rhythm Jazz Project — the Chicago-based dance company's name alone immediately reveals a sense of their style. Sure, one expects to see certain classic Jazz and tap dance elements and musical rhythms: syncopations, downbeats, a swing feeling in energetic movements. But there's much more behind the mission of the group to be presented at…
Nectar of the Gods
I've spent a goodly amount of time in the company of wine connoisseurs, but I can't claim to have distinguished myself in this field. I'm still known to make purchases based on label design — I like contemporary with bold colors— and whether I'll be able to pronounce it at presentation. Nectar of the gods,…
Film: L.A. Story
Don Cheadle (left) and Paul Haggis confer on the set of Crash. Cheadle was instrumental in bringing Haggis' diverse, nuanced vision to the screen. LOS ANGELES — Paul Haggis' provocative new movie can best be described as a Crash between cultures. The title of Crash, fittingly set in L.A., specifically refers to the opening scene's…
Locals Only: : One For the Records
4192's Dylan Ewing Although they haven't had any hits yet, the band 4192 — named after Pete Rose's record-breaking base hit — wears the tag like they earned it fair and square. With an increasingly heavy and focused sound, the trio makes a lasting impression, particularly for fans of brooding Avant Blues. The earliest roots…
News to Use
Nonviolent Warrior Training Learn how to be an effective nonviolent warrior through a program May 28-29 at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center. Activists often turn to nonviolent agitation when all other channels of social change seem blocked, but many don´t achieve the full value of the action because it´s not connected to a strategy or to…
Madisonville Community Arts Center
Natalie Toro was "ducky" at the Playhouse in 1999; now she's Eva Peron. By rick Pender I've had a glimpse of the future: On April 28, I took a tour of the one-time Madisonville Recreation Center, which is on its way to becoming the MADISONVILLE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER. Located at 3557 Vista Ave., just off…
The Record That Changed My Life: Vinnie Williams – Le TechnoPUSS13s
Dale M. Johnson Vinnie Williams – Le TechnoPUSS13s Tiny Tim, God Bless Tiny Tim and Lil' Kim, Hardcore I was 11 and I got it at Mole's on Short Vine. It was water damaged and had a picture of Tiny Tim with his ukulele on top of a mountain of flowers and some angel gibberish…
Living Out Loud: : He Was Frozen in Time
I pulled Lolita out of the bag and riffled through it. Graduate students pronounced "Nabokov" one way and bookstore clerks another. It is OK for "a man of 25 to court a girl of 16 but not a girl of 12." What a thought. A man of 43 could court a girl of 25 but…
Religion in Sentencing
"In God We Trust." "With God All Things Are Possible." "One Nation Under God." Posting the Ten Commandments in public buildings. Prayers at Commencement. Prayers before high school football games. We, as a society, struggle with the role of religion in our public lives. How much is ceremonial, how much is appropriate and how much…
News: Seeing Red
David Sorcher Edward Mercado (right, with magazine cover of Simon Bolivar) and Rixio Barrios are members of the Red Machine. Cincinnati once again has a "Red Machine" operating in town, and it has nothing to do with baseball; it's a group dedicated to social reform. More formally known as the Bolivarian Circle, members want to…
Cover Story: Well-Suited
Sean Hughes Well Suited Have you heard about the standard black man's umbrella? More than 10 years ago, Mark Mallory and Tom Moorman were headed to their jobs at the downtown library after lunch. Moorman told Mallory he needed to stop off and buy a standard black man's umbrella. "Mark looked at me and said,…
Music: Seasick Poet
Alicia J. Rose Front and center: Colin Meloy's nuanced period pieces are perfectly complemented by lush instrumentation from his khaki-clad clan of Decemberists. Colin Meloy's imagination is as vast as his home state of Montana. Growing up in Helena, the young Meloy dreamed of being a Rock star when he didn't have his nose stuck…
Upcoming Concert Reviews of C. Gibbs, Rilo Kiley and More…
Ordinary Peoples C. Gibbs with Mack West Thursday · Northside Tavern Christian Gibbs may or may not have an extraordinary wanderlust, but his musical style and career certainly bespeak a lifetime of mobility. A San Diego native, the guitarist's first move was to the U.K., where he found work touring with Modern English. Even though…
Don’t Stoop to GOP Level
In his Puttin' Out the Bone column ("The Right Words Are Essential to Conservative Power," issue of May 4-10), Jene Galvin points to the fact that Democrats are starting to catch on to the power behind "framing arguments" and the relative strength it has lent the Republicans. If the Democrats become willing to use the…
