The Odds Against

by Steve Siegel

In “Anti-Casino or Anti-Indian?” (Artvoice, v5n19) Mike Niman posed the question: “When do well-intentioned anti-casino activists unwittingly cross the line to racism?”

by Rob Brezsny

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Are there influences that render you numb or even dumb? What experiences tend to shut you down? When you’re gliding along in your natural rhythm, are you sometimes interrupted by blips that make you feel lost and unresponsive? According to my reading of the astrological omens, Cancerian, you now have extra power to fight back against these little outbreaks of black magic. It’s a perfect moment to get the upper hand on anything that closes you off from the world or locks you away from your own intuition.

Charter Chagrin

by Kat Brady

The bedlam most often referred to as the Erie County Government has, for the past few years, been piecing together a fiscally feasible “next move” for Erie County leaders. “The Charter” is essentially the blueprint for a new county government structure, currently under review by the County Legislature. The Charter Revision Committee, struggling for months toward a solution, proposed the appointment of a county manager, a controversial position which would relieve the county executive of many duties, and (because not an elected position) strip many political concerns from the daily functioning of the government. The Legislature rejected the proposal last week to the dismay of many committee members, meaning it will not reach voters in November. AV took to the streets to find out how people in Buffalo feel about the turmoil within the Erie County government and whether voters would have supported the addition of this six-figure position to an already financially burdened government.

by Chuck Shepherd

■ The Texas insanity-defense law requires that a delusional person acting under “orders” from God be judged not guilty by reason of insanity, but that a delusional person acting under “orders” from Satan be considered sane, according to prominent forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz (according to a June USA Today story). Thus, Dietz believed that Andrea Yates (at press time being retried in Houston) knew that drowning her kids upon command of someone “without moral authority” (such as Satan) was wrong and thus that she did not qualify for insanity-law protection. Dietz later concluded the opposite in another Texas child-killing case because God had supposedly assured that mother that her kids would be better off dead.

Don't Give Up the Street

by Bruce Jackson

The Seneca Gaming Corporation wants the city of Buffalo to abandon two blocks of Fulton Street in the Filmore District and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown wants the Common Council to let them have it. He’s haggling over the price, but he’s hot to cut the deal.

Canada Gets Smarter... Sooner

by Jim Corbran

Everybody (well, almost) thinks those of us south of the 49th parallel are so much smarter. Hmph. That may be true when it comes to some things: monarchies, mens’ haircuts, and bilingualism come to mind (ask your local Canadian Buick dealer about the bilingualism!); but maybe not so about others such as candy bars (mmm, Coffee Crisp!), beer (imagine, a government-sponsored national chain of Beer Stores!), and the availability of the Mercedes-Benz line of micro cars known throughout the world as the smart (lower case “s”—how cool is that?).

by Michael A. Colucci

Passion and Purpose

by Cynnie Gaasch

Passion and Purpose collide in the so titled, first solo dance concert of Amy Taravella on Wednesday, July 26 at the Church on Delaware Avenue. The veteran artist gathers her life experience and passion for dance together in an evening of performance, making full use of the Church’s architecture and varied spaces as a world in which to lead the audience through her journey. Taravella brings with her a slew of talent, including film by Toronto filmmaker Michael Stecky, installations of visual art by Catherine Linder Spencer and David Butler and music by David Kane. She also brings in a handful of dancers to accompany her occasionally on stage.

Alaska

by Michael Tritto

Trouble: Stories by Patrick Somerville

by Jill Froebel

Trouble is a wittily demented and off-beat collection of stories about the peculiar joys and perversions of the ordinary lives of an eclectic group of boys and men. As I am a stranger to the dangerous and sometimes off-putting realm of the American male, I cannot with any confidence vouch for the authenticity of the situations found in the book. I can, however, certify that though the stories are wildly entertaining and remarkably funny, the characters in this book are not a group of men I’d be proud to date…or baby-sit, for that matter. Among the motley cast of characters, there is a murdering cheese-food specialist, a violent, savage and not-so-tragically cuckolded teenager, and the one sympathetic character, a pre-pubescent boy who unknowingly prescribes himself a very inappropriate dose of post-menopausal vitamins.

Amy Benjamin Booksigning

by Peter Koch

Amy Benjamin has been writing all her life, but until four years ago she never felt she had enough material for a book. That was when the rollercoaster ride began for the real estate broker and WNY native. She moved back to Buffalo, her marriage fell apart leaving her a single mother of four, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. That turmoil and the lessons that came out of it provided all the material Benjamin needed to write her first book, The Waking Dance: The Struggle to Unleash a Free Spirit.

Propeller Beanie

by David P. Kleinschmidt

OK, we’ll just cut right to the embarrassing story, since that’s why you’re all reading anyway. When I was little, I was a total spaz. (In my defense, I blame my parents for not adequately explaining the difference between “doing your own thing” and “being a total spaz.”) Mom thought it would be a good idea to buy me a propeller beanie on one of her shopping trips to Vidler’s 5 & 10. Don’t look at me, I still don’t know why.

Blessed

by Donny Kutzbach

Call it the quintessential rock and roll powerhouse: A bass, drums and no less than three distinctive guitars. That’s what the Drive-By Truckers are all about, teeming with a charged sound led by those three unique guitars. This acclaimed Athens, GA outfit has craftily sewn southern rock appendages onto a punk torso to create a brutally genuine, agitated, and honest rock and roll Frankenstein. And while that’s a good start, it’s only scratching the surface. The beauty is the beast’s brain.

Golden Smog, Tim O'Reagan

by Donny Kutzbach

OK, there’s a side of me that wishes I was here to write a review of the latest Jayhawks record. The forever just under the radar country-rock outfit from Minneapolis, MN spent nearly two decades honing their craft with polished, perfect songs and unmatched musicianship, yet despite helping kickstart the alt-country movement and finding the highest level of patronage from uber-produced/label head Rick Rubin, they remained solely music fanatic fare and sadly saw their biggest breakthrough courtesy of a Ralph Lauren commercial.

Blue Rocket Trio

You might like us if you like…Catchy, supercharged reverb-drenched guitar licks with lightning fast slap-bass and thunderous drums.