AltWeeklies Wire
You Liked Them, You Really Liked Them: The Alternative Academy Awardsnew

Sure, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a long and venerable tradition of rewarding the film community’s artistic accomplishments. But here at the Mirror, we’ve got an institution of our own, “honouring” the best.
Montreal Mirror |
Jeffrey Malecki and Mark Slutsky |
03-12-2010 |
Movies
Sasha Van Bon Bon Recalls Her Striptease Days in Her Stage Memoir 'Neon Nightz'new
For Sasha Van Bon Bon, there is an odd sense of nostalgia about the ’90s. The Mirror’s veteran sex columnist, who’s been doling out sage advice on all things carnal to readers for over 15 years, worked as a stripper for much of that decade.
Montreal Mirror |
Matthew Hays |
03-12-2010 |
Theater
Where are the Beers of Yesteryear?new
Buffalo got an unexpected boost in 2007 when Labatt USA moved its headquarters to Key Bank Tower. Although city officials didn’t know of the move until it was announced, Mayor Byron Brown was there at the grand opening.
Artvoice |
Buck Quigley |
03-12-2010 |
Food+Drink
Lost Horizon: Hey Capital One, What's In Your Wallet?new

The Horizon is the $67 million, brand-new, almost finished, red-and-tan building that bookends the southern end of the downtown skyline. It is, as its backers predicted, the gateway to downtown, if you're coming from the south.
The Memphis Flyer |
John Branston |
03-12-2010 |
Housing & Development
Buy an Island: A County's Priciest Property Listing is in the Middle of Converse Baynew

With their children grown, the owners of a Vermont island retreat have put it on the market at a price as big as the bathtub once used by President Taft: $7.9 million. The estate’s $19,652 yearly property tax bill is just as eye-popping.
Seven Days |
Andy Bromage |
03-12-2010 |
Housing & Development
The Problem With Independent Hip-Hopnew
I’m reluctant to admit it, but I don’t listen to much independent or alternative hip-hop these days, or at least not nearly as much as I did in college, when Rhymesayers, Def Jux and Stones Throw records were as much a part of my diet as ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese.
Shepherd Express |
Evan Rytlewski |
03-12-2010 |
Music
New Day Care Background Check Law May Not Be Constitutionalnew
Legislators and the state Department of Children and Families may have gotten positive headlines when creating a law that allows the state to permanently revoke child care provider licenses based on a wide range of offenses.
Shepherd Express |
Lisa Kaiser |
03-12-2010 |
Children & Families
Despite a Long Record of Abuses, GEO is Still Running Texas Prisonsnew

GEO has one of the world’s worst track records in inmate care: The horror stories range from rapes to suicides to murders to deaths due to inadequate medical care. The company once hired a convicted sex offender as a guard in a facility for juvenile females.
Fort Worth Weekly |
Peter Gorman |
03-12-2010 |
Crime & Justice
Triumph of the Swill: Thoughts on 'The Hurt Locker'
The Motion Picture Academy's choice of "The Hurt Locker" as best film of 2009 is a sad commentary on the movie business as well as America's unwillingness to face the ugly truth about itself nearly a decade after 9/11.
Five Ways to Be a Better Locavorenew
Some of us don’t like meat. Or eggs. Or cheese. Or milk. Or anything that’s been cooked. Oh wait, that’s totally not true. But some of us choose not to consume these foods for very good reasons.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Marin Sardy |
03-11-2010 |
Food+Drink
The African Zeitgeist: Bassekou Kouyate, Tradition and Innovationnew

While hipster America's romance with West African music may not last long, a live look at the source is long overdue (in fairness, there aren't a lot of options). There's no better opportunity than with Malian Bassekou Kouyate.
The Portland Mercury |
Andrew R Tonry |
03-11-2010 |
Profiles & Interviews
Sex, Lies but no Videotape (Yet) in Steamy Mayoral and City Council Racesnew

It’s new cats versus old dogs as five-term Mayor Sue McCloud, a 70-something retired CIA officer in a shimmering red shirt, prepares to face off on April 13 against Carmel newcomer Adam Moniz, 33, a self-employed energy consultant.
Monterey County Weekly |
Robin Urevich |
03-11-2010 |
Politics
Hundreds of Monterey County Educators Expect Pink Slips This Monthnew
With education budgets squeezed statewide, Monterey County teachers are bracing for lay-off notices that, by law, districts must send by March 15 if they anticipate downsizing next year.
Monterey County Weekly |
Robin Urevich |
03-11-2010 |
Education
From Chile, a Toast 'A La Vida'new
"A la vida," says my small circle of friends, raising our cups of wine and pausing. The window behind me frames the jagged drop of one of the famous hills of Valparaíso, Chile, congested with vertically stacked tin houses and a fairy-tale web of streetlights.
Communities Go Gaga for Google's Fibernew
It was just a month ago when Google announced it was looking to partner with a U.S. city to launch its newest project. But already, several hundred communities have set their sights on securing a partnership.