The charge to arts leaders and our writers was simple, yet also complex and difficult: “What is the one thing you would change or add to the local arts scene to make it better?" Well, maybe it wasn't worded quite so bluntly, but that was the point. There are plenty of exciting things happening locally in the arts. So what's next?

Dichotomy looms so large for We Are Scientists that it's almost a provisional member. They're a California band that's lived in New York for nearly a decade. The members are inveterate smartasses in interviews and between songs on stage, although their finely honed sense of humor rarely comes through in the music in any obvious way (like, say, They Might Be Giants).

These are turbulent times for the Cincinnati Fire Department. With the city of Cincinnati massively over budget, officials are eyeing cuts to the department's funding just as spiraling overtime costs have led to temporary closures of some fire stations and the department is facing a constant deluge of critics, including local firefighters union leaders. It's also become clear that, without major changes in either funding or its mission, the department's future looks even more grim.

I’ll skip the diatribe about how the year in movies has been so far. It sucks. Let’s look forward. The second half of the year brings everything from film-festival favorites and art-house Oscar bait to documentaries and big-budget blockbusters.

We Americans are proud of the idealized version of youth that most of us at least partially experienced as children: little Billy tossing ball with dad; Sally spending time with mom learning to repair dad and Billy's jeans. The Columbus Dispatch today reported that the contemporary version is just as good, as long as Billy enjoys traveling the country reliving dad's glory days and Sally doesn't mind either being left behind or winning at all costs.

New flavors are popping up everywhere in Cincinnati, and Poco a Poco is a recent example. This Latin American eatery in the space formerly occupied by Red seemed like the perfect spot for a summer night. So after strolling the streets of Hyde Park Square, we decided to unplug and give this new spot a whirl.