In Mobtown Beat, Ericka Blount Danois looks at BGE’s decision to send customers to ACE Cash Express to make utility payments.

The Nose shines the lights on Gia Blatterman and the Little Italy bocce courts.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life listens to a horse-racing buff try to resurrect the fame of 1974 Preakness winner Little Current.

The Mail has letters from David Gonzalez, Eric Beatty, Kristen Anchor, and S.R. Hines.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage Festival; Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on the death penalty; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on persnickety moms and workplace cock-blocking; and Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on the death penalty.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Rupert Wondolowski gets bloodied by Adam Johnson’s short-story collection, Emporium.

In Art, Mike Giuliano takes in Bernhard Hildebrandt’s paintings at C. Grimaldis Gallery and the premiere show at Gallery International, while Bret McCabe is impressed by the work of Erik Nils Frydenborg, on display at Mission Space.

Stage is Heather Joslyn, previewing a production of David Drake’s Son of Drakula at Theatre Project; and Jack Purdy, sweet on Everyman Theatre’s production of Warren Leight’s Side Man.

Luna’s Dean Wareham explains himself in Michaelangelo Matos’ Music.

In Know Your Product, Bret McCabe marks the release of The Boys March at Dawn by calling O’Malley’s March a “tribute band”; tips a hat to Adiofix’s Transit; gives ellen cherry an apple for The Ellen Cherry Primer; likes the music, though not the lyrics, of Liars Academy’s No News is Good News; gets assaulted by Sorrow’s End’s Mykado/Sorrows End; and bows to Sir Rabbit’s Sir Rabbit.

Television is Craig D. Lindsay, celebrating the end of The X-Files and Ally McBeal.

In Film: Joe MacLeod tries mightily to rank Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; Ian Grey calls Event Horizon “a truly chilling, beyond-twisted junk film”; Adele Marley has nothing but praise for A Fish Called Wanda; Luisa F. Riebeiro takes her claws to The Cat’s Meow; and Lee Gardner forgives much to like The Day the Earth Stood Still, but gets itchy about Scratch.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish likes the crabs at Ocean City’s Bahama Mamas.

In Cheap Eats, Christopher Skokna is satisfied with Nino Taco.

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith goes to the annual Intertribal Powwow at Ferry Bar Park and Brennen Jensen examines how arts districts are turning old factories into new studios.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus offers constructive criticism of City Paper.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life wonders what Cretaceous-era artifacts may be buried beneath Mobtown’s streets.

The Mail has letters from Lisa Linville, Sutton Stokes, John Grant, and Shane Tanzymore.

The columns are: Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on canned fruit; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on dating youngsters and chasing men; and Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on apologizing bureaucrats.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Books is Anna Ditkoff, singing the praises of Ayun Halliday’s graphic novel about parenting, Big Rumpus.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out the latest at Gomez Gallery: sculpture by Victoria Montero and photographs by Nathan Congdon and Susan Rubin.

Bones is Douglas William Mowbray’s poem, “Bobbie.”

In Stage, Anna Ditkoff profiles the penniless, theater-less Mobtown Players, and John Barry appreciates the hate in Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of George F. Walker’s Heaven.

Bret McCabe’s Music piece gets inside the heads of Ink.

In Film: Jack Purdy makes nice with Pal Joey; Luisa F. Riberio finds that Mildred Pierce is no Mommy Dearest and extols the intelligence of Enigma; Lee Gardner is impressed with the sexual realism of Y Tu Mama Tambien and thankful for The Last Waltz; Ian Grey actually likes Spider-Man, but finds Unfaithful so “not-there,” he isn’t sure he actually saw it; and Eric Allen Hatch pans Hollywood Ending.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish recommends Petticoat Tea Room for Mother’s Day.

In Cheap Eats, Tim Hill gets something like a corn dog at Saigon Restaurant.

In Mobtown Beat, Brennen Jensen hits the stands to watch Baltimore’s female football team in action.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life visits Baltimore County’s Agriculture Building, an erstwhile almshouse.

The Mail has letters from Dave Sessoms, Stacey Freedman, Cheryl Hemmeter DeLuca, Mitch Mirkin, Amy Weitzel, the Link editorial board, Alan Barysh, Russel Lindquist, Larry Gramling, and Rodger Thompson.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on driving; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on overbearing men and bartender-boyfriends; and Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Catholicism.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out line drawings by Calla Thompson, James Von Minor, and Michael Weiss at Maryland Art Place, and Bret McCabe finds fault with the works of Gill Furoy hanging at G-Spot.

Music is Geoffrey Himes, admiring Whiskeytown’s former singer/fiddler, Caitlin Cary.

In Feedback, Geoffrey Himes enjoys listening to Gary Thomas and the Peabody Jazz Faculty at Paloma’s and Hank Baker can still hear after seeing Motorhead, Morbid Angel, Speedealer, and Today is the Day at the Recher Theater.

Bones is Roberto Swank’s poem, marriage/lunch in Miami.

In Film: Maurice Martin plays up Dan Poole’s Spider-Man over Tobey Maguire’s; Eric Allen Hatch explains the documentary Fluid Movement; and the Maryland Film Festival is amended.

In Mobtown Beat, Brennen Jensen reports on the Patterson Park Pagoda’s renovations.

The Nose gets the skinny on a new Giant supermarket in Waverly and Mayor Martin O’Malley’s gubernatorial aspirations.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus examines media censorship and “reporter-steering.”

In Charmed Life, Tom Chalkley profiles Ed Russell, WBAL’s in-house historian.

The Mail has letters from John Williams, Autumn Hickman, Ella McCrystle, Lloyd J. Spivak, Stephen Schwartz, and Jim Cumbie.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on The Rocky Horror Picture Show; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on readers’ comments; and Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on marriage promotion.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out Clarissa Sligh’s sex-change photo-series, on display at UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery.

Stage is: M. Jane Taylor, catching Gregory Hall’s The Early Monday Morning Show and Charm City Dreams at Spotlighters Theatre; Jack Purdy, finding that Center Stage’s production of Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit is off-pace; John Barry, enjoying the mind game that is AXIS Theatre’s production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Fuddy Meers; Mike Giuliano, disappointed by Vagabond Theatre’s production of Neil Simon’s London Suite; and Brennen Jensen, saying Theatre Hopkins does a fine job with its production of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion.

Cee-Lo and N.E.R.D. get Tony Green’s salute for pushing boundaries in Music, while Bret McCabe wordsmiths an appreciation of Elvis Costello.

Benn Ray’s Television gets hooked on Trading Spaces.

In Film: Joe MacLeod raises eyebrows over Busting and wants to be at the drive-in to see The Scorpion King; Adele Marley likes the hair in Amadeus: The Director’s Cut; Lee Gardner roots for The Endurance; Eric Allen Hatch would skip Festival in Cannes and Life or Something Like It, but has plenty of time for Freestyle; Heather Joslyn admires Sister Helen; and Andy Markowitz has a soft spot for Hillbilly Robot.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish has meat dreams over Andy Nelson’s Southern Pit Barbecue.

In Cheap Eats, Michelle Gienow eats a whole lot of breakfast for $4.98 at Theresa’s Deli.

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith sizes up the Citizens Planning and Housing Association.

The Nose sniffs out homophobia in Baltimore’s public schools.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life plumbs a local rock’s origins.

The Mail has letters from Scott Gramling, Brian Tsai, Michael Marr, Robert Zura, and Stephen Heath.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on women as “chicks”; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on how to spend slavery reparations; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on celebrating the Terps’ championship basketball win.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Joab Jackson’s Books essay launches from three books – Rodney Allen Brooks’ Flesh and Machines, David Cook’s Robot Robot Building for Beginners, and Build Your Own Combat Rocket, by Pete Miles and Tom Carroll–to explore the future of robotics.

In Imprints: Rupert Wondolowski wishes for what’s missing in A Century of Noir, edited by Max Allan Collins and Mickey Spillane; Frank Diller says Jennifer Toth provides solid reportage in answering the question, What Happened to Johnnie Jordan?; Heather Joslyn is riveted by Barry Werth’s The Scarlet Professor; and Susan Muaddi Darraj appreciates Anchee Min’s re-creation of Cultural Revolution paranoia in Wild Ginger.

Art is Mike Giuliano, glad to see Cuban photographer Raul Corrales’ work hanging at C. Grimaldis Gallery.

Anna Ditkoff’s Stage finds David Ives a bit too cute.

In Music, Michaelangelos Matos limns the lo-fi scene.

Bret McCabe’s No Cover explores the hip-hop prospects of Baltimore’s own B Rich.

In Film: Ian Grey bugs out over Phase IV but his taste-buds recoil at The Sweetest Thing; Adele Marley rubbernecks at Changing Lanes and yawns at The Son’s Room; and Eric Allen Hatch says Murder By Numbers doesn’t add up.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish enjoys Korean food at Purim Oak.

In Cheap Eats, Tom Scocca soaks up some rib-sticking brown stew chicken at Caribbean Kitchen.

In Mobtown Beat, Afefe Tyehimba gauges controversy surrounding the newly passed bill to restore ex-felons’ voting rights and Van Smith reports that the state legislature enacted a law to shield the Maryland Port Administration from public scrutiny.

The Nose flames state Del. Dana Lee Debrow’s “screw-em” comment, Mayor Martin O’Malley’s two-faced dealings with the ACLU, and Baltimore Development Corporation’s zeal to demolish.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus decries the FCC’s corporate Darwinism and a premature obituary in The Baltimore Sun.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life visits with Christopher George, a Jack-the-Ripperologist.

The Mail has letters from George Eichler, Leor Galil, Mark McIntire, Nic deGroot, Max Obuszewski, Don Miller, Joe Roman, Jacquiline Johnson, and Conal Rose.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on the White House Easter Egg Roll; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on lead v. aluminum; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on dog politics and boyfriend diplomacy; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Morgan State University’s funding flap; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Orioles’ opening day.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, John Barry talks with George P. Pelecanos about his latest novel, Hell to Pay.

Art is Mike Giuliano, reviewing Trace Miller’s new paintings on display at Villa Julie College.

Bones is Reginald Harris’ poem, Gospel.

In Stage, Anna Ditkoff is impressed by The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank, as is John Barry by The Performance Workshop Theatre Company’s production of Gille Segal’s The Puppetmaster of Lodz.

Music is Geoffrey Himes, saluting the durable Bob Mould.

Craig D. Lindsay’s Television hates on Last Call With Carson Daley and Late Night With Zach.

In Film: Eric Allen Hatch covers The Johns Hopkins Film Festival by lauding the political relevance of some of its feature-film selections — Gaza Strip, Frontiers of Dreams and Fears, The Broken Wings, and Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine — while indicting High Crimes as “reactionary”; Lee Gardner finds No Man’s Land “flat”; Adele Marley isn’t buying Human Nature, Big Trouble, The Other Side of Heaven, or Crush, but loves Frailty; Luisa F. Ribeiro says don’t forget Midnight; and Jack Purdy finds the time spent watching Tom & Viv well worth it.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish delights in upscale soul food at Britton’s Bar and Grill.

In Cheap Eats, Christopher Skokna likes the slices at Casa Mia’s.

In Mobtown Beat: Afefe Tyehimba profiles Fusion Partnership, Inc.’s race-relations efforts; Brennen Jensen gauges the potential for Camden Station; and Van Smith reports on Arundel Engineering’s legal dispute with Maryland government.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life uncovers the history of 812 Park Ave., City Paper’s office.

The Mail has letters from Adolf Kowalski, Myron Von Hollingsworth, Janine Holc, Alan Barysh, and Medina Krause.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on marriage; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on clean freaks and pestering exes; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on poor policing; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the Terps’ championship basketball team.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Imprints, Rupert Wondolowski heaps praise on Ian McEwan’s novel, Atonement; Susan Muaddi Darraj says Richard Skinner’s The Red Dancer is a novel trying to be a biography; and Frank Diller delights in the enjoyable confusion of Ben Marcus’ novel, Notable American Women.

Christopher Skokna’s Books piece decodes the alt-comics world of Brian Ralph.

In Art, Ned Oldham appreciates Christine Neill’s plant-portraiture at Gomez Gallery.

Ian Nagoski’s No Cover explores the sonic chaos of Nautical Almanac.

In Film: Tom Scocca’s love of Red Sorghum is unabashed; Andy Markowitz lauds the A&E/BBC mini-series, Tom Jones; Eric Allen Hatch summarizes the film-history importance of The Blue Angel; Ian Grey is aghast at Clockstoppers and suffers through Last Orders; and Adele Marley gags through National Lampoon’s Van Wilder.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish savages Armadillo’s Tex Mex Café.

In Cheap Eats, Michelle Gienow tries out Polock Johnny’s two remaining locations: at Lexington Market and on Washington Boulevard.

In Mobtown Beat, Afefe Tyehimba looks at the “proliferation of rabbit-buying” during Easter season.

The Nose reports that Mayor Martin O’Malley reversed course on a drinking-water standards bill and echoes a rumor that Baltimore police commissioner Ed Norris was interviewed to be top cop in Philadelphia.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus profiles Nestor Aparicio’s sports-radio station, WNST.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life goes to Bill Huppert’s ornamental sculpture garden in Beverly Hills.

The Mail has letters from Stephen R. Rourke, Rajani Bhatia and Jacqueline Robarge.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on throwing a slumber party; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on wanting a Mini Cooper; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on dealing with distant lovers and mommy-exes; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on sacrificing civil liberties; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Terps basketball in the Final Four.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out Paul Wallach’s sculpture at C. Grimaldis Gallery and Howie Lee Weiss’ charcoal drawings at Goucher College’s Rosenberg Gallery.

Bret McCabe de-lionizes Neal Pollack in The Arts.

In Film: Ian Grey waxes revisionist about E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and drools over Blade II; Eric Allen Hatch likes having his buttons pushed by Panic Room; Joe MacLeod obeys The Ten Commandments; Lee Gardner survives Andrei Rublev; Andy Markowitz tries to be nice about Death to Smoochy; Luisa F. Ribeiro gives Dial M for Murder its due; and Adele Marley gives a cold shoulder to Kissing Jessica Stein.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish says Suzie’s Soba 1 is a favorite.

In Cheap Eats, Michelle Gienow gets soulful about Tashes Ankh.

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith reports on the environmental lobby’s tough session in Annapolis.

The Mail has letters from Sue Glickstein, Daylin Louderback, Douglas Womack, Bradley Paul, and Megan Hamilton.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life undergoes hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on insomnia; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on boozy mistakes and perseverance; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Nightline; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on basketball coach Bob Knight.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Tom Siebert’s Books piece calls Frank Miller’s graphic novel, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, a “kick-ass comic book.”

In Art, Bret McCabe goes to a women-photographers exhibit at the Creative Alliance, and wishes it was better.

Stage is: Anna Ditkoff pillories Everyman Theatre’s production of Morris Panych’s Vigil; Jack Purdy is refreshed by Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of Louis Nowra’s Cosi; and John Barry says Rep Stage’s production of William Luce’s The Belle of Amherst meets the challenge.

Michaelangelo Matos’ Music piece praises Playgroup’s self-titled debut album.

In Film: City Paper presents its first annual Alties; Eric Allen Hatch pats Monsoon Wedding and pans Showtime; Ian Grey is war-torn by Too Late the Hero; Adele Marley loves watching Eastwood wither in The Beguiled, but suggests Resident Evil is better played than watched; and Lee Gardner says The Lady from Shanghai shows Orson Welles wasn’t perfect.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish goes to Aqua Terra in Annapolis.

In Cheap Eats, Brennen Jensen chows down at St. Mary’s Restaurant and Carry-Out.

In Mobtown Beat, Brennen Jensen reports on a program that pays people to use contraceptives and Michael Yockel remembers Baltimore photographer Joseph Kohl.

The Nose catches a bit of Orioles’ spring training and reads between the lines of Frank Conaway’s Innocence Project.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus ponders The Sun’s editorial-page changes.

The Mail has letters from Raguel Broy, Henry Cohen, Alix Tobey Southwick, Daniel Cryer, Nigel Assam, Stone Scruggs, Jon Swift, Tom Hwang, Sue Johnson, A. Robert Kaufman, and Olivia Gushin.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life takes a peek at the reincarnation of the erstwhile McHenry Theatre.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on a colleague’s suicide; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on back pain; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on jealous third wheels and leaving home; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on racial profiling; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on March Madness.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.
In Books, Tom Chalkley gives a nod to Robert Hieronimus’ Inside the Yellow Submarine.

Imprints are: Heather Joslyn forgives the monotony of Michael Moore’s Stupid White Men … and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!; Joab Jackson appreciates John Crewdson’s Science Fictions; Michael Anft takes a thrill ride with Andrei Codrescu’s Casanova in Bohemia; and Mahinder Kingra revisits the 1970s with Jonathan Coe’s The Rotters’ Club.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out Maryland Art Place’s Critics’ Picks exhibit.

Stage is Jack Purdy, wishing AXIS Theatre’s production of Diana Son’s Stop Kiss hadn’t given away the punch line; and Mike Giuliano, content with Vagabond Players’ production of Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold” … and the Boys.

Daniel Piotrowski’s Music hopes that Matthew Shipp’s Nu Bop, Organic Grooves’ Black Cherry, and Phil Ranelin: Remixes foreshadow the future of jazz/electronica hybrids.

No Cover is Bret McCabe, wishing Donegal X-Press a happy St. Patrick’s Day.

In Film: Joe MacLeod lauds Ice Age’s educational value and likes The Time Machine’s tricks; Luisa F. Ribeiro says Yentl is grand; Jack Purdy suggests drinking with The Quiet Man; Ian Grey gets blood-soaked by All About the Benjamins; Adele Marley gets real with Harrison’s Flowers; and Eric Allen Hatch gets Persona.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish gushes over Ashland Café.

In Cheap Eats, Christopher Skokna is sold on Eastern Buffet.

In Mobtown Beat, Afefe Tyehimba reports on a tax-rights campaign aimed at low-income workers.

The Nose goes to Annapolis for a bill hearing about ending tax credits for rehabbing historic buildings.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life visits Muriel Heineman’s house in Bolton Hill.

The Mail has letters from Charles B. Nieberding, Jason Horwitz, Kimberly Jackson, Shane Tanzymore, Larnell Custis Butler, Karen Griner Smith, and Jon Parker.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on mean girls; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on lovers’ pasts and grief-stricken guilt; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on the Vietnam War; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Cole Field House’s funeral.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Imprints: Michael Anft lauds Ann Beattie’s novel, The Doctor’s House, as “a page-turner with brains”; Frank Diller is left cold by Jean Thompson’s novel, Wild Blue Yonder; and Ian Nagoski has a bad trip reading Nick Tosches’s The Last Opium Den.

In Art, Mike Giuliano goes to three exhibits at Towson University.

Bones is Caroline Define’s poem, Women.

Rjyan Kidwell takes up the Playstation 2 controls to give State of Emergency a test drive in The Arts.

John Barry’s Stage is happily confused by Center Stage’s production of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale.

In Feedback, Bret McCabe enjoyed saxophonist Don Braden’s gig at Caton Castle.

Geoffrey Himes’ Music defends Diana Krall and Jane Monheit from jazz-purists’ attacks.

In Film: Joe MacLeod puts Silent Running in its place; Tom Scocca takes The Great White Hype’s punches; Adele Marley counsels abstention from 40 Days and 40 Nights but takes a shine to Italian for Beginners; and Eric Allen Hatch plays toesies with Diary of a Chambermaid.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish beefs up at Chester’s Steakhouse.

In Cheap Eats, Tom Scocca is amazed by the delicious deals at Shepherd’s Pies of Scotland.

City Paper

The Mail has letters from Nigel Assam, Kevin Kamps, Bradley Paul, and C. Scales.

Afefe Tyehimba’s Mobtown Beat reports how addiction-treatment advocates are pressing for public funding in Maryland’s tight budget.

The Nose sees Baltimore police helicopters flying for an advertising shoot, legislators looking to protect predatory lenders, and the American Urological Association, along with its William P. Didusch Museum, leaving Baltimore for Anne Arundel County.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus covers WBAL radio’s Mic Time With Mayor O’Malley and possible labor-union fall-out over The Sun’s partnership with WMAR-TV.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life recounts the heroic death in WWI of erstwhile Baltimore News real-estate editor George Buchanan Redwood.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on her Starbucks addiction; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on failing to bet on the Olympics; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on cross-cultural marriage and smothering boyfriends; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on air-travel classism; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the winter Olympics.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano looks at the photographs of Nathan Lyons and Edward West at University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s Albin O. Kuhn Gallery, and checks out the paintings of Sergio Roggerone and Lauren Unger at Gomez Gallery.

Anna Ditkoff’s Stage piece says the Paragon Theatre Company’s production of Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers is itself lost.

The cancellation by WEAA of Underground Experience, a house-mix radio show by Oji Morris and Brian Pope, is bemoaned in Bret McCabe’s No Cover.

In Film: Ian Grey praises the everyone-loses Vietnam War film, We Were Soldiers, and sees poetry in The Devil’s Backbone; Lee Gardner gets the big picture in Life and Debt, enjoys a whole lot of singing and dancing in That’s Entertainment, and bets on Bob le Flambeur; Andy Markowitz feels for The Dead Zone; Joe MacLeod tries not to sleep through Dragonfly; and Adele Marley wishes John Q had been better.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish takes G&M Restaurant’s crabcakes down a few pegs, while Tom Scocca’s Cheap Eats breaths in the “wholesome stink” at Combalou Fromagerie and Café.

In Mobtown Beat: Van Smith explains how the debate over transporting nuclear waste is focused on the 2001 Howard Street tunnel fire and a 1998 missile-strike test at Aberdeen Proving Ground; Brennen Jensen details efforts to re-open Baltimore’s hostel; and Molly Rath reports on the closure of Penn Super Market for health-code violations.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life revisits the Baltimore plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln.

The Mail has letters from Sharon Wright, Steven Scott, Anne Outwater, David Stepalovitch, and John Simmons.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on The Hand, a book by Frank Wilson; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on workaholics and divorce; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on personal finances; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on men’s basketball at Duke University and University of Maryland.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Frank Diller falls for Richard Ford’s short-story collection, A Multitude of Sins.

Art is Mike Giuliano, basking in J.W.M. Turner’s paintings and watercolors at the Baltimore Museum of Art and checking out a retrospective exhibit of art from Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities at School 33 Art Center; and John Barry, on a Madison Smartt Bell-organized exhibit of Haitian art at Paper Rock Scissors.

Bones is Barbara Cutko’s poem, Poinsettias in March.

In Stage, Brennen Jensen has a crush on Theatre Hopkins’ production of Laura, by Vera Caspary and George Sklar.

Michaelangelo Matos’ Music essay beats up on Willie Nelson’s The Great Divide and Q-Tip’s Kamaal the Abstract.

Bret McCabe’s No Cover profiles Roots Café.

In Film: Lee Gardner reveres Kandahar; Ian Grey explores The Lost Continent, savages Crossroads, and bows before Queen of the Damned; Adele Marley can’t forget Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and Joe MacLeod takes a hearty poop on Super Troopers.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish digs Babalu Grill.

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith highlights Maryland General Assembly bills that aim to keep public information secret and Molly Rath reports that a juvenile ex-offender lost his job after City Paper wrote about his criminal history.

The Nose bemoans the toothlessness of the city’s Civilian Review Board for public oversight of police misconduct.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus debates the WMAR-TV/Sun partnership and announces that the venerable Joan Jacobson is leaving the Sun.

Charmed Life is Tom Chalkley, recounting the Ridgley family, erstwhile owners of Hampton National Historic Site in Towson.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on a bad winter in Gainesville; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, going DVD-style; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on open relationships and birth control; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on deciding against divorce; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on freestyle mogul skier Jonny Moseley.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Lily Thayer’s Books piece contrasts two books about love: Susan Minot’s novel, Rapture, and Rosemary Sullivan’s pop-cultural crit-lit tome, Labyrinth of Desire.

In Art, Lee Gardner is confronted by a traveling exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Looking Forward/Looking Black; and Mike Giuliano checks out the Baltimore Juried All Arts Festival Exhibition at the Creative Alliance.

Bret McCabe’s Feedback rocks out with The Breeders and The Oranges Band at Ottobar.

In Music, Bret McCabe digs the paranoid wit and wisdom of Rufus Wainwright.

Bred McCabe’s No Cover gets schooled by HipHop: Elements of Universal Culture 3.

In Film: Ian Grey dances with Monster’s Ball, is shocked and amazed by Mad Love, and pans Hart’s War; Jack Purdy rides The African Queen; Andy Markowitz gives Modern Romance a wink and a nod; Tom Scocca outs himself as a Cusackophile over The Sure Thing; Luisa F. Ribeiro weeps over Waterloo Bridge and Iris; Lee Gardner is an Adanggaman fan; Adele Marley says Big Fat Liar meets low expectations; Eric Allen Hatch thinks Collateral Damage needs more guns and explosions; Joe MacLeod gets high on Rollerball; and Heather Joslyn revels in The Third Man .

Michelle Gienow’s Dish goes to Kirchmayr Chocolatier, Women’s Industrial Exchange, The Joy America Café, and Common Ground for Valentine’s Day sweets.

In Mobtown Beat, Brennen Jensen reports that a live-theater company has leased the shuttered Playhouse movie theater.

The Nose sniffs out Johns Hopkins University’s largesse from state coffers and former gubernatorial candidate Eileen Rehrmann’s new job helping the city collect more money from its water-metering system.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life gets a tour of the American Brewery building.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on cartoonist Phoebe Gloeckner; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on sad solitude and birth control; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on adoption by gay couples; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Super Bowl 36.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Imprints: Michael Anft drifts with Cees Nooteboom’s novel, All Souls Day; Heather Joslyn stoically bears Madelon Sprengnether’s memoir, Crying at the Movies; and Ned Oldham gets Alan Licht’s memoir, An Emotional Memoir of Martha Quinn.

Lee Gardner’s Art checks out Situated Realities, a digital art show at Maryland Institute College of Art’s Decker and Meyerhoff galleries.

Bones is Megan Snyder-Camp’s poem, “Mardi Gras”.

In Stage, Jack Purdy praises Rep Stage’s production of Elizabeth Egloff’s The Swan.

In Music, Rjyan Kidwell goes to auditions for a new Limp Bizkit guitarist.

Geoffrey Himes’ Know Your Product talks with June Star about their new album, Telegraph.

In Film: Eric Allen Hatch enjoys the discomfort of Storytelling; Luisa F. Ribeiro says Burt Lancaster is at his best in The Train; Jack Purdy puts Who’ll Stop the Rain among the best of second-tier films of the ‘70s; and Lee Gardner casts ABC Africa as a heart-wrenching, well-shot vacation video, while being charmed by Gold Diggers of 1933.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish goes back to Thai Restaurant to find its reinvention isn’t as good as the original.

In Mobtown Beat, Afefe Tyehimba looks at efforts to restore ex-felons’ voting rights in Maryland.

The Nose smokes Comptroller William Donald Schaefer’s contraband-tobacco efforts.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus examines media jingoism.

In Charmed Life, Charles Cohen checks out the Baltimore Exposure Art Show.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on going to see the doctor; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on Super Bowl XXXVI; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on mean moms and abusive exes; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on standardized school testing; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on how bad teams make the Super Bowl.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Brennen Jensen celebrates the release of James Taylor’s Shocked and Amazed Vol. 6.

Art is Mike Giuliano, on the paintings of Bill Fisher and Jesus Matheus at Gomez Gallery.

In Stage, Mike Giuliano has some bones to pick with Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of Lynn Notage’s Crumbs from the Table of Joy.

Film is: Lee Gardner, praising Lantana; Andy Markowitz, calling Semi-Tough “the funniest football movie ever”; Ian Grey, finding relief in Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and being unnerved by The Mothman Prophecies; Eric Allen Hatch, giving The Bad Seed its due; and Adele Marley, saying Nicole Kidman saves Birthday Girl and finding that nothing can save A Walk to Remember.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish finds Soigne “outstanding.”

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith reports that a South Baltimore air-pollution study finds industrial sources play minimal role.

The Nose gauges polling about a possible gubernatorial primary match between Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life profiles Civil War re-enactor and author Brian Wolle.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on Social Security privatization; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on second-round rejection and the Yoko Ono syndrome; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on a World Trade Center memorial brouhaha; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the Ravens losing to the Steelers.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Imprints are: Joab Jackson, sad about the failings of Edward O. Wilson’s The Future of Life; Susan Mauddi Darraj, enchanted by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s latest novel, The Vine of Desire; and Michael Anft, calling Robert Olen Butler’s new novel, Fair Warning, “cold and bloodless.”

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out the latest shows at Maryland Art Place and Goucher College.

Stage is: Jack Purdy, giving props to Center Stage’s production of Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women; and Mike Giuliano, calling Theatre Project’s production of Claudia Stevens’ In the Puppeteer’s Wake “powerful,” but finding Spotlighters Theatre’s production of Christopher Sergel’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird “stilted.”

Bret McCabe’s No Cover explores how native Baltimorean Greg Puciato became Dillinger Escape Plan’s singer.

In Film: Lee Gardner respects Trembling Before G-d and likes Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story; Adele Marley wallows in the pessimism of They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? and eats up The Count of Monte Cristo; Luisa F. Ribeiro welcomes Charlotte Gray; and Eric Allen Hatch appreciates Mildred Pierce’s honesty.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish goes to Charleston, U-Jung Kwan, Nam Kang, Thai One On/San Sushi Too, Rallo’s, Mount Washington Tavern, Suburban House, Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn, Ze Mean Bean Café and Wine Bar, and Donna’s of Mount Vernon.

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith digs into Urbanpipe’s city-granted franchise to connect Baltimore’s central business district with fiber-optic cable.

The Nose sniffs out some stinky cash in Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s campaign coffers.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus examines the non-story of state Sen. Clarence Mitchell IV’s non-defection to the GOP and the trend among TV-news reporters to shoot crime stories outside of police headquarters instead of at crime scenes.

In Charmed Life, Brennen Jensen goes to Bode Food Store, an African grocery in Waverly.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on her cat; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on getting shit-jacked; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on mixed love signals and choosing between lovers; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on beat-downs; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the lack of black NFL coaches.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano goes to a group show at Gallery Four and Ned Oldham likes Julie Benoit’s prints and Barbara Johnson’s paintings at Mission Space.

Stage is: Brennen Jensen, finding that Paul Rudnick’s Jeffrey, playing on AXIS Theatre’s stage, isn’t as great as it used to be; Jack Purdy, beside himself with joy over Vagabond Theatre’s production of Terrence McNally’s Master Class; and Anna Ditkoff, taken by Everyman Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s Fences.

John Duffy’s Music piece catches up with The Jayhawks.

In Film: Lee Gardner says Black Hawk Down is just another action movie but finds Brotherhood of the Wolf to be true entertainment; Luisa F. Ribeiro wants everyone to see Morocco; Jack Purdy promises Bound for Glory is a worthy trip down a dusty road; Adele Marley half-heartedly recommends a visit to Orange County, if you have nothing better to do; and Eric Allen Hatch claims the 1946 version of The Postman Always Rings Twice has its advantages.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish says the food finishes last at Coliseum Sports Bar.

In Mobtown Beat, Van Smith compares the fundraising efforts of Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Martin O’Malley.

The Nose tries to sort out the darkening fate of Baltimore Brewing Co.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life watches Leonard Kerpelman make In and Around Baltimore, his show on the city’s public-access cable station.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on the regrettably inevitable move to the suburbs; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on confronting future in-laws and reconnecting with exes; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Cornel West; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the Orioles’ attempts to rebuild.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Richard Meltzer finds We Got the Neutron Bomb, by Marc Spitz and Brendan Mullen, a less-than-definitive treatment of L.A. punk; and John Barry explores how the Baltimore arts journal Link has survived.

Bones is Hannah K. Senesh’s poem, Suicide.

James D. Dilts’ No Cover toasts Jay Leonhart ’s success.

In Film: Eric Allen Hatch finds Gosford Park imperfect, Audition gripping, and Impostor so-so; Tom Scocca says Gene Hackman saves Under Suspicion; and Joe MacLeod says low expectations may help viewers enjoy Jimmy Hollywood.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish goes to Caribbean Paradise Restaurant and Lounge, and, despite so-so food, vows to return.

Mobtown Beat is Molly Rath, exploring whether peace is breaking out between lenders and protesters.

In Media Circus, Michael Anft slings arrows (and a morsel of praise) at The Sun.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life begs Peter Angelos to save Memorial Stadium’s plaque.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on baby-sitting; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on resolving to become perfect; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on lonely shyness and break-up regrets; and Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on anti-white bigotry.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Imprints, Loren Glass says David Harvey’s collection of essays about geography, Spaces of Capital, shows him to be “one of the most important academic intellectuals of our time”; and Frank Diller finds Jeff Ferrell’s Tearing Down the Streets, an urban anarchists’ apologia, to be utterly scatter-brained.

Mike Giuliano’s Arts piece soaks up the fragmented visions of School 33 Art Center’s Annual Juried Exhibition.

Bones is Sasha West’s poem, Eastern Europe.

In Stage, Lee Gardner profiles angry stand-up Lewis Black.

Bret McCabe’s Music essay plumbs the secret of the Wu-Tang Clan’s lasting significance.

In Film: Andy Markowitz exalts Bananas as a latterday Duck Soup; Ian Grey has faith in God Told Me To but contempt for The Majestic; and Eric Allen Hatch deifies The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Michelle Gienow’s Dish finds Towne Hall better than expected, but still lacking.

Mobtown Beat is Brennen Jensen, reporting on a Charles Village teacher-housing project.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life goes to Maryland’s Bagpipe Music Museum.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on adoption; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on virtual love and disliked fiances; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on a Morgan State University marketing snafu; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Fenway Park.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out the work of France Franck, Soledad Salame, and Joan Erbe at Gomez Gallery.

Michaelangelo Matos’ Music piece extols indie-rock mix tapes.

In Film: Lee Gardner thinks Ali and The Royal Tenenbaums are the greatest, despite story problems; Luisa F. Ribeiro can’t decide whether In the Bedroom and The Shipping News are masterpieces, has a yen for Two Friends, and finds The Affair of the Necklace and Kate and Leopold vacuous; Ian Grey says A Beautiful Mind shows Ron Howard has finally gotten it right; Jack Purdy warns that Long Day’s Journey Into Night “may put you off whiskey forever”; and Adele Marley slams How High.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up bids adieu with a trip to The Peppermill.

City Paper’s

In Mobtown Beat, Molly Rath reviews Martin O’Malley’s extraordinary first year as mayor of Baltimore.

The Nose discovers signs of life in Baltimore’s moribund community-schools movement.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus examines why the Sun brought home six foreign correspondents covering the war in Afghanistan and reports that soon-to-be WYPR plans to cut the Media Matters radio show, hosted by Sheri Parks and David Zurawik.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life drinks D’Water, the local bottled-water brand created by Dwight Williams and Travis Winkey.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on skeet shooting; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on the Top 10; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on secret kisses and friendly exes; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on alleged racism at Cracker Barrel; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the year’s big successes in local sports.

Scocca and MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Feedback is Bret McCabe, getting the rock-star schtick at a Weezer/Tenacious D/Jimmy Eat World show and donning earplugs for the Oxes, Rye Coalition, and Midiron Blast Shaft at Ottobar.

In Know Your Product, Anna Ditkoff gets punished by the Thumbs’ Last Match and wraps herself in the warm blanket of the Uniform’s Black and Vain, while Bret McCabe likes Rumba Club’s hot and spicy Radio Mundo and Labtekwon’s silky-smooth Song of the Sovereign.

Bret McCabe’s No Cover respects the missing tip of Ironboss guitarist/vocalist Chris Rhoten’s left ring finger.

In Film: Lee Gardner doubts the greatness of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring but finds South undramatically great; Ian Grey gets slimed by Vanilla Sky; Adele Marley takes a ride with Drugstore Cowboy and takes a shine to The Business of Strangers; Joe MacLeod finds Godzilla vs. Monster Zero educational; and Loren Glass says Not Another Teen Movie achieves its objective: to be “the teen mother of all movies.”

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up is a fan of Birches Restaurant. (Editor’s Note: This review is exactly a decade old, so take it with a shaker of salt.)

City Paper

In Mobtown Beat, Afefe Tyehimba reports that the Baltimore Coalition for Community Schools has made sluggish progress.

The Nose goes to the American Urological Association’s 100th anniversary celebration at the William P. Didusch Museum in Mount Vernon.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life visits with beloved local Santa Luke Durant.

The columns are: Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on sad cheerleaders and mega-breeders; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Maryland’s juvenile-justice system; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on college football’s Bowl Championship Series.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Books is Mahinder Kingra, in praise of two Eric Ambler spy novels, Background to Danger and A Coffin for Dimitrios.

In Art, Mike Giuliano enjoys the landscapes of Rodney Carroll, Dan Dudrow, Lee E. Haner, and Christopher Myers at Maryland Art Place; and Matt O’Brien finds suspense in the works of C.W. Roelle and William Schaff at Mission Space Gallery.

Bones is Mary Montresor’s poem, Heirlooms.

In Music, Bret McCabe profiles Baltimore-based composer Larry Hoffman.

Film is Ian Grey, calling On Dangerous Ground one of noir’s best; and Lee Gardner, finding Focus a bit hard to believe.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up finds Chameleon Café classy.

In Mobtown Beat, Molly Rath reports on Communities and Labor United for Baltimore, a new group seeking City Hall reforms; and Afefe Tyehimba explains why Baltimore EnvironMentors Project shut down.

The Nose detects unease in the city’s first arts and entertainment district.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus reports on the latest Baltimore radio developments, Laura Lippman’s departure from the Sun, and the Sun’s fiscal problems.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life opens up Baltimore’s manhole covers.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on David Sedaris; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on not sweating the war on terror; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on ugly ducklings and friendly rivals; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on losing civil liberties; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the post-championship Ravens.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Michael Anft notes the near-simultaneous release of two essay collections: Joan Didion’s Political Fictions and Susan Sontag’s Where the Stress Falls.

Anna Ditkoff, in Stage, says the Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre’s productions of Bryan Zocher’s Ebenezer! and Jeff Good’s The Eight: Reindeer Monologues provide solid holiday entertainment.

Geoffrey Himes’ Music essay wallows nostalgically in the Grateful Dead’s best year: 1972.

In Film: Eric Allen Hatch talks with Richard Linklater and finds Tape a let-down; John Barry visits with Baltimore’s Black Cinema Café organizers; Lee Gardner plays it coy with Fat Girl; Luisa F. Ribeiro falls under the spell of Bell Book and Candle; Jack Purdy praises Reuben, Reuben; and Ian Grey says Ocean’s Eleven is like “an agreeably light pastry.”

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up fills up at Ghion Ethiopian International Café.

Brennen Jensen’s Mobtown Beat reports on the city’s efforts to secure vacant houses.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life hikes with Jastrow Levin on the Gwynns Falls Park trail named after him.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on global oppression of women; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on gay-friendly families and sibling loans; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Howard P. Rawlings; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Michael Jordan.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Tom Chalkley admires John Mallow’s graphic novel, Amnesia.

Art is Mike Giuliano, checking out Fred Wilson’s exhibit at UMBC’s Fine Arts Gallery.

In Stage, Jack Purdy is impressed with Center Stage’s production of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun.

Vincent Williams’ Music essay notes the decline of male R&B singers.

In Film: Andy Markowitz respects One-Eyed Jacks; Tom Scocca likes the Lynchian creepiness of The Nanny; Adele Marley gets few laughs from Black Knight; Loren Glass wishes Out Cold would grow up; Eric Allen Hatch tolerates Sidewalks of New York but not Spy Game; and Ian Grey finds Behind Enemy Lines a guilty pleasure.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up enjoys India Rasoi. (Editor’s Note: This review is exactly a decade old, so take it with a shaker of salt.)

In Mobtown Beat, Brennen Jensen surveys seven neighborhoods’ applications to become Baltimore’s first Arts and Entertainment District.

The Nose is impressed by U.S. Rep. Robert Ehrlich’s rhetorical skills.

In Media Circus, Michael Anft examines media conglomeration.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life fact-checks Baltimore’s Underground Railroad lore.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on her honeymoon; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on safe driving; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on old friends and crushes; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Harry Potter; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Hasim Rahman.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Art, Mike Giuliano accompanies David Byrne on a walk-through of the MICA drop-out’s MICA exhibit, Indices.

Stage is Mike Giuliano, finding Everyman Theatre’s production of Kenneth Lonergan’s The Waverly Gallery worth remembering; and Anna Ditkoff, taking issue with AXIS Theatre’s production of Daniel Sullivan’s Inspecting Carol.

In Feedback, Ian Nagoski feels conned by Bobby Conn at Ottobar and Bret McCabe soaks up Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks at 9:30 Club.

Bret McCabe’s Music piece notes that shoegazing lives on.

In Film: Ian Grey says its better to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone than to see it, but Pin is disturbingly good; and Adele Marley wants to clean house after seeing Grey Gardens.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up goes on an adventure at Pacific Rim.

In Mobtown Beat, Molly Rath reports on Sandtown-Winchester residents revolting against their local supermarket.

The Nose wonders why all is so strangely quiet at the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Arts and Culture.

Brennen Jensen’s Charmed Life revisits would-be astronaut Cheston Eshelman’s mail-order car business.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on playing in a Latin-jazz ensemble; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on hypocritical dads and slapping hubbies; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on the shockingly underfunded Coppin State College; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the mediocrity of Terrapins basketball and Orioles baseball.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Books is Lily Thayer, learning what two newly translated Algerian books -Tahar Djaout’s The Last Summer of Reason and Assia Djebar’s Algerian White –say about the terrorism’s costs.

In Imprints, Rupert Wondolowski has over-the-top praise for Ann Pancake’s short-story collection, Given Ground; Eileen Murphy says Ursula Hegi’s short-story collection, Hotel of the Saints, is less than stellar; and Joab Jackson finds that the literary ambitions of The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2001 fall short.

In Art, Ned Oldham checks out the paintings of Salvador Bru at Gomez Gallery.

Stage is Jack Purdy, taking serious issue with Vagabond Players’ production of Dale Wasserman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

In Music, Bret McCabe gets in the groove with improviser Joe McPhee.

Know Your Product is Bret McCabe on Landspeedrecord! and Prosolar Mechanics’ Urban Development Series Vol. 4, Dead Red Sea’s Birds, and The Convocation Of …’s Pyramid Technology.

In Film: Luisa F. Ribeiro’s heartstrings are tugged by I Remember Mama; Jack Purdy happily escapes to Support Your Local Gunfighter; Adele Marley is dazzled by Heist; Ian Grey is numbed by Novocaine; and Eric Allen Hatch chuckles at Shallow Hal.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up lines up for ‘cue at Old Hickory Grille.

Brennen Jensen’s Mobtown Beat marvels at My Wonderful Radio Show, a WWLG old-time radio program for kids.

The Nose probes “the fix” that put Pamela Carter in Bea Gaddy’s vacated City Council seat and calls Mr. Boh “a liar.”

In Media Circus, Michael Anft faults the media for failing to question the government’s anti-terrorism efforts and calls out WBFF for missing the point about what’s wrong with The Baltimore Sun.

Charles Cohen’s Charmed Life hoists a few with Fells Point’s barfly painter, Charles Newton.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on fear of flying; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on Kmart shopping; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on moving abroad and sharing heirlooms; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on Michael Jordan; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the World Series.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Books, Michael Anft defends Oprah-snubbing Jonathan Franzen and his anti-consumerist novel, The Corrections.

Christopher Skokna’s Art piece celebrates Charles Burns’ comic-book work.

Bones is Tara Hart’s poem, “The Platform of Absolute Rest …”

Geoffrey Himes, in Music, explains the importance of Charley Patton.

In Film: Ian Nagoski is psyched that the Creative Alliance is screening a whole slew of Stan Vanderbeek flicks; Lee Gardner is there for The Man Who Wasn’t There; Eric Allen Hatch gets sucked into Waking Life, is enchanted by Amelie, and picks a fight with The One; Tom Scocca gets a kick out of Twin Warriors; and Ian Grey shrugs at Domestic Disturbance.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up is fine with Crabby Dick’s.

Molly Rath’s Mobtown Beat details a development fight in Remington.

The Nose updates the scandal over a Kennedy Krieger Institute lead-paint study.

Tom Chalkley’s Charmed Life explores the art of Art Palmer.

The columns are: Sandy Asirvatham’s Underwhelmed, on photographer Nikki S. Lee; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on neatniks and negativity; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on WWII and the war on terror; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on the World Series on Fox.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

In Imprints: Frank Diller says Lily Burana’s memoir, Strip City, is lousy; Heather Joslyn credits William J. Mann’s Behind the Screen for telling great histories of Hollywood’s gays and lesbians; and Loren Glass finds that Tukufu Zuberi’s Thicker Than Blood misses the point about race.

Bones is Sonia Lewis’ poem, “How Much Does It Cost.”

In Stage: Jack Purdy finds flaws in Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten at Rep Stage; Anna Ditkoff says a jarring conclusion mars Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of Craig Lucas’ The Dying Gaul; and Mike Giuliano is creeped out by Spotlighters Theatre’s production of Frank Marcus’ The Killing of Sister George.

Ian Nagoski’s No Cover elevates Lafayette Gilchrist.

In Film: Lee Gardner boosts Microcinefest and snickers at Together’s hippies; Jack Purdy is horrified by Exorcist II: The Heretic; Ian Grey is terrified by Inferno, infected by Bones, and reminded of originals by K-Pax ; Luisa F. Ribeiro is haunted by The Other’s aftertaste and Liam’s madness; Andy Markowitz is not scared by The Raven, and thinks Zoolander masters one joke; and Adele Marley finds that sex beats sap in Life as a House, but 13 Ghosts is simply boring.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up gets funky at SoBo Café. (Editor’s Note: Remember, this review is exactly a decade old, so take it with a shaker of salt)

In Mobtown Beat, Brennen Jensen gets the low-down on the high hopes for reviving the Congress Hotel.

Michael Anft’s Media Circus ponders the news-gathering prospects of the new WYPR-FM and the death of Brill’s Content.

In Charmed Life, Brennen Jensen calls out some ugly Baltimore buildings.

The Mail heaps hate on Mr. Wrong.

The columns are: Suz Redfearn’s Germ Bag, on terror-news junkies; Joe MacLeod’s Mr. Wrong, on fearing the mail; Mink Stole’s Think Mink, on mourning and silent types; Wiley Hall III’s Urban Rhythms, on courageous politicians; and Tom Scocca’s 8 Upper, on Roger Clemens.

Scocca & MacLeod’s proto-blog, Funny Paper, reads the comics so you don’t have to.

Frank Diller’s Books piece explains the dramatic flair of guitar-smashing, short-story-writing, filmmaking Arthur Bradford.

In Art, Mike Giuliano checks out new work by Grace Hartigan, James Voshell, and Hubert Jacobs at C. Grimaldis Gallery; and Lee Gardner talks to Charles Armstrong, an art student who placarded Baltimore with posters about terrorism.

Bones is Peter Chapman’s poem, “Chorus.”

In Stage, Jack Purdy has a heckuva time at Center Stage’s production of Jerry Ross and Richard Adler’s The Pajama Game, while Richard Harrington and Chris Kauffman’s Motel California makes Anna Ditkoff laugh and scratch her head at the same time

Film is: Ian Grey, sucking face with Interview With the Vampire; Eric Allen Hatch, dropping a bomb on The Last Castle; and Andy Markowitz, liking the lengthy rhythms of Two Unknown Photographers.

Susan Fradkin’s Belly Up says Michael’s Steak and Lobster House is hit or miss.