Erosia: Letters to the Editor
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. Broke…
What a Week
Bucks for ballsIn a move symbolic of Kentucky public-education politics, Gov. Fletcher ripped (vetoed) Higher Education a new one, making more money available for basketball. Louisville got $75 million for the new basketball arena, but the governor denied $73 million that would have gone to support academics at U of L (and $312 million statewide).…
The madness of Derby cruising: There are two sides to the story  and the truth’s somewhere in the middle
BY PHILLIP BAILEY Because I am young, black and outspoken, people often ask me about Derby cruising. That doesn’t surprise me, given cruising’s relationship to hip-hop culture, which, of course, means black. These days, “hip hop” gets added to any title held by a young black person, regardless of expertise. I’m still not sure what…
ACLU eyes racial profiling
The ACLU of Kentucky is neutral on the issue of Derby cruising, but the civil rights organization is running a public education campaign to teach the community about racial profiling as it relates to cruising, particularly given that Louisville Metro Police plan to enforce ordinances this weekend that are not normally enforced. “The ACLU of…
Rumor & Innuendo: Rumblings From the World of Sports
As The Boss sayeth (that would be Bruce from N.J., not Stemle from the sunnyside): “It’s hard to be a saint in the city.” It is that time of year again, you know. When LEO’s resident “turf experts” regale you with speed ratings and Dosage indexes and three-furlong clockings. Then Mr. Doolittle and maybe Mr.…
The Official LEO Derby Survival Tout Sheet:
LEO: Giving Louisville the Finger since 1990 When it comes to wagering, most Derby visitors think of the card at Churchill Downs as the main event. But there are lots of other events worth handicapping at Derby time. For instance, which celebrity is most likely to bare his ass? How many puddles of vomit will…
Bluegrass Report: Jody Richards should quit
There’s no nice way to say it. The time has come for Kentucky Speaker of the House Jody Richards (D-Bowling Green) to give up his leadership post or be removed. The sooner, the better. The outcome of the recent state budget debacle, and the incomprehensible decision by Speaker Richards to give up the constitutional check…
Your mother is calling
Guest Commentary by Joseph Phelps I thought I could make the drive from Louisville to Dayton without a stop, but Mother Nature was calling.Unfortunately, I’d chosen an exit outside Cincinnati without a gas station at the intersection. So I rode at least a mile into the old, working-class section of Covington, Ky., with one unsatisfactory…
Derby Music Roundup: Isn’t there some horse race in town?
Like most things in the modern world, when examined discriminatingly, the fracas that Derby offers two weeks before the event is silly. A lot of people in Louisville realize this; much like Thunder, Derby run-up is just a dumb extended branding opportunity, a milieu of excess and nearly intolerable media attention. Alas, our collective meatheadedness…
That was Giacomo. This is Barbaro
Tell you one horse that won’t win the Derby — Giacomo. Well, Giacomo did win the 2005 Kentucky Derby, but even if he could be in it again this year, he wouldn’t win. Last year’s Derby was a great place for 50-1 shots. This year’s isn’t. That’s not to knock what Giacomo accomplished. He ate…
There’s first, and there’s worst: You might pick the winner. Can you say which horses will bring up the rear?
When you get tired of the relentless Kentucky Derby hype and want to have a little fun, sit down with a couple of your friends and try to pick the horse that will finish last on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Understand, this is different than trying to pick the worst horse in the field. Sometimes,…
Get me rewrite: Some ‘celebs’ soak up Derby largess like a sponge
I’ve pored over the list of celebrities — and I use that term loosely — who will attend this year’s Derby and, frankly, I’m underwhelmed. Sorry, folks, but it’s definitely the B list. It’s heavy on has-beens, wannabes and others who dwell on Hollywood’s fringe. Mostly, it’s the same freeloaders who show up every year…
Eight more miles to Louisville: The return of Tim Krekel’s buddy Sam Bush
“It’s amazing how someone can play so far above your head, but it’s so perfectly right that everybody gets it.” —Alison Krauss, speaking about Sam Bush There are many master musicians in the world of bluegrass, but Sam Bush consistently tops most lists. This is true of players, critics and fans alike. The decidedly unconventional…
Five Important Questions with Aaron Crane
Musically speaking, Aaron Crane doesn’t play games. His album It’s Personal is entirely and exactly that. There’s no smoke, no misdirection; only Crane, a Louisvillian who also plays in the band Strumbeat, banging songs from his acoustic guitar and his gut. He’s unabashed about love and loss, unafraid to say he feels something. He…
LEO’s Eat ’n’ Blog with Louisville HotBytes: Tips on dining out during Derby
You’ve probably figured out by now that if you didn’t make your reservations around this time last year, you’re pretty much out of luck if you were planning to see or be seen at any of Louisville’s top tables on Oaks or Derby night — or for that matter, any night this week. Like Mardi…
Aftertastes
Quality of Meal: 3 = Good; 4 = Very good; 5 = Extraordinary. Price Range: $ = $10 or less; $$ = $20 or less; $$$ = $30 or less; $$$$ = more than $30. (Per person for a meal without tip or tax.) HA = Wheelchair accessible. Descriptions are summaries of previously published dining…
Community Listings
Special Events Pennies from Heaven — fundraiser for Hospice & Palliative Care of S. Indiana, May 3, 11am-5pm, 624 E. Market St., 945-4596.••Komen Breast Cancer Foundation — Wacoal offers complimentary bra fittings for women, donations benefit breast cancer research, May 3, 11am-5pm, Macy’s South, Oxmoor Center Mall, 7900 Shelbyville Rd., (212) 242-9353 x130. Lectures/Classes ••…
Arts & Entertainment
Special Events Free Comic Book Week — meet acclaimed comic book artist Greg Land, May 6, 2pm-5pm, Great Escape, 2433 Bardstown Rd, 456-2216.Louisville Science Center — “Earth Exhibit,” thru May 7, 727 W. Main St., 560-7159.Oldham Co. History Center — “World’s Largest Whiskey Jug Collection,” thru May 15, 469 jugs from all over KY, exhibit…
Club Directory
19th Green 1740 Williamsburg Dr., Jeffersonville (812) 284-908819th Hole Pub 5603 Greenwood Rd. 933-4858717 Studios 717 Market St. 609-93171135 S. 7th St. 1135 S. 7th St. 589-4978A Little Peace Café 1860 Mellwood Ave. 895-3650Air Devil’s Inn 2802 Taylorsville Rd. 454-4443Akiko’s 1123 Bardstown Rd. 459-8020The Alternative 1032 Story Ave. 561-7613Angelo’s 627 N. 34th St. 776-9127Artemisia 620…
KARAOKE KORRAL
WED MAY 3 Akiko’sBrewskees Brickyard Sports Bar Creeker’s Bar & GrillGaslite Tavern Good Times Pub Jim Porter’sJoker’sJT’s Variety Club Mac’s HideawayMain MenuMonon Station New ViewPhoenix HillR Place Pub Reflections Lounge Ro-Joe’s Karaoke BarSeidenfaden Cafe Shooters Sid’s Pub SkivviesSmyrna Inn St. Andrew’s PubSteinert’s T.K.’s Pub Union Station Wick’s Pizza, DixieZaZoo’s THU MAY 4 19th Hole Pub…
Staff Picks
Friday, May 5Tavis Smiley book signing Social commentator and author Tavis Smiley is coming to town over Derby weekend — but not to attend the Derby Eve Barnstable Brown Gala. Smiley, the man on a mission to put black American on a serious self-improvement course, will promote his latest book, “Covenant with Black America.” This collection…
Video Tapeworm Releases through May 9
THIS WEEK’S TWIN PEEKS SGT. BILKO: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION1955; DVD $39.95, URWhile its original title was “The Phil Silvers Show: You’ll Never Get Rich,” it will be forever remembered as simply “Sgt. Bilko,” one of the drop-dead funniest sitcoms ever put on the tube. This is a fabulous and well-chosen set of 18 episodes from…
