Who'll Stop the War?

by Michael I. Niman

The name Vietnam is back in our vocabulary, as we seem to be developing an interest in history—or at least in the history of wars that just would not end. The problem is that when we ignore history, we’re condemned to repeat it.

by Rob Brezsny

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Seven centuries ago, there were Christian religious fanatics in Europe who demanded that all women must cover their ears. Why? Because the Virgin Mary had been inseminated through that part of her body by the Holy Spirit. The fanatics feared that other women might be susceptible to the influx of invisible ear-penetrating entities that weren’t so benevolent. And how does this relate to you? While I’m not worried that you’ll be literally invaded, I do think you should be careful about what words and sounds you let slip into your ears. There’s a good chance you’ll be metaphorically impregnated by potent messages that arrive via that route. Make sure they’re positive messages that will make you thrive.

I’d like to respond to the letter written by the deaccession committee of the Board of Directors of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy (“Letters to AV,” Artvoice, v6n4) that was intended to correct and clarify points made by earlier letter writers. I commend the board members for addressing the public directly regarding the sale, and only wish they had been as forthcoming before the decision to “deaccess” was made.

by Chuck Shepherd

In findings that could surely be matched in the United States, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reported in January that the country’s 100 highest-paid business executives had, by 9:46 a.m. on Jan. 2, earned an amount equal to what the average Canadian would earn in all of 2007. And the New York Times reported in December that Wall Street bonuses for 2006 were so large that one real estate broker complained at New York City’s shortage of $20 million properties and a Greenwich, Conn., Ferrari dealer complained that Ferrari hadn’t manufactured enough 599 GTB Fioranos (price: about $250,000) to fill his customers’ orders.

Auto Show: The Concepts

by Jim Corbran

To some, auto show time means heading to the convention center, kicking a few tires and collecting brochures to take home and pore over before making that new purchase. To others, it’s a glimpse into the future.

A Blueprint for the Aud

by Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell

The Montreal Forum—it was one of the most hallowed and storied sports venues on the planet. The long-time home of the Montreal Canadiens, winners of 24 Stanley Cups, steeped in history and tradition, where the gods of the sport held sway for generations. A building that inspired reverence in even the most casual followers of the game.

A Bite Into Architecture

by Albert Chao

Last year, a unique collaboration between dentistry and architecture began to open links between the two disparate fields. Shahin Vassigh and Omar Khan, both assistant professors of architecture at the University at Buffalo, used digital technology to create a dentist’s teaching tool for Lida Radfar, assistant professor at UB’s dental school. Vassigh, Khan and Radfar, through their collaboration, reveal that dentistry and architecture have some correlations.

Permutated Pasts: An Interview with Daniel Borzutzky

by Forrest Roth

Daniel Borzutzky, author of Arbitrary Tales (Triple Press) and the forthcoming The Ecstasy of Capitulation (BlazeVOX), will be appearing Thursday, February 1, at Medaille College for the COMMUNIQUE Flash Fiction series. The event is in conjunction with Medaille’s The Write Thing series, featuring poet Sara Greenslit that same evening, and will take place at the Huber Hall Library starting 7pm.

Paint

by Albert Sterback

I fondly remember my old neighborhood paint store. Like the barber shop and the tackle shop, it had a casual scruffiness that made a guy feel comfortable.

Squeaky Channels

by Catherine Young

Squeaky Wheel Buffalo Media Resources has begun another production initiative. Channels—Stories From the Niagara Frontier is a new endeavor designed to match local documentary filmmakers with groups that are underrepresented in mainstream media. Dorothea Braemer, executive director of Squeaky Wheel, recently answered a few questions about the program via email.

by Javier

Though not up for an Oscar this time, Anika Noni Rose (pictured above) already has a Best Featured Actress in a Musical Tony Award for her performance in Caroline or Change, which played on Broadway in 2004. Rose stars as Lorrell Robinson in the movie Dreamgirls, the part created on the Broadway stage back in 1981 by Loretta Devine (she plays a minor part in the movie). The Broadway musical received six Tony awards including best choreography for Buffalo’s own Michael Bennett (he was also nominated for direction). Ben Harney (Jamie Foxx in the movie) received a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. Cleavant Derrick (Eddie Murphy in the movie) received a Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. And Jennifer Holiday (Jennifer Hudson in the movie) received a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. She was running against her co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph (Beyoncee Knowles in the movie).

The Astonishing Molly Ringwald

by Anthony Chase

Molly Ringwald is rather astonishing. I found it odd that she would be starring in the national tour of the Broadway musical Sweet Charity that rolls into Shea’s on Tuesday, but in a very cordial telephone conversation, Miss Ringwald makes it sound like the most logical thing in the world.

Allen Street Hardware

With its warm light, cozy nooks, great food and even better bar, Allen Street Hardware would be a great corner bar with or without music. But owner Mark Goldman wasn’t going to open a joint without live music. Not a chance. Goldman is a historian who has published three books about Buffalo’s rise and fall. He teaches at Buffalo State College. What seems a lifetime ago, he led historical tours through Buffalo neighborhoods. And he’s a devoted fan of live music. He’s the man who breathed life into Chippewa Street a decade ago when he opened the Calumet Arts Cafe, a nightclub that featured national acts and sparked the neighborhood’s nightlife renaissance. When Goldman sold the Calumet and moved into an old hardware shop on Allen Street, there was no question that it would be another great, good place, and that live music would be on the docket.

Best of the West

by Buck Quigley

When Dave Alvin & the Guilty Men take the stage at the Sportsmen’s Tavern on Monday, February 5, it will mark the first time that the small club has ever charged a cover for a show. The fact that all of the $25 tickets sold out in a matter of days with no advertising—strictly by word of mouth—speaks to Alvin’s drawing power among the diehard fans who frequent “The Honkiest, Tonkiest Beer Joint in Town.”