News: Pulling the Plug on a Bright Idea
Jymi Bolden Greg Huber, president of Friends of the Observatory. Cincinnati's future is turning dimmer — and that, according to astronomers, is good news. Every year fewer and fewer stars are visible in Cincinnati's night sky. A little more light here, and a few stars fade out of view there. It's been happening for…
Diner: Bar None
I can't count the number of times I've found myself enjoying a cold and frosty beverage at a bar and in need of a little edible accompaniment. It used to be that one could consider herself lucky to scrape up a bowl of stale nuts or pretzels. Fortunately, today's bars are more than mere watering…
Suzanne Fisher
Suzanne Fisher was sketching the bottom of a shower during our interview about her pig, Piganthropy. The drawings are for a private client who commissioned Fisher to create mosaics for three different bathrooms. "Mosaics are a great medium for me to work in because I've always liked taking pieces of broken things and putting…
Some Days the Bar Eats You: Part Two
It's 9:21, Friday night. The band is set to launch into the first song of their first set. Technically, they were supposed to start 21 minutes ago, but the clever bastards are taking full advantage of a loophole they've discovered in their agreement. That loophole is the fact that I, the head bartender and de…
All I Want for Christmas Is a Dishful of Teeth
Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia! Everybody loves a Chia Pet. For just $14.99 and a couple of weeks of diligent watering, the whole family is rewarded with minutes of fun. Pretty soon, though, the dream dies; and along with it goes the Chia Pet. Whether you are nurturing a Chia Pig, a Chia Kitten or the now much-sought-after Mr.…
News: Full Speed Ahead
Jymi Bolden Homemade is not risk-free. Meth labs are relatively simple to stock, profitable to operate and fraught with explosive hazards. Jack senses something is wrong. The bar at T.G.I. Friday's, Northgate, is almost empty, except for a couple of men who keep looking his way. His supplier had spoken nervously, asking Jack to…
The Pig and the Poke
Michael Blankenship On those occasions when you have to eat your words, it's usually best to sprinkle them with salt and humor. Trying to cover up the flavor of a sour observation with saccharine sweetness only increases the original distaste and is liable to ruin your taster's palate, making all your dishes suspect. It…
Rumors of Roaches and Unintended Insults
Can you be a racist and not know it? Consider Jeff Ruby. When Ruby thinks he's hit on a good line, he keeps repeating it. Accused of racism for closing his downtown restaurant during the recent Ujima Cincibration weekend, his stock answer is, "I'm a racist like Bill Clinton's a virgin." Ruby believes the line…
Leave the Money on the Dresser
The Artist who was and is again Prince once offered the musical command, "Ass up, face down, bitch!" As one of the countless disgruntled, disenfranchised, set aside and cynical nonwatchers of the Bungles, that phrase reverberates through my head every time I plunk down my hard-earned ends when I'm buying toilet paper, CDs, shoes, books,…
Over-the-Rhine on 27 Cents a Day
It was an early spring morning on Main Street, and a misty rain was falling. The homeless people huddled across the street from my apartment were waiting for the Franciscan shelter to open. It was a place to shake off the chill, have a cup of coffee and maybe a piece of toast. Meanwhile, they…
Macha
Macha With their latest album, See It Another Way, Athens-based group Macha have taken the fascinating World-meets-Indie Rock they presented on their debut to new heights. Where the debut occasionally meandered, See It is a near-perfect combination of exotic, worldly textures and intense, driving Rock music, hypnotically enaging throughout. The group's leader, Joshua McKay,…
