The speaker was Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine. I had never heard of it but it didn’t take much brain power to wrap my mind around the concept. Basically, these guys publish random paper findings that are sent in from around the world. Notes, “to-do” lists, doodles, birthday cards, anything funny.

The allure of this is, we, the readers, have no idea the true back story. We simply get a slice of a strangers life and we fill the gap with whatever sensational story we can imagine.

Davy was an interesting fellow. He was a funny guy, most likely Irish, with one of those reading styles similar to high school when the class clown was picked to read. At any moment you knew he was going to say something absolutely hilarious.

He started the night with how the idea came to him, literally. One night in Chicago, Davy walked out to his car and found a note under the windshield wiper.

“Mario,
I fucking hate you you said you had to work then whys your car HERE at HER place?? You’re a fucking LIAR. I hate you I fucking hate you.
Amber
PS Page me Later”

Obviously, this note wasn’t intended for him, but the idea Davy was struck with was undeniably interesting. And now after almost 10 years, Found Magazine is still going strong with an extremely successful magazine and website.

Between sips of Jim Beam straight from the bottle, Davy took us on a journey around the country from college campuses to apartment parking lots, where findings were as random and bizarre as the next act at the circus. Two girls fighting through a note, a love letter that was more absurd than lovely, a Duke University teacher review, along with a full array of great finds.

Littering is a nasty habit and in my neighborhood (OTR), it’s a downright epidemic, but now Davy Rothbart has given me a another way to look at these urban tumbleweeds.

My goal is to recover something Found Magazine Worthy in the next month. Now my Crusade against litter has a secondary purpose and some entertainment value, and for that I thank you, Davy Rothbart. Thanks for being weird.

Anyone can contribute at www.foundmagazine.com
Happy Hunting…

(Posted by Jake Gerth.)

It started with just a few people from theater, dance, music, museums, and the Fine Arts Fund staff, and grew to include hundreds of Cincinnati residents.

Even though the initial invitation didn’t say what the participants would be doing, hundreds of people signed on to show their enthusiasm for the arts. We successfully kept the secret for weeks because we all shared the goal of touching others in our community with the unexpectedness of the event.

Dance breaks out on Fountain Square

Just after 12:30 p.m., as the song “Bop ‘Til You Drop” by the Nylons blared from the square’s loud speakers, a few people emerged from the lunchtime crowd and began dancing.

More joined in. Then more, until about 150 people – some wearing suits, some in T-shirts and jeans – were moving to the music in unison on the southern edge of the square.

Then as suddenly as it began, it was over. The song ended. The dancers dispersed. Fountain Square was back to normal.

Read the Enquirer article, and watch the video below.

Jacques Munkey writes to us about National Soul Patch Day on May 29th.  (I guess any buffoon can declare a National anything day on the internets.)

What is National Soul Patch Day?  Well, besides the newest, best holiday, it is also a contest with real prizes (well, real t-shirts)!

The soul patch is the very foundation of unshaven awesome. That’s why it’s my choice for getting the most bang for my self-expression buck.

The time has come for everyone to experience this kind of cool. WonderGroup is declaring May 29th “National Soul Patch Day.” To inaugurate this auspicious day, we’re holding a Soul Patch Contest.

There’s not much time!  Facial hair comes more slowly for some of us than for others. For more information, read The Soul Patch Contest Details.  You can also follow Messr. Munkey on Twitter and Facebook.

National Soulpatch Day

Farmers markets have popularized the idea of putting local, seasonal organic food on our tables, and now an innovative Atlanta-based retailer has extended the “buy local” concept to handmade, one-of-a –kind products from local, independent designers. Beehive Co-op (www.beehiveco-op.com), founded in 2004 by Petra Geiger, taps the most dazzling local design talent and showcases their clothing, jewelry and accessories for the home in a well-edited retail environment that is equal parts sexy, stylish and sustainable.

Beehive’s interpretation of the cooperative is simple: the store rents space to local designers, who pay a low monthly rent in return for a dedicated boutique area in the store. Each cooperative member must work four hours in the store each week, which keeps overhead low and creates a collaborative environment where burgeoning entrepreneurs can learn how to grow their businesses.

I’ve not been there yet, but to me, it sounds like a real-world Etsy. 

So support your local crafts-makers.  And read more about the co-op at Soapbox, 5chw4r7z, and CincyBurb.

Photo by 5chw4r7z