Cincinnati Food and Wine Guy

I keep seeing this image in urban settings, and it has a very ominous look to it. I can't seem to find any images of it on the internet, either. Before curiosity gets the best of me, I'd like to know what it's really about.

I know the dealerships already, but I'm looking for a genuine, honest, independent mechanic who really knows his way around a SAAB. I live on the East side (in the city), and would love it even better if the place were close.

I'm meeting an old friend who will be coming in on the train to Union Station, so something within a few blocks would be ideal. I'd like to avoid any large chain restaurants, keep the bill under $20/person, and I especially enjoy quirky ethnic places. Somebody out there knows the perfect spot...is it you?

It's a classical piece with a lot of horns, and I've heard it before, but I just can't seem to place it. I've scoured the internet to no avail. I now have a friend whose continued sanity seems to hinge on an accurate answer to this question (ok, not really, but we've been trying to figure this out for a year).

Unpopular as it is, I really like vista, but here's the thing: I click on a link and it opens a new window. I finish reading the information in the new window, and have no further use for it, so I hit the red X in the upper right hand corner like I have for 15 years to get rid of it. I get this message that "windows has stopped working" and it re-opens the darn window (to my homepage). I don't want to simply reduce it and end up with a zillion open windows. I want it to go away when I'm through with it. If I could get the link to open as a new TAB, that would work fine (the system allows me to close tabs per normal). If the window would go away like it does on Explorer (every version ever written), that would work. Are there any settings I can change to help either of these things occur? I've been all over the Microsoft website to no avail. After dropping a serious chunk of change on a new 3GIG laptop, and having Vista as the only non-mac option, I kinda feel stranded on this.

I will be in Paris for three days (as part of a trip through Europe to celebrate my birthday) with my brother this February, and there are some specific things I'm wondering about:

1)I've heard that American Cigarettes are a hot commodity for tipping and/or bartering. True? How many packages can I legally bring with me for "personal consumption?"

2)My thoughtful brother saved us some money by booking a hotel in the 17th arondissmont (Yuk, I know...), but fortunately it's directly across the street from a Metro/RGV station. What's the best deal for the train for just three days?

3)Tell me about the weather so that I can figure out what to wear.

4)Somewhere, at the back of an alley, there's a restaurant with about 10 tables where I will be served the most impressive meal of my life on mismatched dishes while sitting in a wobbly chair and wondering whether they actually have a foodservice license for less than 50 Euros. Can you help me find it?

Lotsa stuff, I know, but...

I'm vacationing with some friends in Asheville, NC and we want a rental 9/5-9/11. Here are our specific needs:

*We're targeting to spend no more than $1,200 for the week, though we could pay a little more for something truly fantastic.

*It must be PET FRIENDLY, as we will be traveling with two very mellow medium sized dogs

*It needs to be configured as either a 3 bedroom, or a 2 bedroom with 2 beds in one of the bedrooms. Pull-out coouches do not count as a bed.

*We'd like to be as close to Downtown Asheville as possible. I'm finding plenty of places that meet our needs 15 miles out of town, but I'm thinking that the stuff closer in is individually owned, and not as easily found on the internet.

It'd be great to have the input of an Asheville native or a frequent visitor, and this site always seems to pony up someone who knows everything I need to know about the most obscure topics, so....Can you help?

I could pay $50 to Norton for software to do this, but it seems as though I could just do this myself very easily with some direction. Best answer gets chosen based on ease/success of the answer.

I'm talking take-home pay, the amount of money that the server will actually have in the checking account each week to pay bills with, given the following variables...

1) This server works in a nicer, three-star restaurant with terrific food and a great, reasonably priced wine list, and a hip, elegant bar.

2) This server carries Health Insurance through the restaurant.

3) This server orders $800 worth of food and beverages per shift, and works 5 shifts per week.

4) 95% of the patrons pay (and tip) on a credit card.

5) This server is remarkably knowledgeable about the nuances of different foods served in the restaurant, and is able to choose just the right wine for each individual's meal and personal taste, and is requested by name at least once per shift by returning patrons.

6) This server is paid the US standard $2.13/hour by the restaurant.

7) This server's restaurant requires that the busser, bartender, and host staff each receive 1%(3% total) of each server's sales as a tip

I'm a very conscientious dog owner, I promise. From time to time, though, the dog will get into something and roll around in it and come back inside (peeyeeew!) smelling just awful. Bathing this dog is a MAJOR hassle (some dogs are cool with it, but not this one) and normally requires a $75 groomer visit. It was so ongodly once when I had guests over, that I sprayed Febreeze on him and it worked wonders in that emergency, but I'm wondering about the safety of that practice. Is there a safer product that would accomplish some odor abatement in between groomings? Someone out there has been through this, I'm just sure of it.

It's been a one of a kind experience for us, but we'd love to know what those of you who actively watched enjoyed most....

We just had some folks here in the Brain from the NY SPCA, which runs a no-kill (they house the pets until they're adopted, rather than euthanizing them after a certain period of time) shelter here in Manhattan. This is what they wanted to hear about from all of you.

I'm up in the Brain on Times Square, and we're going to have the SPCA on later.....I'd love to save a pooch today!

http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/asktheplanet/b...

I'm sitting at the above event and my friends keep Im'ing me and asking me stuff....This one was from my Mom.

I have done some web research and the answers to this vary widely. Is there a sociologist out there with a definitive answer?

I'll be at the Hyatt Regency on Whacker for a week co-ordinating (but not participating in)a conference. Since all the real work is done, 90% of my time while there will be free time, though I'll need to stay within a few miles of the Hotel in case there's an issue.

What I'm looking for is killer Happy-Hour specials, great cheap breakfasts, etc. I'm a pro at the high-end stuff, but know very little about doing the Loop on a dime.

I'm sure one of you is an amateur Rachel Ray, and knows where the deals are...

I have a friend who is fascinated by the field of Phlebotomy, and has no idea where/how to certify. He would also like to know about the employment potential (pay, hours worked, etc.) Is there anyone in the field who can shed some light, here?