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Cover Story

Obama in Black & White

by Bruce Fisher

My eldest daughter came home to Buffalo, New York, to cast her first vote for a candidate for president this past November. Afterwards, we drove her the 60 miles back to her college in the village of Geneseo, just east of the Genesee River. That village is not such an old place by New York standards.

News

Who is Syaed Ali? And why is Byron Brown so angry at him?

by Geoff Kelly

At seven o’clock on the morning of November 7, Syaed Ali and his family were awakened in their Breckenridge Street home by a team of Buffalo police officers bearing a search warrant. The warrant, signed by Buffalo City Court Judge Craig Hannah one week earlier, accused Ali of aggravated harassment and empowered police to search his home and seize any and all electronic equipment—computers, discs, cell phones, etc.—that might provide evidence of the charge.

Film Feature

Defiance: Interview with Actor Liev Schreiber

by M. Faust

In an early episode of “Cheers,” waitress Diane stages the murder scene from Othello in the bar as a showcase for her protégé Andy to a Boston University drama teacher. Andy turns out to be a jealous lunatic who starts to strangle her for real while enacting the scene.

Theaterweek

Souvenir, Is He Dead?, American Rhapsody

by Anthony Chase

It’s been a long road to the Buffalo opening of Souvenir. Stephen Temperley’s two-character play had been on BUA producer Javier Bustillos radar from the time he saw the off-Broadway production at the York Theatre during the 2004-2005 season.

BOOM!

Round 2, Week 2: N3wt vs. Fashion Expo 1990

The action was fast and furious last week, and when all the votes were tabulated we arrived at a winner. CONGRATULATIONS to the Nepenthe! With that, they win a spot on our next live showdown at Nietzsche’s on Friday, February 13. This week, we veer away from the standard guitar, bass, and drum powered acts and take a trip into electronica with N3WT and Fashion Expo 1990.

Framed

Catherine Koenig: The Woman and the Bowler Hat

by Dean Brownrout

A woman of extraordinary talent, Buffalo-born artist Catherine Koenig (nee Catanzaro) (1921-2004) is remembered best for her realistic still-life paintings incorporating surrealist iconography.

Events

See You There!

Artvoice's weekly round-up of events to watch out for the week, including our editor's pick: The MLK, Jr. Day of Service on Monday, January 19th.

Film Review

The Wrestler

by M. Faust

I was never a big fan of Mickey Rourke during his heyday in the 1980s. That I am in the minority is demonstrated by the near-universal praise being heaped on The Wrestler, a movie which has nothing other than Rourke’s performance going for it.

Listings

On The Boards Theater Listings

Movie Times (Friday Jan. 16 - Thursday Jan. 22)

Film Now Playing

You Auto Know

State of the Auto Industry

by Jim Corbran

I don’t claim to be an expert on the auto industry, although I do play one on these pages. I do, however, claim to be a fan.

Offbeat News

News of the Weird

by Chuck Shepherd

Freud de Melo, 73, operates a quirky tourist park in central Brazil that features stone models of Noah’s Ark and other sculptures, but he also notoriously suffers from taphephobia, the fear of being buried alive, and one of his sculptures is his own elaborate, fear-assuaging crypt.

Gaywatch

HIV & STD Testing

by Bryan Whitley-Grassi

With HIV infection rates on the rise recently, it’s great to know that after hours testing is available in the City of Buffalo. Free rapid HIV testing—tests that only take 10 minutes to provide you with an answer—has been available one evening every week at the Pride Center since it opened in 2003, provided free of charge by AIDS Community Services.

In the Margins

Small Press Poetry: Robin F. Brox and Chris Sylvester

First Annual Just Buffalo Member Poetry Reading and Contest

Letters to Artvoice

Dubya in Prison Stripes

by Ray Peterson

No More Taxes

by David Skinner

Roadways Revisited

by Kevin F. Yost

Horoscopes

Free Will Astrology

by Rob Brezsny

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Dear Rob: Are you holding back some painful truth from us Tauruses? I feel like you’re going too easy on us, and as a result I’m missing some clue I desperately need. Please tell us what it is so we can face it and get on with life. - Semi-Elegant Bull in a China Shop.”

Advice

Ask Anyone

I have been a critic of the mayor, going so far as to send him emails calling him incompetent and making wild accusations about his sexual orientation. A couple of months back, the police arrived at my house at 7am with a search warrant. They confiscated computers, cell phones, bank records and personal effects, before taking me down to the Attorney General’s office for questioning.