Poem: The week after Christmas
’Twas the week after ChristmasAnd all through the townNot a person was smokingNot a butt to be found; The panhandlers were aboutOpen-palmed with a stareIn the hopes that the deep-pocketed Soon would be there; The elected were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of beggars danced in their heads; And Dant in his…
Imaginary Conversations With David Williams and Jody Richards
Scene: Williams, the Republican Senate Majority Leader, and Richards, the Democratic House Majority Leader, are playing a round at StoneCrest Golf Course, which sits atop a reclaimed mountaintop removal mine site in Prestonsburg, Ky. Williams: Thank God for this course, you know? Richards: Amen, Dave. We ought to have more of ’em out here. W:…
Vacancy may weaken ACLU-KY this session
Director search is almost over, but organization remains short-staffed The downtown headquarters of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky has been quite serene lately. Not because of a decline in membership. Not because Kentuckians have turned their backs on the Bill of Rights. And not due to the sorts of internal personality conflicts that…
What A Week: The City’s Zeitgeist Radar
+5A group of Kentucky legislators proposed an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution that would restore voting rights to approximately 129,000 convicted felons who’ve paid their debts to society. Kentucky is one of only two states that require people convicted of felonies to formally ask the governor to restore their voting rights after serving their time.…
Censored! The top 10 big stories the U.S. news media missed in the past year
Story: Amanda WitherellIllustration: Mirissa Neff There are a handful of freedoms that have almost always been a part of American democracy. Even when they didn’t exactly apply to everyone or weren’t always protected by the people in charge, a few simple but significant rights have been patently clear in the Constitution: You can’t be nabbed…
Guest Commentary: Remembering Tatiana
The more I watch and read the news, of course, the more questions I have. After listening to the interview with the deceased boy’s father, I think it is clear he was every bit a typical 17-year-old boy, with mischief being a middle name. And as I listened further and learned of the theory that…
Erosia
LEO welcomes letters that are brief (250 words max) and thoughtful. Ad hominem attacks will be ignored, and we need your name and a daytime phone number. Send snail mail to EROSIA, 640 S. Fourth St., Louisville, Ky. 40202. Fax to 895-9779 or e-mail to leo@leoweekly.com. We may edit for length, grammar and clarity.Pick Us…
Ballz: Sports commentary and analysis by c d Kaplan
At the gameMy future brother-in-law sidled up to me Christmas Eve at the family gathering. Surrounded by the detritus of wrapping paper, he looked me in the eye and accused me — good-naturedly, I think — of, well, his words: “You’re brainwashing my daughter.” Mike bleeds Blue. He was wearing Wildcat blue at the moment.…
Ask A Mexican: Peering into the Mexican soul, one dog at a time
Q Dear Mexican: As everyone knows, dogs seem to reflect their masters’ personalities. Likewise, the breeds invented by a nation say a lot about that nation. Germans bred the German Shepard and Rottweiler: smart, loyal, faithful, yet a little cold, and not the kind of dogs you want to piss off. The French created the…
Representin”: It”s good to be King – A strange subplot emerges in the race for council president
A strange subplot emerges in the race for council president — and other ephemera for the New Year Let this much be clear: This is, has been and always will be a column for geeks. City government geeks. We who revel in deep knowledge of backyard issues while remaining perpetually frustrated by our own lack…
The Bar Belle: Hangovers & Resolutions
Why do hangovers get worse the older you get? It should be the opposite. At 21, your body was new to processing cheap vodka and piss-ass beer. But you got right up after two hours of sleep and made it to your 8 a.m. class. No problem. Maybe you skipped a shower, but that A…
Aftertastes
BUCA DI BEPPO, 2051 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy.,493-2426, www.bucadibeppo.com. Notorious for its zany, tongue-in-cheek New Jersey-style Italian-restaurant décor and its huge portions of Italian-American dishes. this restaurant recently launched a new “Buca Mio” (“My Buca”) menu that features smaller portions meant to feed a single diner. (Reviewed 11/21; Rating: 84) THE CAFÉ, 712 Brent St., 637-6869,…
South India to West China: two hot new ethnic spots
You don’t have to be as old as the (Tuscan) hills to remember the days when “Northern” Italian fare first became a local craze, serving dishes like fettuccine alfredo and veal piccata. Before long, “Northern” was in, “Southern” was out, and to this day, as much as we may still love pizza and spaghetti with…
Shorties: RECENTLY REVIEWED IN LEO
JUNO (Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. Directed by Jason Reitman.) “Juno” is that rare bird, the deftly written art comedy that has a chance to succeed with the “Larry the Cable Guy” audience as well as Wes Anderson fans. It succeeds on all levels because it is has…
Film Reviews for 01-02-08
‘Sweeney Todd’ exacts revenge(Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen and Alan Rickman. Directed by Tim Burton. Rated R; 1:57. LEO Report Card: B) The brick buildings of London in “Sweeney Todd” appear to be infected with a terminal decay. Under director Tim Burton and production designer Dante Ferretti, it’s a beautiful type…
Video Tapeworm: Releases through Tuesday, Jan. 8
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS3:10 TO YUMA2007; DVD $29.95-39.95, RWhile the on-screen egos threaten to take over the theater, there’s no denying that this is one of the most entertaining movies ever made. Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda and steely-eyed Ben Foster take on the legendary 1957 Glenn Ford-Van Heflin original and blow it away.…
CD Reviews 01-02
Don’t Die YetSarah Elizabeth(SELF-RELEASED)The fourth self-released album from Sarah Elizabeth is an earthy, contemplative reflection on mortality, and features some choice original material coupled with several traditional favorites (“Motherless Child,” “Trouble of The World”).With roots in classic Americana (Appalachian country, gospel, folk and Native American accents flourish here), Elizabeth’s deeply spiritual outlook is at the…
Staffpicks
Jan. 1-Dec. 31 2008 Although I cannot predict the future and, in fact, have been wrong even about the past here and there, I can confidently assert to you, dear reader, that 2008 will be better — just all-around better — than this ragged shawl of a year we’re about to slough off. First, it’s…
Chrome dreams come true for Brett Ralph
Before we get too far into the new year, there is some old business to get out of the way. I once again elected to participate in the incredibly subjective process of picking five worthwhile albums for 2007. So, enjoy (or scan down to see some of this week’s notable concerts). 1) Wilco: Sky Blue…
B-Sides: MUSIC & OTHER EPHEMERA
So, I did it — another Christmas passed without killing my relatives. Amazing. I should get a medal. You ’dig?Local pop-rock group Shindig has made it to the third round of BODOG’s Battle of the Bands contest, says the band’s guitarist Nick Carlysle.The contest, now in its second season, awards a million-dollar contract to whichever…
